Tag: trainwreck

The death of the cloud

This sort of thing is why we don’t use the cloud. Frankly, I don’t understand why anyone does.

Yahoo said a major security breach in 2013 compromised all three billion accounts the company maintained, a three-fold increase over the estimate it disclosed previously.

The revelation, contained in an updated page about the 2013 hack, is the result of new information and the forensic analysis of an unnamed security consultant. Previously, Yahoo officials said about one billion accounts were compromised. With Yahoo maintaining roughly three billion accounts at the time, the 2013 hack would be among the biggest ever reported.

“We recently obtained additional information and, after analyzing it with the assistance of outside forensic experts, we have identified additional user accounts that were affected,” Yahoo officials wrote in the update. “Based on an analysis of the information with the assistance of outside forensic experts, Yahoo has determined that all accounts that existed at the time of the August 2013 theft were likely affected.”

The information taken in the heist may have included users’ names, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, passwords scrambled using the weak MD5 cryptographic hashing algorithm, and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers. Yahoo said investigators don’t believe the stolen information included passwords in clear text, payment card data, or bank account information. Yahoo also provided updated figures in a press release and in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

As if there is any chance – any chance at all – that they didn’t know that all of the information had been taken. Who trusts anything these Big Tech companies say anymore anyhow?

Sure, I use Blogger and Gmail, but always in the full knowledge that everything on this blog and in my email could go public one day. There is no such thing as “security” in social media.

RaiderGate!

This report of the Raiders offensive line metaphorically kneeling while on the field sounds as if it must be satire. I mean, it can’t possibly be true, right?

A new report from The Armstrong and Getty Radio Show has sent shockwaves throughout the sports world after it was revealed that members of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders may have purposefully allowed their star quarterback to get sacked multiple times after he refused to kneel during the National Anthem.

If true, this would essentially mean that an NFL football game was illegally thrown over anger that one of the teams star white players did not believe that kneeling during the nations anthem was the correct way to protest supposed racial injustice in America.

In other words, an epic level scandal.

During the anthem, virtually the entire team was seen kneeling other than the teams coaches and star quarterback Derek Carr. Unfortunately, this may have not set well with the teams offensive line as they were apparently the players who spearheaded the entire idea to kneel as a team in the first.

“This is one hell of a scandal with the NFL, could ruin the whole league,” claimed the show before detailing the fact that Carr was sacked two times in a row on the teams second drive and that the teams usually dependable center snapped the ball at the wrong time in three different instances. Extremely capable receivers also made multiple “weird” drops of passes thrown by Carr that T.V. announcers even noted at the time.

On the one hand, you think, no way. What sort of professional being paid millions of dollars would even contemplate such a stupid action. And then, you consider that the combination of low IQs and an entitlement philosophy with low short time preferences does make it possible. Still unlikely, but possible.

From the radio show forums: “One of the guards reportedly said if he wants to stand alone he can play alone. One reporter asked a team official about it and was told he would never be allowed in the locker room or any access to the team if he reported on it.”

UPDATE: An NFL sponsor is the first to pull its ads:

It’s happening; the NFL has just lost their first sponsor over players and coaches’ move to take a knee during the playing of our national anthem before kick-off.

Tennessee businessman Allen Jones slammed the league as “unpatriotic” in a public statement and pulled all ads for his two businesses, Check Into Cash and Hardwick Clothes, from the NFL for the remainder of the season. Jones reportedly “instructed his media buyer to remove any commercials from airing during NFL games.”

“Our companies will not condone unpatriotic behavior!” said Jones in a statement.

Fire your players, Art

The owners are starting to get just a little bit shaky after seeing the ratings drop another 10 percent while fans burn their gear and season tickets:

To Steelers Nation:

I want to reach out to you, the members of Steelers Nation, based on what I believe is a misperception about our players’ intentions in not taking the field for the National Anthem in Chicago. The intentions of Steelers players were to stay out of the business of making political statements by not taking the field. Unfortunately, that was interpreted as a boycott of the anthem – which was never our players’ intention.

