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Comment by TameAntelope | Hacker News Reader

What you're saying is and isn't true. One example of a countercultural movement that's been in the news recently is the DDoSecrets leaks/hacks (they get upset if you aren't clear that they're hackers). They've got a strong Twitter presence that helps them get their message out, but they conduct no "real" business on Twitter.

So a counterculture can use the mainstream platforms, but they choose to do so only as a microphone, not as a gathering place.

Edit: That said, one of the members of a related group just (as in, after I wrote this but before editing was made unavailable) got banned from Twitter, so maybe they can't actually use the platform as a microphone for very long. It looks like the law is getting involved, specifically related to the Verkada hack.

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It seems like a very strong stance to say that the publicly advertised leaks and hacks are not financially motivated.

I've thought a lot about what you're saying here, and I see no indication that's the case (corrupt/ulterior financial motivations related to their leaks/hacks). I am very curious how the members of DDoSecrets make their money, though (not that it's any of my business), mostly because the Twitter accounts I've been following seem to have a pretty strong disgust response to the idea of making money off of hacking in general.

My bad, I tought you were talking in general. I'm not familiar with DDoSecrets so I cannot say much about their case specifically.

What I can say though is that generally the threat model for attackers slightly more sophisticated than script kiddies suggests that the preparations involve a non negligible amount of time from highly specialized engineers and that somehow, someone has to pay for it.

Highly specialized engineers can be motivated by non monentary ideology just like everyone else.

Besides i think there are plenty of bored teens/uni students who fit between script kiddie and mafia/state actor on the sophistication scale - its a pretty wide step from script kiddie to professional malware writer.

DDoSecrets targeted the most vulnerable voices in society, people banished to Gab for their political beliefs. They literally work for the liberal ruling system.

> people banished to Gab for their political beliefs

Racists and Nazis should be banished. What’s wrong with you?

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