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Ok. The GCHQ affair is making me go crazy, since as soon as i read >ANTICRISIS GIRL my brain came to a screeching halt, because I GET THE REFERENCE! I am pos

Ok. The GCHQ affair is making me go crazy, since as soon as i read >ANTICRISIS GIRL my brain came to a screeching halt, because I GET THE REFERENCE! I am possibly the only person on HN go get it, because it is unlikely that anybody else here is a fanatic adherent of the Eurovision Song Contest. The 2009 entry of Ukraine by Svetlana Loboda is called "Be My Valentine! (Anti-crisis Girl)" and here is a link[1]. WARNING: While not strictly NSFW, that video has a half-naked woman yelling "you are sexy bum", background dancers that can only be described as sex-legionaries and a catchy tune. She starts repeatedly screaming "anti-crisis girl" at about 2:30. Now back to meaningful discussion about total global surveillance. [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA-HL-EfUbI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA-HL-EfUbI

chippy 13y ago
Your observation is spot on. The people doing the work for GCHQ and the NSA are just like us. They are geeks and technologists. They are probably members of hacker news. This is the most believable part of the fantastic film Enemy of the State - the geeks in the van doing the work.
- toyg 13y ago
  >The people doing the work for GCHQ and the NSA are just like us. That's the scariest part: it's the banality of evil, updated for the XXI century. Would you turn down a safe and well-paid government job? Would you be a contractor building the Death Star? (for the record, this is not a new question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iQdDRrcAOjA#t=37 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iQd... )
  - logicchains 13y ago
    You could always take the job and then build a tiny vulnerability into the exhaust ports. It'd be incredibly difficult for anybody to take advantage of such a vulnerability, so you'd probably get away with it.
    - doktrin 13y ago
      Alternatively, you perform the task faithfully and are unfairly blamed when said feature is exploited by a family cabal : http://www.dorkly.com/article/59234/an-open-letter-from-a-death-star-architect http://www.dorkly.com/article/59234/an-open-letter-from-a-de...
  - opinali 13y ago
    The Death Star job would be almost impossible to turn down; space, lasers and stuff... but nope, working conditions suck, especially the boss who's a SERIOUS asshole.
    - wavefunction 13y ago
      Lord Vader simply has high standards.
    - e12e 13y ago
      A boss that kills of incompetent middle management and leaves the rank and file alone would be an improvement to some places I've worked. ;-) Demolishing entire planets... not so much an improvement.
  - Perdition 13y ago
    I turn them down in the sense that I have ruled out ever applying for those jobs. I've had enough angst when I thought my guild leadership in WoW was making unfair decisions, there is no way I could live with myself if I worked for one of these agencies.
- coldtea 13y ago
  >The people doing the work for GCHQ and the NSA are just like us. They are geeks and technologists. Of course they are. What else would they be? And some might even frequent HN -- including certain apologists. That doesn't make what they do any less disturbing or any less tied to interests against the general population and freedom. So, the "Banality of Evil" reference below is spot on.
gregsq 13y ago
Good catch. I feel slightly uncomfortable when individuals engage in too much superhero / I'm the One fantasy. Just a wee bit too much adrenaline and dopamine sometimes. I sincerely hope GCHQ don't have superhero costume parties. Even if they think they're something like The Justice League.

chippy 13y ago

Your observation is spot on. The people doing the work for GCHQ and the NSA are just like us. They are geeks and technologists. They are probably members of hacker news. This is the most believable part of the fantastic film Enemy of the State - the geeks in the van doing the work.

toyg 13y ago
>The people doing the work for GCHQ and the NSA are just like us. That's the scariest part: it's the banality of evil, updated for the XXI century. Would you turn down a safe and well-paid government job? Would you be a contractor building the Death Star? (for the record, this is not a new question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iQdDRrcAOjA#t=37 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iQd... )
- logicchains 13y ago
  You could always take the job and then build a tiny vulnerability into the exhaust ports. It'd be incredibly difficult for anybody to take advantage of such a vulnerability, so you'd probably get away with it.
  - doktrin 13y ago
    Alternatively, you perform the task faithfully and are unfairly blamed when said feature is exploited by a family cabal : http://www.dorkly.com/article/59234/an-open-letter-from-a-death-star-architect http://www.dorkly.com/article/59234/an-open-letter-from-a-de...
- opinali 13y ago
  The Death Star job would be almost impossible to turn down; space, lasers and stuff... but nope, working conditions suck, especially the boss who's a SERIOUS asshole.
  - wavefunction 13y ago
    Lord Vader simply has high standards.
  - e12e 13y ago
    A boss that kills of incompetent middle management and leaves the rank and file alone would be an improvement to some places I've worked. ;-) Demolishing entire planets... not so much an improvement.
- Perdition 13y ago
  I turn them down in the sense that I have ruled out ever applying for those jobs. I've had enough angst when I thought my guild leadership in WoW was making unfair decisions, there is no way I could live with myself if I worked for one of these agencies.
coldtea 13y ago
>The people doing the work for GCHQ and the NSA are just like us. They are geeks and technologists. Of course they are. What else would they be? And some might even frequent HN -- including certain apologists. That doesn't make what they do any less disturbing or any less tied to interests against the general population and freedom. So, the "Banality of Evil" reference below is spot on.

gregsq 13y ago

Good catch. I feel slightly uncomfortable when individuals engage in too much superhero / I'm the One fantasy. Just a wee bit too much adrenaline and dopamine sometimes. I sincerely hope GCHQ don't have superhero costume parties. Even if they think they're something like The Justice League.