Our players come from many different backgrounds and are united by what it means to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are active in their communities and participate regularly in events designed to give back to those communities. And they appreciate the support they get from Steelers fans around the country and here at home. I also know that our players have tremendous respect for the members of our military services, including their teammate Alejandro Villanueva. There was never any desire on the part of our players to show disrespect for our service members.

Yesterday, I received an email from a Steelers fan who said tell the players to just play football. That is exactly what they wanted to do. They wanted their sole focus to be on playing the game, while also coming together as a unified team.

The main thing we can do is learn from this and strive to come together remaining unified as a football team. I believe we are capable of accomplishing this with the support of our fans. Steelers Nation is made up of the best fans in the National Football League. We appreciate your continued support of our players, coaches and staff.

Sincerely,

Art Rooney, II

 He chose… poorly. It’s rather remarkable how many owners are choosing to side with the media, the players, and the league instead of the one thing they actually need: the fans.

SJWADD excerpt

Unearthed this beautiful example of an SJW tactic just today. Watching SJWs attempt to babble incoherently about logic is rather like watching monkeys chewing the covers off of books and bragging how they’ve totally got this “reading” thing down.

Andrew Flick‏ @AndrewFlick87
So many logical fallacies here.

Supreme Dark Lord‏ @voxday
Name them. Specifically. Is it Ambiguity, Amphiboly, Combination, Division… wait, is it Accent?

Andrew Flick‏ @AndrewFlick87
Btw False equivalence is a logical fallacy in which two opposing arguments appear to be logically equivalent when they are not.

Supreme Dark Lord‏ @voxday
Yes, but that does not apply here. Where does the equivalence fail? Moreover, you said there were “so many” logical fallacies. How many, 8?

Andrew Flick‏ @AndrewFlick87
Promoting hate speech and promoting upholding of civil rights are not equivalent. Also, suck a big fat cock and choke on it. Have a nice day

And… flounce! Perfect. Absolutely perfect. There is plenty of this sort of thing, and more, in the forthcoming SJWs Always Double Down.

Your conscience is clear

You need not worry about the fate of Alt-Tech. Your departure is not hurting them in any way, as per Maximum Alpha Torba. I don’t know to whom he is referring here, but then, I suppose it doesn’t really matter.

UPDATE: I have been informed that hearing for the petition we filed is scheduled in Travis County for the last week of October.

That would be why

Some people asked me why I didn’t choose CounterFund for Voxiversity and Alt⭐️Hero. The truth is that I never considered using Counterfund at all. Remember what I said about Andrew Torba not being ready for prime time? Well, in my opinion, neither is Pax Dickinson. He had been directing his attacks at Charles Johnson, not me, but I was aware that anyone who behaved that way in public towards a former business partner is likely to do the same to others in the future.

I’ve had the occasional problem with people and companies with whom I’ve worked in the past. Not many over the years, but a few. And aside from GT Interactive, which was a matter of public record, you probably couldn’t name any of them because I don’t ever talk about them in public. Among the necessary skills for a professional is the ability to keep your mouth shut, even when you have been wronged.

Pax Dickinson · @pax
I think Vox Day’s “minions” are so bad at bantz and trolling because they’re only used to soft SJW resistance, they don’t know how to handle seasoned veterans of the meme wars. They exist in their secure little blog bubble where Vox’s moderation keeps them weak and flaccid, like shitposting veal.

Counter.Fund‏ @CounterFund
I asked Vox Day to help me move, so he sued my couch.

Counter.Fund‏ @CounterFund
You can tell which #AltRight people are sincere & not just e-book selling charlatans because the good ones quit in disgust and never return.

Counter.Fund‏ @CounterFund
the e-book merchants take their e-fame very very seriously because they work at it but I became e-famous by accident so I think it’s a joke

Counter.Fund‏ @CounterFund
Everyone: “Nazi LARPers are the Right’s most autistic lolcows”
Vox Day: “Hold my beer”

Counter.Fund‏ @CounterFund
“hey #AltRight look what I built for you”
*called a shill*
*accused of grubbing for shekels*
*sued by Vox Day*
“on 2nd thought never mind”

Counter.Fund‏ @CounterFund
Calling for people to take back their investments in Gab is lower than shit. Fuck you @voxday you’re fucking dead to me.

