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The problem still remains: HN’s “API” is incredibly simple and people have full datasets downloaded locally for every comment. In this case, the OP is already o
by Operyl 4y ago
The problem still remains: HN’s “API” is incredibly simple and people have full datasets downloaded locally for every comment. In this case, the OP is already out of luck if he’s looking for anonymity against a hostile entity.
- MerelyMortal 4y agoThat problem seems like an extreme outlier. Such user protection would prevent "crimes of opportunity". The average person is not going to have a constant backup of HN in case one day they might want to spy on someone's past.
- AnimalMuppet 4y agoAnd if they do, they're likely to start with Twitter or Facebook - something useful against more of the population. HN users are still very much a minority.
- Operyl 4y agoThe problem doesn’t appear to be that much of an extreme outlier, the thread poster is concerned about a specific tool. That tool has already downloaded the complete data set, he’s already lost.
- MerelyMortal 4y agoAnd there's no guarantee that service will stay around, or that they won't accept requests. I still think it's worthwhile to reduce the attack surface.
- naniwaduni 4y agoNothing going forward can help in that case, but we can still weigh impact on other threat models going forward.
- juancb 4y ago"We refuse to help because it's a mild inconvenience to us and we'll justify it by assuming that it won't help without knowing for a fact that it won't." That's a fascinating stance that you've outlined and that others have parroted. A stance that HN has implied with the reply to OP.
- Operyl 4y agoI’m not in charge of anything at HN, so how can my statement say HN won’t do something?