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i applaud your willingness to publish this content under your real name, and also understand your real name is closely associated with your software service. i

i applaud your willingness to publish this content under your real name, and also understand your real name is closely associated with your software service. i understand that gives you a certain amount of power that other employees, say of Apple, may not have. kudos to you for using it fruitfully - sincerely. i am sure this will come across as tin foily, but i would advise you to monitor your digital assets and maybe even personal ones for probing/attack/etc. you're publishing an anti-CCP piece on a widely trafficked web property and are easily identifiable. you are making an enemy of a powerful adversary. appreciate the piece and best of luck.

ddevault 7y ago
Author here. Thank you for your earnest concern. I'm a pretty risk-averse person and I take lots of pains to address those contingencies for all of my digital services.
- Vysero 7y ago
  I agree with you and imagine many others do as well. I think you are right it's about time I draw a line in my own personal life as well. No more Chinese manufactured goods for me. In fact, I think I will go ahead and get rid of what I currently own.
  - rlue 7y ago
    People suggest this a lot, but I don't think it does the trick. Some merchant bought a bunch of inventory from a Chinese factory, then tried to sell it to you, and you didn't buy it. When they get tired of holding onto it, they'll sell it at deep discount and eat the loss, then try to make up the loss on another product (and politically indifferent consumers will happily swoop in for a good deal). Meanwhile, China is laughing all the way to the bank. If you really care, reach out directly to the merchants you buy from. Tell them you used to be a loyal customer, but you won't buy from them again until they stop carrying products made in China. Get your friends and coworkers to do the same, and keep the pressure on. If they go for it, follow through by rewarding them with your loyalty, and broadcast that win as publicly as possible. Talk about it, hashtag it, whatever. Organize. Changing individual consumption habits rarely amounts to much more than virtue signalling. And don't toss your existing stuff. You already paid for it, so it's not helping China anymore, and throwing it away doesn't hurt them. If anything, selling it to someone else reduces demand for new products (by exactly 1 unit).
    - Vysero 7y ago
      Perhaps getting rid of what I currently own won't hurt China but it will help me maintain my resolve. Much like a former smoker tossing his old cigarettes in the fire.
      - DreamScatter 7y ago
        Consider giving your excess to people in need of it
    - spectramax 7y ago
      It is about the principles and the message it conveys. Gandhi protested against the British by spinning his own fabric, making his own shoes, and being completely independent. It made no difference to the British companies, but it sent a powerful message to the nation that Indians can be independent. Do not underestimate or discourage people from doing what they principally object, even if practically it makes no sense or has no objective benefit.
- chvid 7y ago
  Don't worry; your political views are completely mainstream as the discussion here also demonstrates.
  - __sy__ 7y ago
    Mainstream in America. But far from it in mainland China.
    - baby 7y ago
      I’d add that mainlanders here in the US completely disagree with you as well. (I am not, but know many.)
      - jjcc 7y ago
        I would say many mainlanders are reluctant say anything in this topic so you don't know. BTW, I'm Canadian but was from mainland. There are also a lot of debate inside WeChat groups which include oversea Chinese who have access to all information.
- natch 7y ago
  Hi author, wondering what you think China should do with the organs of executed prisoners? It’s easy to find fault with them for (presumably) not asking for permission but it seems it would be a pity for them not to be used to help patients in need, no? This is separate from the question of what supposed crimes led to the execution. Short waiting lists can be explained by the lack of permission not only for executions but for all deaths of healthy people... not to defend China on other points, but this one seems like a odd concern possibly just zeroed in on for dramatic emotional effect, rather than for any actual practical reason.
  - philsnow 7y ago
    If the prisoners didn't consent to their organs being used (to bolster the health of the people who imprisoned them), they should not be used. Anything else sets up a perverse incentive to execute more undesirables.
    - natch 7y ago
      The perverse incentive part makes sense. For the other part, I have trouble understanding why a dead person would care about anything after their death ...although I can understand them having wishes before death, but any such wishes should be weighed in context for their reasonableness given all factors.
      - rlue 7y ago
        It's not just about the rights of the person being executed, but also those of their loved ones. You may say you wouldn't care if your dead carcass was, say, grotesquely abused for someone else's amusement—after all, you're dead and no longer around to have any feelings about it—but how would your children feel? How would you feel if that was the fate awaiting your life partner? The shared endeavor of human society entitles people to dignity even in death. That includes the right to bodily integrity.
        natch 7y ago
- zarkov99 7y ago
  You are a brave and principled man. Thank you for posting that.
csomar 7y ago
The very worst case, he'll be denied access to China (and possibly HongKong) but otherwise he's fine. China is more interested in Chinese living in China and not some western somewhere.
- throwawaypolicy 7y ago
  China has very publicly ran DDOS attacks against GitHub when GitHub did some things they didn't like. Specifically they used infrastructure co-located with the GFW to run a MITM on connections to Baidu and serve malicious javascript. The malicious javascript used users computers to DDOS GitHub. https://citizenlab.ca/2015/04/chinas-great-cannon/ https://citizenlab.ca/2015/04/chinas-great-cannon/
spectramax 7y ago
The fact that this is a concern should send red flags to everyone that's not in China. We should not feel threatened to criticize a foreign country. Speak up fearlessly against China. Now is the time.
ufmace 7y ago
It's generally always worth keeping an eye on that, but AFAIK, the CCP doesn't normally target western nationals who talk trash or take modestly effective actions. They tend to focus on their own citizens, who they can do pretty much anything to without consequences, and on spying on anybody who might have information of significant use to them.
silexia 7y ago
I agree, I am deathly afraid of Putin and Xi Jinping and the other dictators quiet assassination machines.

ddevault 7y ago

Author here. Thank you for your earnest concern. I'm a pretty risk-averse person and I take lots of pains to address those contingencies for all of my digital services.