Counter.Fund‏ @CounterFund
Vox called me up back when I was ripping Chuck to advise that infighting was a bad look. I wonder when he changed his mind about that.

Counter.Fund‏ @CounterFund
I had a discussion with @VoxDay. It didn’t go that well.  He blocked me. ?

I most certainly did block him. I don’t discuss things with individuals who refuse to address the relevant points and instead elect to call me “a fucking moron” in lieu of argument. I see that as a reliable indicator that there is absolutely no benefit to having anything to do with them, now or in the future. One can readily observe a pattern here: both Pax and Andrew Torba are volatile individuals who are temperamentally unsuited for what they are trying to do. That is why the probabilities of success are not in their favor.

Can you imagine me attacking an author that I was trying to recruit for Castalia House this way? Can you imagine ANY successful publisher doing so?

As for Gab, the LLoE and I will be continuing to proceed as before, albeit in a rather more unsympathetic manner than we began. As one reader noted in response to the following Gab posts: “Gab is a useless, irredeemable sewer. Let it burn.”

Folk · @Folk
Deus Vulters can never be real nationalists, because they MUST believe in Oneness under Christ. A Christian Syrian is worth more to them than a secular or pagan White. All Deus Vulters should be Vox fans, as Vox’s platform says you must be a Christian and support all races to be Alt-Right.

Goyim Revolution · @GoyimRevolution
Koanic you are such a loser. In fact it’s obvious you’re just a @VoxDay sock. What the hell is a “Nazi” anyway? Do you have a definition? And what’s so vile about these Nazis? Is it because they won’t shutup about jews like Soros?

Tyron T. White · @TightyWhitey
Being a “Christian” and “supporting all races” is exactly how all-white countries have been flooded with parasitic mud people. If someone shot Vox in the head on a sidewalk, do you think his followers would tilt right, or back toward center?

Charming. Now, one never knows what the future will bring, but based on what I have been hearing in various development circles, I expect that within 18 months Gab will be, at best, the third-place Alt-Tech alternative to Twitter.

In defense of Gab

Now the self-appointed Defenders of Gab are appealing to Google in order to get back at me for Gab’s failure to moderate content to the satisfaction of its registrar. I’m less than entirely confident that Google is going to be particularly inclined to leap to the assistance of the self-appointed Defenders of Gab, since Gab is, as you may recall, currently suing Google.

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
@VoxDay’s blog is on blogspot in case anyone’s asking. I don’t advocate anything. I just provide PSA. How to register a complaint with Google about inappropriate content on blogs using blogspot.com.

Jason American · @jamerica
Vox admitting he played a part in Gab losing their domain registrar. @a @e @u

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
This is so easy to do! Just pick a topic & paste in the blogger’s URL and submit. The satisfaction of knowing you just did something good in helping to preserve freedom of speech is incredible. I don’t advocate anything of course. Just a PSA.

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
@VoxDay’s blog is on blogspot in case anyone’s asking. I don’t advocate anything. I just provide PSA. How to register a complaint with Google about inappropriate content on blogs using blogspot.com.

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
Interesting. He seems to use his blog as his primary means of communicating with his followers. How would they communicate without it? Can high IQ folks do telepathy?

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
It would make for an interesting experience if the ppl on Gab, who are trying to destroy Gab by reporting it to the Domain Registrar, were to be outed on other social media sites for inappropriate content and then reported to Twitter’s Domain Registrar or other registrars

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
Could that information be tethered to Twitter asking why he would say such inappropriate things?

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
Could posts from his blog be tethered to Twitter asking why he would have such inappropriate content?

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
Is there anyone searching through @VoxDay and @SpaceBunny Twitter accounts for inappropriate posts that should be reported to the FBI and Twitter’s Domain Registrar? Asking for a nosy neighbor.

