Comment by arximboldi | Hacker News Reader

Comment by arximboldi | Hacker News Reader

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It is not a stretch. The government must not spy its citizens. Period. They are the only ones to get blame.

If I get my bike stolen I am not be blamed if I use a shitty lock.

If I get raped I am not to be blamed if I was too drunk to resist.

If I get hacked I am not to be blamed if I was susceptible to social engineering.

Yes, it is very useful for potential victims to learn how to best protect themselves. But the moral responsibility in such violations is on the attacker, and is proportional to the damage caused to the victim, not the efforts taken to cause it.

Admittedly, this is part of why part of the crypto-activist community puts me off. Yes, cryptography is a great resistance tool, but my utopia is a society built on cooperation, equality and trust, not one of algebraic fences.

That doesn't mean it was a good idea to leave your bike unlocked, get blackout drunk and tell someone your password. I'm all for assigning blame to the police if these allegations are true, but this is a good time to remember: DON'T BE AN IDIOT WHEN YOU CAN EASILY PROTECT YOURSELF.

You're right about government spying, but my argument isn't specific to government so let's set that aside and talk more generically.

Bike theft: stealth, in my list above -- someone acted while you weren't attentive. You didn't hand over the bike, so you're not to be blamed. Even if you used no lock whatsoever, I wouldn't blame you. You could've done more, but you need to weigh the benefits against the burden of a massive lock so there's no perfect way out.

Rape: force, in my list above. You had no ability to change the outcome. I wouldn't blame you.

Hacked via social engineering: You spilled the beans. Spilling beans is avoidable with some practice, awareness, logic... this is not the same category as the others. I don't say "this is all you're fault," of course not. But unlike the bike thief and the rapist, all you had to do was ignore the attack.

Well then I guess now for you it's just a matter of going to live in the ideal world where all of that holds true, and you're golden to live without any care.

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