4 ms·

Gain reputation, use the account to manipulate us at a later time. HN is a high value target for the same regimes that use Reddit and other social media platfor

Gain reputation, use the account to manipulate us at a later time. HN is a high value target for the same regimes that use Reddit and other social media platforms to manipulate the US and Europe.

gwervc 2y ago
Interesting conspiracy theory, I'll now blame highly upvoted Rust stories as a Russian plot to make us lose time rewriting all our software.
- grumple 2y ago
  We know nation states try to compromise social media platforms and Github; that isn't conspiracy, it's fact. Now whether this particular set of users serve that purpose, I cannot know. But why else would someone use a bot on this site, other than to gain reputation for the purpose of manipulation of some sort? Remember the recent xz utils compromise: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39865810 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39865810 Recent use of Github for intelligence efforts by China: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/21/china-hacking-leak-documents-isoon/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/21/china-hackin... Iran on Reddit: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/volunteers-found-iran-s-propaganda-effort-reddit-their-warnings-were-n903486 https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/volunteers-found-iran... Russia on Reddit: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43255285 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43255285 It is a certainty that you do interact with malicious actors representing hostile nation states on any large platform - HN is well beyond the size where it's an issue. I hope the HN team has some tools to detect and counter it, but given their small team size they probably can't do much.
- netsharc 2y ago
  It's a Rustian plot! (Sorry for this reddit-level comment, feel free to burn it at the stake)
  - ClumsyPilot 2y ago
    Every plot is a Russian plot. Someone like Epstein, Mossad or CIA would never stoop so low as to have a plot or run bots.

Gain reputation, use the account to manipulate us at a later time. HN is a high value target for the same regimes that use Reddit and other social media platforms to manipulate the US and Europe.

gwervc 2y ago

Interesting conspiracy theory, I'll now blame highly upvoted Rust stories as a Russian plot to make us lose time rewriting all our software.

grumple 2y ago
We know nation states try to compromise social media platforms and Github; that isn't conspiracy, it's fact. Now whether this particular set of users serve that purpose, I cannot know. But why else would someone use a bot on this site, other than to gain reputation for the purpose of manipulation of some sort? Remember the recent xz utils compromise: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39865810 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39865810 Recent use of Github for intelligence efforts by China: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/21/china-hacking-leak-documents-isoon/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/21/china-hackin... Iran on Reddit: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/volunteers-found-iran-s-propaganda-effort-reddit-their-warnings-were-n903486 https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/volunteers-found-iran... Russia on Reddit: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43255285 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43255285 It is a certainty that you do interact with malicious actors representing hostile nation states on any large platform - HN is well beyond the size where it's an issue. I hope the HN team has some tools to detect and counter it, but given their small team size they probably can't do much.
netsharc 2y ago
It's a Rustian plot! (Sorry for this reddit-level comment, feel free to burn it at the stake)
- ClumsyPilot 2y ago
  Every plot is a Russian plot. Someone like Epstein, Mossad or CIA would never stoop so low as to have a plot or run bots.