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
Is there anyone reporting this to Twitter’s Domain Registrar and to the FBI? How many ppl on Gab who are still on Twitter too can be reporting it? What type of effect would that have on Twitter?

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
If anyone has a Spacebunny Day face png with a clear background (ready to use) plz post. Thank you in advance ?

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
It is laughable that some ppl think they can fight the Deep State or whoever to keep Gab up & running when they don’t even have the balls to stand up to some has-been space cadets who are trying to destroy Gab.

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
The rats are already deserting Gab and going back to the Twitter Ghetto. You never were with us. So, good riddance.

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
Calling all 4chan /pol/ autists You know what to do.

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
Interesting that this all occurred – after – @VoxDay said he deleted all of the posts that @MicroChip found offensive.

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
There’s no time for negativity my friend. It’s time to go for the jugular. This time, there will be no peace brokered by one gabber.

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
All you Dear @VoxDay and @SpaceBunny supporters get off my TL. Now!

Larry L Sharp PRO · @LarryLSharp
@VoxDay’s blog is on blogspot in case anyone’s asking. I don’t advocate anything. I just provide PSA. How to register a complaint with Google about inappropriate content on blogs using blogspot.com.

I also tend to suspect this gentleman doesn’t understand how Google – or really, Blogger – handles complaints. First, they review the post. Second, they put it into draft mode. Third, they tell you to modify it to remove something specific or they tell you to delete the post. If Blogger tells me to delete something, I will do so. It is, after all, their house. And this would not be the first time that has happened, although it would be the first time in a long while, because, unlike Gab, I abide by their specified standards, and have done so for 14 years.

The amusing thing is that these are the very people who are attempting to lecture everyone on the importance of not punching right. But it is clear that they don’t respect their own professed principle, so why do they expect anyone else to do so?

Gab kicked off registrar

Gab‏Verified@getongab
BREAKING: Gab’s domain registrar has given us 5 days to transfer our domain or they will seize it. The free and open web is in danger.

The free and open web is not in danger. Literally NOTHING has changed except that Gab has received a legal wakeup call from reality. It’s more than a little remarkable that they didn’t anticipate this. Remember, I warned Andrew Torba that they ABSOLUTELY HAD to moderate their content, and I did so back in November, long before anyone had “said mean words” or “hurt my feelings” there. I did so again on September 7th, both when I emailed Utsav after our conversation and in my conversation with him.

What I believe inevitably doomed Gab with Asia Registry was not merely the complaints that were being made to the registry in lieu of Gab providing its users with any other option besides the recommended court order, but Gab’s public stance on its refusal to moderate defamation as laid out in its Google filing. There are three sections that are relevant in this regard:

81. Even if it were possible for a social media platform to censor “defamatory and mean-spirited content” generated by 250,000 users, a level of content censorship that extended to “defamatory” and “mean-spirited” content would place at risk that service’s status as a protected Internet Service Provider, as opposed to a publisher or speaker, under 47 U.S. Code 230, also known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (“CDA”)

82. Unlike an Internet Service Provider, a publisher or speaker is not granted the “safe harbor” benefits of Section 230, and may be held liable for defamation or other torts or other liability arising from content published on a platform it owns or manages.

251. Compliance with Google’s demand that moderate content posted by its users on a viewpoint-discrimination basis would place at risk Gab’s critical “safe harbor” protection against claims arising from such content under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act by turning Gab into an unprotected editor or publisher, whereas it is presently protected as an Internet Service Provider.

This is bad lawyering for four reasons.

  1. Some forms of defamation are criminal in Australia. Gab openly stated, in a public filing, that it cannot, and will not, remain in compliance with Australian law. 
  2. Gab is not an Internet Service Provider. An Internet Service Provider, or ISP, is the company you pay a fee to access to the internet, not an internet site that lets you comment on it.
  3. Section 230 of the CDA doesn’t only protect ISPs, but also protects both the users and the providers of interactive computer service and says neither “shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.”
  4. As a Texas entity – which Gab still is despite its establishment of a second office to be able to file its lawsuit against Google in Philadelphia County – Gab was additionally protected by the Defamation Mitigation Act, or Retraction Statute of 2013, which protects the publisher by giving him the option of correcting the mistake by publishing a retraction or deleting the defamatory content.
In other words, on the basis of an entirely groundless fear of being sued for what they like to describe as “mean words”, Gab elected to state on the public record that they would not moderate for “defamatory” content, in open violation of the laws of the country in which they selected their registrar.

