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Document the Atrocities! The American Political Media

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Posts

  • PhyphorPhyphor Building Planet Busters Tasting FruitRegistered User regular
    edited December 2013
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    So far all I've heard on this one is "intercepts conversations on XBL/WoW." That's not exactly unbelievable.

    Amusingly, it might be harder to do that than you would think. The wow servers have no reason to talk to any other server outside their immediate cluster, except for basic account data, so a communications intercept would require either having a tap in the colo facility, or breaking the incoming message stream from the clients (which is now encrypted, it used to be mostly plaintext) which means breaking RC4. Not the best crypto, but not shitty either (used to be XOR). Though the whole b.net cross-communication thhing might not be secure. The login sequence is provably secure unless MITMed by someone that also knows your plaintext password. The servers are unlikely to be used for anything else, and so will run minimal services. The server app itself may be vulnerable though. On the legal side, they might have a harder time getting a warrant to intercept the PM conversations, if only because it is not a generally used form of communication

    Phyphor on
  • SticksSticks I'd rather be in bed.Registered User regular
    I know everyone is pretty jaded about Snowden at this point, but I don't find the revelation that they spied on people in their vidya games the least bit surprising. You guys are making it out to be something incredibly complicated when all they had to do was sign up a few accounts and write something to scrape the chat from the client. It's like saying they wouldn't ever put resources into monitoring posts on a forum if that forum required them to signup first.

    If they had reason to think someone of suspicion was playing WoW (not unreasonable considering the size of the player base), they could easily monitor a good portion of that person's communications without blizzard having to know a damn thing by simply being in the same zone/guild with that person.

    Besides, the article linked from the PA newspost explicitly says the logs they captured were being forwarded to GCHQ for additional analysis.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    If terrorists were using WoW to talk to each other I highly doubt they were doing it in the in game general chat, and I doubt you can scrape someones pm, guild chat, or party chat without some fuckery.

    Again what is being alledged sounds like someone who doesn't know shit about video games, asking someone in IT to do something that ultimately went no where. Much like most of what Snowden alledges. It makes good print copy to idiots, but anyone with knowledge of the systems knows how fucking stupid that would actually be.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • Clown ShoesClown Shoes Give me hay or give me death. Registered User regular
    Let's just hope it was someone from the think-up-crazy-shit-before-the-enemy-does department and not the actively-hunting-terrorists department.

  • SticksSticks I'd rather be in bed.Registered User regular
    I think you're reading too much into it. I haven't seen anything that says they were in collusion with the game makers, broke into the servers, or cracked any encryption. All I've seen is that they intercepted some communication from chat clients and packet sniffers, and didn't get much useable intelligence out of it.

    I don't really see any reason to not take that at face value. It seems perfectly reasonable if they had reason to believe someone of interest was communicating with other potential persons of interest via video games. I would also expect them to monitor forum activity, and anything else they can easily get their hands.

  • jmcdonaldjmcdonald I voted, did you? DC(ish)Registered User regular
    Don't...don't we have a thread for this?

    I'm sorry I even brought Greenwald and his pouting up.

  • Dark_SideDark_Side Registered User regular
    Again what is being alledged sounds like someone who doesn't know shit about video games, asking someone in IT to do something that ultimately went no where. Much like most of what Snowden alledges. It makes good print copy to idiots, but anyone with knowledge of the systems knows how fucking stupid that would actually be.

    Well. The wonderful ATF was running stings where they would set up smoke shops and focus on nabbing mentally handicapped people, so lets not pretend that govt. entities are somehow removed from the ability to gin up really dumb ideas and act upon them. I would not at all be surprised if some young analyst got stuck scraping wow chat.

  • Harry DresdenHarry Dresden Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    If terrorists were using WoW to talk to each other I highly doubt they were doing it in the in game general chat, and I doubt you can scrape someones pm, guild chat, or party chat without some fuckery.

    Those would be the dumb terrorists.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    edited December 2013
    Well obviously they are playing WoW, but something tells me guys in AQ aren't going to be signing in to a WoW account to plan their next goat bombing.

    Preacher on
    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • Mild ConfusionMild Confusion Smash All Things Registered User regular
    I'd have just used it as an excuse to play WoW at work and have the govt pay the bill.

    "How is that investigation into that Warcraft guild, Johnson?"

    Pretty good sir, I have a raid tonight and if I get top five in dps on Sha, they'll make me an officer. Then I'll have full access to their bank and can run a check against my alt. Always follow the gold. sir.

    "Keep up the good work.

    steam_sig.png

    Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
  • Harry DresdenHarry Dresden Registered User regular
    edited December 2013
    Preacher wrote: »
    Well obviously they are playing WoW, but something tells me guys in AQ aren't going to be signing in to a WoW account to plan their next goat bombing.

    Not Al Queada, I remember after Obama got elected red neck Neo-Nazi's publicly admitted to trying to kill him by driving to the White House on the internet. The Secret Service found and arrested them quickly.

    edit: Those terrorists are the ones who'd be doing the WOW bullshit.

