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> It doesn't ever state NJ's case against the students That's because NJ literally doesn't have a case against the students -- there have been no charges filed
by jnbiche 12y ago
> It doesn't ever state NJ's case against the students
That's because NJ literally doesn't have a case against the students -- there have been no charges filed. This is an unconstitutional fishing expedition that I suspect is intended to intimidate and create an atmosphere of fear, not just among Bitcoiners but all tinkerers and hackers (in the MIT/HN sense of the word).
- frandroid 12y agoThe term you're looking for is "white hat" hackers.
- jychang 12y ago> hackers (in the MIT/HN sense of the word). As someone at Berkeley who's been to many events at MIT, I feel like the definition of Silicon Valley/West Coast "hacker" is very different from the MIT hacker.
- surge 12y agoThe original term hacker came from the MIT Model Railroad Club. It came from when they "hacked" together some phone switching equipment to control the relays on their model railroad. Someone who used something other than its original intended or imagined purpose for some cool new innovative purpose. SV/West Coast has largely adopted the same term, albeit in a much looser sense.
- nsrango 12y agoMIT "hack" comes from the pranks and unauthorized adventuring that many undergraduates came to enjoy on campus. (eg. http://hacks.mit.edu/Hacks/misc/best_of.html http://hacks.mit.edu/Hacks/misc/best_of.html) Hack was then used by MIT's TMRC of which many members became involved with/helped build the AI-lab. The first third of Hackers (http://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Computer-Revolution-Anniversary-Edition/dp/1449388396 http://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Computer-Revolution-Anniversar...) gives a good perspective on the evolution.
- surge 12y agoYes, I've actually read the book, that's why I thought it came originally from the TMRC as one of the many slang terms or jargon they came up with.
- jnbiche 12y agoHmm, I think it depends on who is using it out West. There are plenty of MIT-style hackers in CA who describe themselves as such, including many on HN. But you may be partly right, I think that the way it's used among SV entrepreneurs differs a little from the MIT connotation. But all that is pretty immaterial to the question at hand. Both hacker subcultures are probably intended as the target of intimidation.
- eli 12y agoTo be fair, they are supposed to collect sufficient evidence of a crime before charging someone. That they haven't charged anyone yet doesn't prove anything. New Jersey, I suppose, has a right to investigate businesses it thinks are defrauding its residents. But it really feels like there is more to the story. Perhaps someone reused the existing code in malware? Or maybe New Jersey is simply confused.
- fleitz 12y agoThey sure do have a right, they also have the right to get a warrant if they want to search.
- eli 12y agoWell, so far that's what the whole case is about: whether the students should have to comply with the subpoena.
- seanflyon 12y agoCould someone explain the difference between a warrant and a subpoena? I have a feeling the distinction is significant here.
- bzbarsky 12y agoI am not a lawyer, so I have no idea how accurate https://ssd.eff.org/your-computer/govt/subpoenas https://ssd.eff.org/your-computer/govt/subpoenas is, but chances are it's pretty accurate; I would trust the EFF on this sort of thing.
- fleitz 12y agohttps://ssd.eff.org/your-computer/govt/subpoenas https://ssd.eff.org/your-computer/govt/subpoenas