EFF: Show Support for the Fourth Amendment | Hacker News Reader

EFF: Show Support for the Fourth Amendment

eff.org

281 pointsArgentum0136 comments

If you're an administrator of a website and you actually care about this, your priorities should be at least implementing proper HTTPS support before placing a linked image to the EFF on your website.

With forward secrecy.

Oh, and don't use a block cipher because of attacks.

Oh, and don't use RC4 because of .. attacks.

Oh bugger.

Use whatever you want as long as you get an experienced cryptographer to implement it. Even RC4 can be secure if used properly.

And does TLS use RC4 correctly? Oh...

Would you mind elaborating on these problems? I assume all of the 'Oh's mean it is broken?

http://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2013/03/attack-of-we...

It's possible to implement RC4 "correctly" (as far as we know) by discarding the first several thousand bytes of the keystream, but TLS doesn't do this.

Turn off SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.0.

Problem solved for all known attacks.

Unfortunately, that includes your users.

I am from India, (and have stayed in the US for 3 years, now back in India) but I have deep concerns about the happenings in the US. I am an ardent supporter of the US for the freedom and equality they support. They are truly the greatest country on the Earth. But some recent developments have made me sad. I don't want that to happen in my country.

The Indian Government has denied granting asylum to Snowden, obviously under the pressure of the US. I apologize on my Country's behalf and take the responsibility of this decision.

> They are truly the greatest country on the Earth

Evidence? The highest GDP? This clip of some US drama got some sharing recently - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVwUphZ37Ww. Although, the reasoning is pretty awful in parts, the point about freedom rings true. Having everyone's comms recorded is freedom?

And equality, gay marriage is now legal in a whole 13 states? There are a number of countries in Europe that spank America's bottom on Equality.

Are we talking rights equality or wealth equality, or both? The wealth inequality in America is second to none, except maybe North Korea...

> I apologize on my Country's behalf and take the responsibility of this decision.

And the oscar for HN melodrama goes to...

Ok, I agree that was somewhat melodramatic, but I meant it. I feel embarrassed.

I know just what you mean. I lived in China and felt the same kind of shame when the US government or other Americans did wrong, even though it had little to do with me. Chinese people understood immediately when I said the US government does what it wants, often against the will of ordinary people, or without their knowledge or consent, and that good people were working on the problems, but that it was very hard.

So presumably it's the will of the Chinese people to live in a country where the police can send people to prison without trial.

Don't feel embarrassed, you have a right to feel however you want. Happy 4th of July!

That's quite rude no? The OP was merely stating an opinion, which he/she is entitled to do. Bitter much?

> They are truly the greatest country on the Earth.

The US is at or very near the worst among OECD countries in: infant mortality, child poverty, child health and safety, life expectancy at birth, healthy life expectancy, rate of obesity, disability-adjusted life years, doctors per 1000 people, deaths from treatable conditions, rate of mental health disorders, rate of drug abuse, rate of prescription drug use, incarceration rate, rate of assaults, rate of homicides, rate of firearm deaths, rate of accidental firearm deaths and injuries, income inequality, wealth inequality, and economic mobility.

Don't forget: Maternity/Paternity Leave, Paid Sick Time, and Paid Vacation.

I'd say this proves the OP's point. We don't believe in handouts. Paid vacation and sick time is something to be earned, not granted as a token thank you for working here.

Edit: If you're going to downvote, why not expound upon why I'm wrong?

   We don't believe in handouts...

Unless you're a bank.

Or a weapons manufacturer that sells something the Defense Department doesn't want; your Congressman will surely force the purchase.

The majority of Americans do not believe the banks should have been bailed out. I'm speaking on behalf of the average SMB owner.

They are handouts just like taxes are handouts to the government: sometimes unfair, but they serve a purpose of sharing risks and profits. Some societies do share more (Denmark is a stereotypical example, you don't have to go full commie) others less. Calling them handouts overlooks that range of possibilities.

The business owner doesn't share the risk, so I'm not sure how that applies. If anything, offering more 'benefits' increases his/her risk.

Outside of specialized industries, most employees are replaceable, so I don't see any merits to sharing profits beyond the reasonable salary that they earn (provided the salary is reasonable). In a free market, the employees have the right to find a job that offers better benefits, should it exist.

People are really starting to wake up, I think this stuff is finally working.

I wouldn't go that far yet... Signing an online petition is about the least you could possibly do, aside from nothing. If we want real change, we need major protests, people to flood Congress with calls & letters, and more. That being said, I think people are starting to do those other things, but major policy change won't come from an email on a petition.

That's the exciting thing about Restore the Fourth: real-world protests as well as online. We'll see how big tomorrow is, but in any case there will be a lot to build on.

Yeah, I'm pretty excited to see how it turns out. I hope everything remains peaceful and nobody gets hurt.

This could be a (fun) major protest -> https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/07/july-4-show-your-suppo...

Don't underestimate the US population's apathy. Until something directly affects us (as in, costs me money, or keeps me from angrily driving an SUV around, or keeps me from buying tons of crap I don't need) it's very difficult to enact change.

That said, I'm still going to the RestoreThe4th protests tomorrow. I believe in what this country used to stand for, and it's worth the fight to get it back, even if the rest of the country drowns in lethargy.

The NSA spying directly affects us. It allows groups with a history of blackmail to save & index any non face-to-face communications.

Which is still a theoretical concern until it's actually used against you.

I totally agree.

It's tough being so intelligent and free-thinking. Most people are just ignorant sheeple, but not us here on HN and reddit.

It's certainly easier to be ignorant. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Do you know how much all those secret spying programs cost?

Yes, show support for the 4th Amendment and at the same time - just in case the current level of support will continue to be ridiculed by the government - communicate safely:

Use RetroShare: http://retroshare.sourceforge.net/

It's:

1. Decentralized (real p2p, no central servers)

2. Encrypted communication

3. Easier to set up than encrypted email: Install -> Exchange "certificates" -> Done.

IMO, it's currently the best way to communicate.

EDIT: If you downvote, state what's wrong, because I don't see it.

People probably assume that you work for retroshare and are using this thread to promote it.

I fail to see what this has to do with the protest or the 4th Amendment for that matter. Seems to me like you're treating the symptoms but not the cause.

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