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Comment by b8 | Hacker News Reader

They claim to allow anonymous sign up and payments, but requires an email,an account, zip code and name for Crypto payments, but fake info could be used I guess. I tried ordering via Crypto, but it constantly gives me this error: "Unable to load order information. Try again".

Honestly, I feel more comfortable using Mullvad. This team has some folks with questionable backgrounds and I wouldn't trust Intel. Also VPN providers are usually in non-us countries due to things like the Lavabit, Yahoo incidents and the Snowden revelations.

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> Honestly, I feel more comfortable using Mullvad. This team has some folks with questionable backgrounds and I wouldn't trust Intel.

Relying on "trust" in a security/privacy architecture isn't the right way to do things - which is what this solves. It removes the need to trust in a person or person(s) in most VPN company cases since they have many employees, and moves it to trusting in code.

> Also VPN providers are usually in non-us countries due to things like the Lavabit, Yahoo incidents and the Snowden revelations.

The system is designed so that any change server side will be immediately noticed by clients/users. As a result, these issues are sufficiently mitigated, and instead, allows people to take advantage of strong consumer, and personal, protection laws in the US.

This VPN requires you to trust in Intel - a failing US megacorp desperate for money - as well as the guy who destroyed Mt Gox and the guy who destroyed Freenode. Personally, I'd rather trust in Mullvad.

> guy who destroyed Mt Gox

Let me correct that for you - the guy who brought you the first Bitcoin exchange and arguably helped pave the way for cryptocurrencies today.

> guy who destroyed Freenode

This was already debunked [1]. I tried to save freenode - I was the only one funding it up until the point where freenode's ownership "gave" it to me essentially which resulted in the non-developer staff to attempt to hostile takeover the network [2].

The end result was that they gave control of the domain back to me (and as a result, freenode).

> Personally, I'd rather trust in Mullvad.

Trusting random teams of people on the internet isn't exactly a form of security or privacy.

Developers and cypherpunks trust code, not words.

If you're a developer, I'd highly suggest you read the code.

> This VPN requires you to trust in Intel

You really can't use the internet or any internet-distributed software without trusting Intel. Maybe you're better off logging out if that is your policy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[1] http://techrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/lee-side.pd...

[2] Funny how non-developers keep ruining Open Source (Mozilla, and many others - see Lunduke Journal for more).

At worst I have a neutral opinion of the Mullvad team because I don't know them at all and don't use their product. I have a negative opinion of the guys who stole everyone's money at Mt Gox and who destroyed Freenode, because they stole everyone's money at Mt Gox and destroyed Freenode. In any case, why would I ever have a positive opinion of them, which is what's required to exceed my neutral opinion of Mullvad? What have they done to deserve a better-than-neutral opinion?

Not sure how you can "debunk" that Freenode was destroyed - it clearly was - and the fact that an identical network minus that person is now running just fine, proves that person was the problem. All evidence points to the fact that Freenode (under a different name) seems to have been saved by kicking out the guy who was trying to blackmail it by having ownership of the name Freenode.

You're right, Intel CPUs aren't trustworthy either since they tend to stop working after just a year or so. I have a greater confidence that my CPU doesn't contain an intentional remotely exploitable backdoor, because that takes serious effort (also because it's AMD), than that Intel hasn't sent a couple of short bitstrings to the US government.

If you’re still debating trust in a VPN you’re doing it wrong, but that’s your prerogative. For the rest, code is more important than words from non-deterministic people.

As for the freenode issue, look at the facts before parroting false narratives. I posted receipts - they are clear.

> Let me correct that for you - the guy who brought you the first Bitcoin exchange

Oh wow, that exchange must be doing very well and be super successful and not have any controversies, right? It's still alive at least, right? /s. Acting like losing over 700,000 bitcoins is a sign of credibility is just wild.

This isn't the flex that you think it is. You guys really should have gone to prison.

Being outside the US doesn’t shield you from it.

And worse, it is harder for the American government to eavesdrop on US soil than it is outside America.

Of course, if a national spying apparatus is after you, regardless of the nation, pretty good chance jurisdiction doesn’t matter.

> And worse, it is harder for the American government to eavesdrop on US soil

The GP mentioned Snowden and yet you say this. What material and significant changes have happened since 2013 to make this claim?

>it is harder for the American government to eavesdrop on US soil than it is outside America.

I don't have any particular insight here, but isn't that why Five Eyes is used, a workaround for what would otherwise be illegal activities. Not that the current USA regime care about the law, of course.

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