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I'm surprised there are so many people on Hacker News asking "why?". Hackers don't need a reason, other than it being clever, novel, fun, etc. But if you want
by tlrobinson 12y ago
I'm surprised there are so many people on Hacker News asking "why?".
Hackers don't need a reason, other than it being clever, novel, fun, etc. But if you want a reason there are plenty:
* art: there are numerous interpretations of this
* fun: this is sort of the digital equivalent of a "useless box" http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ef0b/ http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ef0b/
* science: experiment to see how widespread a URL can be shared without Google becoming aware of it
* security: embed unique tokens in your content to detect if it has leaked to the public
- soheil 12y agoI think more and more the word hacker has lost its original meaning at least in this community. If I were reading a similar story on a tor hidden service, let's say, I would not be asking why, but here I do.
- TeMPOraL 12y agoIt's totally twisted, because "business types" got involved and everyone started confusing "hacking" with "working". This story is a cool but simple hack, in the original meaning of the word. I find that a good definition of a hack is "a project or a trick that you can tell to your tech friends over a beer and have some good laugh from it".
- RexRollman 12y agoMy first thought was filesharing.
- TeMPOraL 12y agoAuto-DMCA-ing yourself?
- RexRollman 12y agoExactly.
- raimondious 12y agoMy first question was "_why? Is that you?"
- barbs 12y agoI agree that there are lots of reasons that someone would make a site like this, but I think people are curious as to the maker's specific reason. From the github: Why would you do such a thing? My full explanation was in the content of the site. (edit: ...which is now gone) I'm curious as to what the website said originally.
- tlrobinson 12y agoIn that case, I'd guess "art".