Vysero 7y ago
I agree with you and imagine many others do as well. I think you are right it's about time I draw a line in my own personal life as well. No more Chinese manufactured goods for me. In fact, I think I will go ahead and get rid of what I currently own.
- rlue 7y ago
  People suggest this a lot, but I don't think it does the trick. Some merchant bought a bunch of inventory from a Chinese factory, then tried to sell it to you, and you didn't buy it. When they get tired of holding onto it, they'll sell it at deep discount and eat the loss, then try to make up the loss on another product (and politically indifferent consumers will happily swoop in for a good deal). Meanwhile, China is laughing all the way to the bank. If you really care, reach out directly to the merchants you buy from. Tell them you used to be a loyal customer, but you won't buy from them again until they stop carrying products made in China. Get your friends and coworkers to do the same, and keep the pressure on. If they go for it, follow through by rewarding them with your loyalty, and broadcast that win as publicly as possible. Talk about it, hashtag it, whatever. Organize. Changing individual consumption habits rarely amounts to much more than virtue signalling. And don't toss your existing stuff. You already paid for it, so it's not helping China anymore, and throwing it away doesn't hurt them. If anything, selling it to someone else reduces demand for new products (by exactly 1 unit).
  - Vysero 7y ago
    Perhaps getting rid of what I currently own won't hurt China but it will help me maintain my resolve. Much like a former smoker tossing his old cigarettes in the fire.
    - DreamScatter 7y ago
      Consider giving your excess to people in need of it
  - spectramax 7y ago
    It is about the principles and the message it conveys. Gandhi protested against the British by spinning his own fabric, making his own shoes, and being completely independent. It made no difference to the British companies, but it sent a powerful message to the nation that Indians can be independent. Do not underestimate or discourage people from doing what they principally object, even if practically it makes no sense or has no objective benefit.
chvid 7y ago
Don't worry; your political views are completely mainstream as the discussion here also demonstrates.
- __sy__ 7y ago
  Mainstream in America. But far from it in mainland China.
  - baby 7y ago
    I’d add that mainlanders here in the US completely disagree with you as well. (I am not, but know many.)
    - jjcc 7y ago
      I would say many mainlanders are reluctant say anything in this topic so you don't know. BTW, I'm Canadian but was from mainland. There are also a lot of debate inside WeChat groups which include oversea Chinese who have access to all information.
natch 7y ago
Hi author, wondering what you think China should do with the organs of executed prisoners? It’s easy to find fault with them for (presumably) not asking for permission but it seems it would be a pity for them not to be used to help patients in need, no? This is separate from the question of what supposed crimes led to the execution. Short waiting lists can be explained by the lack of permission not only for executions but for all deaths of healthy people... not to defend China on other points, but this one seems like a odd concern possibly just zeroed in on for dramatic emotional effect, rather than for any actual practical reason.
- philsnow 7y ago
  If the prisoners didn't consent to their organs being used (to bolster the health of the people who imprisoned them), they should not be used. Anything else sets up a perverse incentive to execute more undesirables.
  - natch 7y ago
    The perverse incentive part makes sense. For the other part, I have trouble understanding why a dead person would care about anything after their death ...although I can understand them having wishes before death, but any such wishes should be weighed in context for their reasonableness given all factors.
    - rlue 7y ago
      It's not just about the rights of the person being executed, but also those of their loved ones. You may say you wouldn't care if your dead carcass was, say, grotesquely abused for someone else's amusement—after all, you're dead and no longer around to have any feelings about it—but how would your children feel? How would you feel if that was the fate awaiting your life partner? The shared endeavor of human society entitles people to dignity even in death. That includes the right to bodily integrity.
      - natch 7y ago
zarkov99 7y ago
You are a brave and principled man. Thank you for posting that.

csomar 7y ago

The very worst case, he'll be denied access to China (and possibly HongKong) but otherwise he's fine. China is more interested in Chinese living in China and not some western somewhere.

throwawaypolicy 7y ago
China has very publicly ran DDOS attacks against GitHub when GitHub did some things they didn't like. Specifically they used infrastructure co-located with the GFW to run a MITM on connections to Baidu and serve malicious javascript. The malicious javascript used users computers to DDOS GitHub. https://citizenlab.ca/2015/04/chinas-great-cannon/ https://citizenlab.ca/2015/04/chinas-great-cannon/

spectramax 7y ago

The fact that this is a concern should send red flags to everyone that's not in China. We should not feel threatened to criticize a foreign country. Speak up fearlessly against China. Now is the time.

ufmace 7y ago

It's generally always worth keeping an eye on that, but AFAIK, the CCP doesn't normally target western nationals who talk trash or take modestly effective actions. They tend to focus on their own citizens, who they can do pretty much anything to without consequences, and on spying on anybody who might have information of significant use to them.

silexia 7y ago

I agree, I am deathly afraid of Putin and Xi Jinping and the other dictators quiet assassination machines.