    Harry Dresden on
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    And we didn't need the NSA checking the net to do that, regular old citizens called in captain dumb shit.

    Not to mention thats the kind of thing everyone is all up in arms about in merica. "HOW DARE YOU LIMIT MY FREE SPEECH TO THREATEN THE PRESIDENT!"

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • MillMill Registered User regular
    Having known a few people that worked IT for the military, I have a feeling the so-called "OMG they spied on WoW players," is being taken out of context because Greenwald and Snowden are both shitty fuckwads and dumbasses. See one of the guys I knew would go on about how they would get jackasses every now and then that would use military computer servers or the servers for a one of the DoD defense contractors to set up a private server for games (they did catch one asshole setting up a private WoW server) or other questionable activities (also caught a dude with a stockpile of kiddie porn).

    Now this is a huge no-no for anyone that has a basic understanding of how the military sets up there network (name escapes me right now) and basic computer security. Those private servers require punching holes in the firewall and sometimes making hidden connects between the military's global network and the internet. It also involves finding ways to bypass any programs installed to ensure that military assets are properly secure (we're not just talking virus and malware checkers, there is also a need to keep everything up to date to patch any vulnerabilities and knowing what each machine has loaded on it).

    So I would not be surprised if those chat logs belonged to a private server, that was illegally run on government hardware. I'd also put good money that the government would comb through it to find out if the jackass, who created the server, acted alone or if it was a team effort. Not only would they want to deal with anyone doing stupid shit like that, they would want to make sure they get any other such servers those people set up.

  • AManFromEarthAManFromEarth Let's get to twerk! The King in the SwampRegistered User regular
    So anyone want to explain to me why the media's big shit this week is a selfie with two allied powers and not the basic human decency handshake at a funeral by a country we're thinking about thawing relations with?

    Lh96QHG.png
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    So anyone want to explain to me why the media's big shit this week is a selfie with two allied powers and not the basic human decency handshake at a funeral by a country we're thinking about thawing relations with?

    Because they really want to talk about Miley Cyrus and/or Kim Kardashian but this is the closest the news from the funeral will let them?

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • Harry DresdenHarry Dresden Registered User regular
    So anyone want to explain to me why the media's big shit this week is a selfie with two allied powers and not the basic human decency handshake at a funeral by a country we're thinking about thawing relations with?

    Slow news week.

  • jmcdonaldjmcdonald I voted, did you? DC(ish)Registered User regular
    .
    So anyone want to explain to me why the media's big shit this week is a selfie with two allied powers and not the basic human decency handshake at a funeral by a country we're thinking about thawing relations with?

    Slow news week. healthcare.gov is working now

    fixed that for you

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Memorial, fuck sake it was a memorial, the funeral is this sunday.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Well obviously they are playing WoW, but something tells me guys in AQ aren't going to be signing in to a WoW account to plan their next goat bombing.

    Why not? If you think your other communications methods might be compromised a "say" chat in an unpopulated area or "party" chat would be a pretty efficient way to communicate across large distances.

    I mean, just assume the negative. If the US wasn't monitoring WoW then WoW would be an amazing way for terrorists to communicate since the US wasn't monitoring it

    wbBv3fj.png
  • SpaffySpaffy Fuck the Zero Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Memorial, fuck sake it was a memorial, the funeral is this sunday.

    Plus it was a pretty rambunctious party from what's known. In-house I believe they referred to it as a "Life Celebration Party" or some other such thing. It doesn't seem that inappropriate to me.

    ALRIGHT FINE I GOT AN AVATAR
    Steam: adamjnet
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Why Our National Media Sucks In One Image:

    mandela-memorial.jpg

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • Mild ConfusionMild Confusion Smash All Things Registered User regular
    Since we were tangentially on the subject...

    i-cQfQ3KG-950x10000.jpg

    steam_sig.png

    Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    ...Seriously? Fox covered it better than CNN? That's hilarious.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Ehh I dunno if covering the not what is a real selfie more than anyone else is covering it better. Also the graph is misleading to an extent because the handshake was actual news, and its a result of quiet diplomacy between the us and cuba. Its all in how the handshake was actually covered that matters.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    Yeah, but they covered the actual memorial/legacy more. I assume some of that was by talking about how he was a communist, but still.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    By 3%, without knowing what the difference is/how much time that was its not like a huge number. And yeah I'm sure it was more attacking Mandela than honoring him on fox.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/12/wall-street-white-house-republicans-lament-of-the-plutocrats-101047.html?hp=t1

    Teen beat here to remind us that Clinton will sell us up the river for stock options.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • ArdolArdol Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/12/wall-street-white-house-republicans-lament-of-the-plutocrats-101047.html?hp=t1

    Teen beat here to remind us that Clinton will sell us up the river for stock options.

