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John McAfee on Obamacare Website: Backbone.js is Impractical

11 points by kungfooguru 13y ago

jbooth 13y ago
So McAfee outlined that someone could spearphish with sites like obamacare.com.myurl.com. It doesn't seem that he outlined any actual vulnerability that doesn't go for every site on the web. Fox News, needless to say, is breathless. Byline: "Can you lose your life savings by signing up for Obamacare?"
codygman 13y ago
Why is this crap even here? It's a few paragraphs of "your identity will be stolen if you go to the obamacare website", an accusation, and absolutely no proof to back up said allegation (whether it is true or not) This is just propaganda... someone delete this crap.
akadien 13y ago
Software technology is dead if John McAfee is now a spokesman and authority.
al2o3cr 13y ago
Because if I'm interested in discussing web application architecture, I know the first d00d I turn to is a guy who thinks "step 1: put MDPV in your butt" is a great plan.
orik 13y ago
I don't know what to think about this. When my Grandfather calls me worried about what the man on Fox News said about Obamacare, I'll have to refer him to thee "How To Uninstall McAfee Antivirus" video and explain that Mcafee is a loon.
kungfooguru 13y ago
Hope everyone gets that I posted this due to it being hilarious... A couple comments sound like they did not get that.
coldcode 13y ago
I thought HN was all about useful information and discussion. This is worthless.
w1ntermute 13y ago
I really don't think that a Fox News interview of John McAfee is as reliable source of info on this matter. For example, he mentions that JS is used in the software, and that's a "cheap way of doing things," which is complete nonsense. After his the whole incident in Belize, I don't see how anyone can take this guy seriously on any topic, let alone computer security. And where is Backbone (in the title right now: "John McAfee on Obamacare Website: Backbone.js is Impractical") even mentioned, either on the linked site or in the video of the interview? I tried checking the website and didn't see where Backbone was used. Edit: I see the use of Backbone now, I had browsed the site a little but hadn't visited a page which loaded Backbone.
- kungfooguru 13y ago
  The website does use Backbone. You can check by looking at the Javascript files. And I posted it because it was FUNNY. I didn't think people on HN would mistake this for a serious post, haha.
  - sprobertson 13y ago
    http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
    - warmfuzzykitten 13y ago
      Widely propagated technical nonsense seems on-topic to me.
- kungfooguru 13y ago
  And obvious that when he speaks of "Javascript on the users computer" he is referring to the architecture choice of frontend JS web framework. Which in the case of healthcare.gov is Backbone.
calvin 13y ago
Look at the healthcare.gov source and you see the following technologies in use: - jQuery 1.8.2 - Backbone 0.9.2 - Bootstrap 2.3.2 You may need to look inside the all.css and all.js files. Page Speed: 92/100 YSlow!: C, 76/100 At least on the homepage I don't see Backbone actually being used.
KyeRussell 13y ago
I don't actually know what's worse, this story or the Javascript fanboys in the comments pulling ad hominem arguments out of nowhere about drugs and Belize.

11 points by kungfooguru 13y ago

So McAfee outlined that someone could spearphish with sites like obamacare.com.myurl.com. It doesn't seem that he outlined any actual vulnerability that doesn't go for every site on the web. Fox News, needless to say, is breathless. Byline: "Can you lose your life savings by signing up for Obamacare?"

codygman 13y ago

Why is this crap even here? It's a few paragraphs of "your identity will be stolen if you go to the obamacare website", an accusation, and absolutely no proof to back up said allegation (whether it is true or not) This is just propaganda... someone delete this crap.

akadien 13y ago

Software technology is dead if John McAfee is now a spokesman and authority.

al2o3cr 13y ago

Because if I'm interested in discussing web application architecture, I know the first d00d I turn to is a guy who thinks "step 1: put MDPV in your butt" is a great plan.

orik 13y ago

I don't know what to think about this. When my Grandfather calls me worried about what the man on Fox News said about Obamacare, I'll have to refer him to thee "How To Uninstall McAfee Antivirus" video and explain that Mcafee is a loon.

kungfooguru 13y ago

Hope everyone gets that I posted this due to it being hilarious... A couple comments sound like they did not get that.

coldcode 13y ago

I thought HN was all about useful information and discussion. This is worthless.

w1ntermute 13y ago

I really don't think that a Fox News interview of John McAfee is as reliable source of info on this matter. For example, he mentions that JS is used in the software, and that's a "cheap way of doing things," which is complete nonsense. After his the whole incident in Belize, I don't see how anyone can take this guy seriously on any topic, let alone computer security. And where is Backbone (in the title right now: "John McAfee on Obamacare Website: Backbone.js is Impractical") even mentioned, either on the linked site or in the video of the interview? I tried checking the website and didn't see where Backbone was used. Edit: I see the use of Backbone now, I had browsed the site a little but hadn't visited a page which loaded Backbone.

kungfooguru 13y ago
The website does use Backbone. You can check by looking at the Javascript files. And I posted it because it was FUNNY. I didn't think people on HN would mistake this for a serious post, haha.
- sprobertson 13y ago
  http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - warmfuzzykitten 13y ago
    Widely propagated technical nonsense seems on-topic to me.
kungfooguru 13y ago
And obvious that when he speaks of "Javascript on the users computer" he is referring to the architecture choice of frontend JS web framework. Which in the case of healthcare.gov is Backbone.

calvin 13y ago

Look at the healthcare.gov source and you see the following technologies in use: - jQuery 1.8.2 - Backbone 0.9.2 - Bootstrap 2.3.2 You may need to look inside the all.css and all.js files. Page Speed: 92/100 YSlow!: C, 76/100 At least on the homepage I don't see Backbone actually being used.

KyeRussell 13y ago

I don't actually know what's worse, this story or the Javascript fanboys in the comments pulling ad hominem arguments out of nowhere about drugs and Belize.