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Comment by ram1024 | Hacker News Reader

has to be the scariest thing i've read all year

When this kind of technology replaces keyboards, mice, and touch screens, do you think that mainstream audiences might begin to appreciate the value in knowing exactly what the software on your personal devices does, and which master that software serves?

I would never put so much as my private SSH keys on a closed source machine that pulls updates in the background or a device on which a third party is root (iPhone, G1). I certainly can't imagine plugging my brain into any such creature.

Ever since I read the story of writing a backdoor in the unix login prompt, then writing that change into the compiler so the login prompt code looks clean, then writing that change into the running compiler, so the compiler code looks clean, but the running compiler will backdoor itself or the login prompt, I've had the feeling that the best bet is not to trust as far as possible and not to worry as far as possible.

Smart people will always be able to outsmart me, stupid people with power or desirables will always be able to coerce me into lowering my standards.

The story you're referring to is Ken Thompson's Reflections on Trusting Trust:

http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/ken/trust.html

Don't be scared. If you're ever placed in an fMRI with scenes of the crime, just start recalling your childhood home or Snow White. And for godsakes don't start remembering the crime.

"I tried to think of the most harmless thing. Something I loved from my childhood. Something that could never ever possibly destroy us. Mr. Stay Puft!"

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