    Wow, I never realized quite how badly Wall Street types have it these days. I mean sure they often meet with the White House to discuss issues of the day, but tragically their suggestions are not immediately implemented into law.

    The world truly is a cold and cruel place.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Honestly Wall Street is the worst aspect of our political system, and outside of Sherrod Brown And Elizabeth Warren no one is at all interested in fixing it.

    And that's one reason I won't support Clinton part 3, because as much as I don't like how Obama hasn't done anything to wall street, Clinton will go worse and do stuff for them.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    Ardol wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/12/wall-street-white-house-republicans-lament-of-the-plutocrats-101047.html?hp=t1

    Teen beat here to remind us that Clinton will sell us up the river for stock options.

    Wow, I never realized quite how badly Wall Street types have it these days. I mean sure they often meet with the White House to discuss issues of the day, but tragically their suggestions are not immediately implemented into law.

    The world truly is a cold and cruel place.

    All they want is for everyone to just admit they know best and let them implement a plutocracy!

  • jmcdonaldjmcdonald I voted, did you? DC(ish)Registered User regular
    shryke wrote: »
    Ardol wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/12/wall-street-white-house-republicans-lament-of-the-plutocrats-101047.html?hp=t1

    Teen beat here to remind us that Clinton will sell us up the river for stock options.

    Wow, I never realized quite how badly Wall Street types have it these days. I mean sure they often meet with the White House to discuss issues of the day, but tragically their suggestions are not immediately implemented into law.

    The world truly is a cold and cruel place.

    All they want is for everyone to just admit they know best and let them implement a plutocracy!

    Hey now. This is Wall Street we're talking about here!

    It'd be a kleptocracy.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Politifact keeps making us all sad and chooses Obama's "If you like your insurance you can keep it" as lie of the year despit that line being said back in 2010 redefining what "year" means apparently.

    http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/12/21880402-obama-health-care-promise-named-lie-of-the-year?lite

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • DiannaoChongDiannaoChong Registered User regular
    Maybe they will addendum it with "turns out the lie of the year is our lie of the year"

    steam_sig.png
  • ViskodViskod Registered User regular
    Also, only idiots and children persist in calling that a lie, when anyone with some fucking sense realizes what he actually meant.

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Which makes it perfect for politifact. I believe they did the same thing in 2012 where the Romney campaign lied their ass off all year and the picked a democratic one because BOTH SIDES BAD!

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • Wraith260Wraith260 Happiest Goomba! Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    Politifact keeps making us all sad and chooses Obama's "If you like your insurance you can keep it" as lie of the year despit that line being said back in 2010 redefining what "year" means apparently.

    http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/12/21880402-obama-health-care-promise-named-lie-of-the-year?lite

    Politifact's reasoning for this,
    Politifact wrote:
    Obama's "If you like your insurance you can keep it" is lie of the year - while he said it in 2010 it wasn't a lie until this year, so we're rating our claim as MOSTLY TRUE



  • TenekTenek Registered User regular
    Oh boy.
    The problem for insurers was that the Obamacare rules were strict. If the plans deviated even a little, they would lose their grandfathered status. In practice, that meant insurers canceled plans that didn’t meet new standards.

    False. You can't cut coverage but you get to charge 15% + medical inflation extra.
    One example: PBS Newshour interviewed a woman from Washington, D.C., who was a supporter of the health care law and found her policy canceled. New policies had significantly higher rates. She told Newshour that the only thing the new policy covered that her old one didn’t was maternity care and pediatric services. And she was 58.

    This is not required of grandfathered plans. Her insurance company fucked her, Obama had nothing to do with it.

    Oh, Jesus. The linked one on "Nothing in #Obamacare forces people out of their health plans":
    ... While it’s technically true that the insurer makes the final decision... in a technical sense, insurers are pulling the plug on these old, grandfathered policies... if a grandfathered plan is being terminated, it is the insurer’s decision -- nothing in the law requires it.... other experts said that while this is technically true... it’s technically true that the insurer pulls the plug on a plan...

    Rating: False.

  • Dark_SideDark_Side Registered User regular
    shryke wrote: »
    Ardol wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/12/wall-street-white-house-republicans-lament-of-the-plutocrats-101047.html?hp=t1

    Teen beat here to remind us that Clinton will sell us up the river for stock options.

    Wow, I never realized quite how badly Wall Street types have it these days. I mean sure they often meet with the White House to discuss issues of the day, but tragically their suggestions are not immediately implemented into law.

    The world truly is a cold and cruel place.

    All they want is for everyone to just admit they know best and let them implement a plutocracy!

    Man, talk about not realizing how good you have actually have it. Hey fellas, you pay probably the least amount of taxes ever, and after melting down the US economy not only did you all get bailed out with taxpayer money, none of you ended up serving any time in prison, and no one even rammed any significant financial reform laws down your throat.

    So kindly shut the fuck up.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Dumb organization is dumb. Still.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
This discussion has been closed.