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Irish politician calls for crack down on "open source Internet browsers"

24 points by rmc 13y ago

Nanzikambe 13y ago
Well, I'm glad Ireland's politicians have such grasp of the subject. Someone should mention (in monosyllabic terms obviously) that most Tor nodes runs Linux, an open source operating system, also in serious need of a good cracking down. “Law enforcement agencies in the United States have recently taken action to address this issue, however it appears the solution was temporary as replacement browsers quickly appeared to ensure the continuance of the illegal trade." I can't quite decide whether this is genius level satire, or serious.
- Zuider 13y ago
  It's genius level stupidity. I don't know if you have ever had the experience of trying to explain something to someone so deeply committed to paranoid stupidity that they are actively resistant to new knowledge. You could try monosyllables, or even 'Quest for Fire' style grunts and grimaces, but the results will be the same. They tend to pick a few striking keywords from what you are saying (just the words, not any actual concepts), and they will run with those. Someone probably did try to explain to O'Donovan, but all he heard was "blah, blah, open source, blah, blah, blah". I suspect that O'Donovan is not the originator of the initiative that he is championing here, but that he has been made privy to some insider information about an impending EU crackdown on internet anonymity (which politicians and bureaucrats hate as a matter of course) and he hopes to make political capital by taking credit for it.
  - Nanzikambe 13y ago
    > I don't know if you have ever had the experience of trying to explain something to someone so deeply committed to paranoid stupidity that they are actively resistant to new knowledge. I have actually, but I rather naively assumed that politicians would have researchers or similar to make sure they can at least articulate the talking points they adopt. > or even 'Quest for Fire' style grunts and grimaces PMSL :)
jmmcd 13y ago
Don't worry everyone. As the article says, O'Donovan has written to the Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, John O’Mahony TD, who is well-qualified to see through this nonsense -- he was elected because of his fame as the manager of the 1998 and 2001 All-Ireland winning Galway Gaelic football team.
ikusalic 13y ago
So much here that is wrong... But what does he mean with "Law enforcement agencies in the United States have recently taken action to address this issue (open source browsers)" in the last paragraph?
- Zuider 13y ago
  He probably has the Tor network in mind.
- bbrian 13y ago
  I assume the FBI exploiting Firefox in a previous version of Tor Browser Bundle (on Windows only!). http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/09/freedom-hosting-fbi/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/09/freedom-hosting-fbi...
- rmc 13y ago
  It's a attempt to sound legitimate. He's saying "Look the USA, with a Real Big Police Force™ that deals with Serious Issues™, is also doing this". It's like someone in small company saying "Look Google use this technology" as a way to convice their boss, but on a country scale.
- rsynnott 13y ago
  He doesn't know what browsers are, I think. The only way it makes any sense is if you read "open source browser" as "Tor site".
vool 13y ago
I'm sooooooooooooooooooooo sorry
bbrian 13y ago
I figure this is in response to the Silk Road extradition trial that's coming up (January 21). http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-faces-extradition-to-us-over-alleged-link-to-drug-site-29912949.html http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-faces-extrad...
BerislavLopac 13y ago
Wait -- I've heard that most of the drug trade is conducted in US dollars. Let's crack down on those!

24 points by rmc 13y ago

Well, I'm glad Ireland's politicians have such grasp of the subject. Someone should mention (in monosyllabic terms obviously) that most Tor nodes runs Linux, an open source operating system, also in serious need of a good cracking down. “Law enforcement agencies in the United States have recently taken action to address this issue, however it appears the solution was temporary as replacement browsers quickly appeared to ensure the continuance of the illegal trade." I can't quite decide whether this is genius level satire, or serious.

Zuider 13y ago
It's genius level stupidity. I don't know if you have ever had the experience of trying to explain something to someone so deeply committed to paranoid stupidity that they are actively resistant to new knowledge. You could try monosyllables, or even 'Quest for Fire' style grunts and grimaces, but the results will be the same. They tend to pick a few striking keywords from what you are saying (just the words, not any actual concepts), and they will run with those. Someone probably did try to explain to O'Donovan, but all he heard was "blah, blah, open source, blah, blah, blah". I suspect that O'Donovan is not the originator of the initiative that he is championing here, but that he has been made privy to some insider information about an impending EU crackdown on internet anonymity (which politicians and bureaucrats hate as a matter of course) and he hopes to make political capital by taking credit for it.
- Nanzikambe 13y ago
  > I don't know if you have ever had the experience of trying to explain something to someone so deeply committed to paranoid stupidity that they are actively resistant to new knowledge. I have actually, but I rather naively assumed that politicians would have researchers or similar to make sure they can at least articulate the talking points they adopt. > or even 'Quest for Fire' style grunts and grimaces PMSL :)

jmmcd 13y ago

Don't worry everyone. As the article says, O'Donovan has written to the Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, John O’Mahony TD, who is well-qualified to see through this nonsense -- he was elected because of his fame as the manager of the 1998 and 2001 All-Ireland winning Galway Gaelic football team.

ikusalic 13y ago

So much here that is wrong... But what does he mean with "Law enforcement agencies in the United States have recently taken action to address this issue (open source browsers)" in the last paragraph?

Zuider 13y ago
He probably has the Tor network in mind.
bbrian 13y ago
I assume the FBI exploiting Firefox in a previous version of Tor Browser Bundle (on Windows only!). http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/09/freedom-hosting-fbi/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/09/freedom-hosting-fbi...
rmc 13y ago
It's a attempt to sound legitimate. He's saying "Look the USA, with a Real Big Police Force™ that deals with Serious Issues™, is also doing this". It's like someone in small company saying "Look Google use this technology" as a way to convice their boss, but on a country scale.
rsynnott 13y ago
He doesn't know what browsers are, I think. The only way it makes any sense is if you read "open source browser" as "Tor site".

vool 13y ago

I'm sooooooooooooooooooooo sorry

bbrian 13y ago

I figure this is in response to the Silk Road extradition trial that's coming up (January 21). http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-faces-extradition-to-us-over-alleged-link-to-drug-site-29912949.html http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-faces-extrad...

BerislavLopac 13y ago

Wait -- I've heard that most of the drug trade is conducted in US dollars. Let's crack down on those!