Not ready for prime time doesn’t even begin to describe the level of strategic and legal incompetence demonstrated here.

This really isn’t that difficult. As I have repeatedly said, as I have repeatedly told Andrew Torba, moderation is a must. It is implicitely required by law, and for those who want access to the Play Store and the App Store, it is explicitly required by Google and Apple. More importantly, if you refuse to offer your users a reasonable form of redress they can easily afford when they are targeted for harassment, don’t pretend to be surprised or upset when they pursue alternate means to achieve their objectives just because those means happen to be more damaging to you.

I am the only one who pursued the course of action recommended by Gab. Considering the expense and the additional harassment that entailed, is it really surprising that everyone else opted for the free and anonymous course of action? In any event, Gab will find another registrar. I hope they will also find the common sense required to install some reasonable moderation policies, or they’re just going to find themselves right back in the same position in a matter of weeks.

Gab wants war

And now Andrew Torba has publicly endorsed people attempting to doxx and report hate speech by his users despite the way in which doing so would clearly violate’s Gab’s Terms of Service. At this point, given the unprofessionalism and obvious lack of self-control being demonstrated by Andrew, I think it is safe to conclude that Gab is dead. It simply hasn’t stopped moving yet.

Microchip · @Microchip
Link me @voxday’s dox when/if you have it. Don’t be shy, it’s public record somewhere and it’s time to ensure the safety of our allies.

Spacebunny Day · @Spacebunny
@a thinks this is okay – not against ToS or anything. Gab is doomed.

Microchip · @Microchip
Why wouldn’t be okay? If it’s public info, it’s public info, if you allowed your info to be posted somewhere online, not Gab’s problem, that’s your problem.

Pepe Memes · @Pepe_Memes
Die of breast cancer, you fucking cunt

Spacebunny Day · @Spacebunny
@a @e @u – brilliant work you’re doing. Truly.

Microchip · @Microchip
Don’t be bad at this, Space lady, I’m not asking for anyone to do anything illegal here, I’m asking for @voxday’s info so I can send the police to his home and have him arrested for hate crimes.

Spacebunny Day · @Spacebunny
I said against ToS, dear. Gab claims to moderate, they demonstrably don’t. Not only do they not have a chance against Google, they won’t last, period. It’s disappointing. You, however, are boring.

Andrew TorbaPRO · @a
Lol. Yes, we do. We just don’t “moderate” to the whining crybaby standards of your husband. He’s not the boss here. Period.

Todd Kincannon @ToddKincannon
I am open to persuasion, but that has not been my experience. Also, the ToS expressly disclaim a duty to moderate, while reserving a right to moderate. Don’t you agree with that? cc: @a @u @voxday

Spacebunny Day · @Spacebunny
He never claimed to be, dear. You shouldn’t have bragged about not moderating and not just to Vox.

Andrew TorbaPRO · @a
Cry more sweetie. Whine more.

Spacebunny Day · @Spacebunny
Not crying, dear. Just observing.

Justin Bailey · @Botany_Bay16309
So are you going to remove the post trying to dox Vox Day, or are you just a bald faced liar?

Andrew TorbaPRO · @a
No dox occurred. If info is public it is public. Not our problem. Public info is public domain. Deal with it.

Andrew TorbaPRO · @a
Wow if I lived in a country that had “hate speech” laws I’d be pretty worried about what has been published on my “blog.” Someone might “report” it or something.

The actual Terms of Service cited:

Considering that, unlike Gab, my blog doesn’t even violate Google’s rules concerning hate speech, I can’t say I’m terribly worried about being found at fault for violating any European hate crime statutes. And if I was, I would simply do as directed and remove them to resolve the situation.

As usual, Americans have absolutely no idea how Europeans do things.