

Famous hacker suddenly finds himself infamous, in some quarters - ukdm
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/13/2818601/famous-hacker-suddenly-finds-himself.html

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nzmsv
While I disagree with what Lamo did, Manning is an idiot for bragging about
what he did to anyone, and the "Russian roulette" argument is perhaps sound.

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dkarl
I'm tempted to agree with Lamo. It doesn't sound like Manning was thinking
carefully about what information he released or why. He was just a lost soul
who found a way to feel important and wield power against a system he felt
trapped in. If he really had an agenda to expose U.S. wrongdoing or give
Americans a better understanding of the nature of war and the consequences of
projecting American power overseas, then I would be all behind him. If he was
thinking that carefully, though, he wouldn't have needlessly incriminated
himself to a near-stranger.

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mcantelon
There is no doubt that Manning was stupid, but he's a 22 YO kid. Lamo made no
attempt to talk the kid down: he just sold him out to a military that runs
secret prisons, tortures, and claims the right to be able to assassinate its
own citizens.

My guess is Lamo, despite his argument that there was morality behind what he
did, sold the kid out to protect himself. Given Lamo's lax sentence for past
crimes (6 months house arrest), I'd guess he made an agreement to inform in
the future.

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jimfl
It isn't like Lamo sold out a fellow hacker; Manning had special access, and
probably obtained the leaked information using that, rather than any
particular skills.

That phone call to Lamo was tantamount to "Hi. You don't know me, but you're
now an accessory to treason." Already convicted felon or not, nobody needs
that kind of turd dropped right in the middle of their life.

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mechanical_fish
I agree completely. Except for one thing: "Already convicted felon or not"
makes it sound as if being convicted of felony A makes it _easier_ to handle
being accused of felony B. But the opposite is the case.

Lamo could easily have been looking at a scenario where _he_ got far worse
punishment than the actual perp. Getting a conviction against a known felon is
so, so easy. It's not inconceivable that he would have ended up taking the
fall. Just because it happens in spy novels doesn't mean it can't happen.

As for the ethics of turning Manning over to the tender mercies of the US
Government: no matter what you may think of the ethics of commiting the
particular crime that Manning is accused of, there are limits to how far down
the cliff you should follow a suicidal person. When you get a _cold call_ from
someone you _do not know_ to tell you about some serious Federal crimes, there
are several possibilities. One is that the caller is the real thing. Another,
far more likely, is that he's mentally ill or trying to punk or scam you. Yet
another is that he's a government agent trying to entrap you. But one thing is
for sure: there is nothing that you, the world, or the "hacker" community will
lose by turning this guy in. He's obviously an order of magnitude too
indiscreet to be a good spy, he's going to succeed in getting himself caught
any second now, and the only question is whether you're going down with him.

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lenni
Am I the only one who finds the narrative of the article, namely the reclusive
genius, shunning most worldly possessions, a little cliched?

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tomhogans
you would have trouble finding someone who spends more time manicuring their
public image. check the recent edits on the wikipedia article about him if you
don't believe me.

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peterwwillis
the entire story breaking was based on this principle. he thought it would be
best if he basically made a press statement via wired column through a friend
who would say all the right things, a day before an official statement by the
military. if anyone wants more examples they are not hard to find. now the
story is actually about him and not the leaker in question. this kid should
run for office.

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lelele
Boring prose. I couldn't make it to the end. Journalism should not try to
engage readers at the expense of telling news. Where is the news in the first
sentences?

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enneff
Indeed. Very frustrating.

"Lamo is the most famous computer hacker in the world at the moment"

If he's so famous, then why have I never heard of him? Get to the point.

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Aegean
Not so interesting from a hacking perspective. He chat with a soldier and
released information on his findings and now he's a famous hacker?

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DCoder
He didn't get the "famous hacker" label for this incident. See
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Lamo>

