Feds Bust Cable Modem Hacker 658
Several readers noted the indictment of hardware hacker Ryan Harris, known as DerEngel. Harris wrote the 2006 book Hacking the Cable Modem, explaining how to get upgraded speed or even free Internet service by bypassing the firmware locks on Motorola Surfboard modems. He has run a profitable business at tcniso.net since 2003, selling unlocked cable modems. (The site is now offline.) Harris has been charged with conspiracy, aiding and abetting computer intrusion, and wire fraud. Wired quotes Harris's reaction: "I read the indictment — it's complete bull****. I'll tell you right now I'm not going to plead guilty."
I wish I saw this earlier (Score:2, Funny)
Re:fp (Score:3, Funny)
Be careful, you could be charged with "conspiracy, aiding and abetting computer intrusion, and wire fraud."
WOW!!! The Feds must be really working overtime! (Score:5, Funny)
Now when are they going to get around to catching Osama?
Re:WOW!!! The Feds must be really working overtime (Score:5, Funny)
Re:It's NOT like arresting gun sellers! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Oh, really? (Score:1, Funny)
The most they would do is put him for a few months into a white-collar, minimum-security resort. You know, they have conjugal visits there?
Re:Oh, really? (Score:3, Funny)
The most they would do is put him for a few months into a white-collar, minimum-security resort. You know, they have conjugal visits there?
Conjugal visits? Mmmm. Not that I know of. Y'know, minimum-security prison is no picnic. I have a client in there right now. He says the trick is: kick someone's ass the first day, or become someone's bitch. Then everything will be all right.
Paperwork infraction (Score:1, Funny)
Not to be paranoid, but that's the way the man wants it. You are all guilty of something, so you can be rounded up, if they deem it necessary.
It sure would be a lot simpler if you just categorized crimes into various logical levels (rather than political levels) and meted out justice accordingly.
This case doesn't seem like much of a "real crime", more of a civil annoyance. Here is a first hack at the scale of "crimes":
Victimless crimes. (e.g. Drugs - if you have a problem, let's offer help, not expensive law enforcement and jail.)
civil annoyance - pay a fine (parking violations, let your dog crap on the sidewalk, etc.)
small, medium, large screw ups - crimes of opportunity, stupidity, and passion. Typically one-off crimes. Fines and jail sentences of varying lengths. Some hope of offenders seeing the error of their ways.
Bad People - this person needs to be put down, like a rabid animal. Purposeful injury of another. I don't care about the motive. If you fuck up someone else on purpose, we don't need you.
There should be no thought crimes. If you harm someone, let's put you down. I don't care if it was a "hate" crime or robbery for profit. If you are capable of that crime, I don't care why. If you have a sawed off shotgun that is 1" too short to be legal, what do I care? Not a crime. Use it on an innocent person, off with your head, just as if you had used a legal baseball bat.
Re:What!? (Score:4, Funny)
You'd probably be charged with something (and reasonably so, in my opinion), though it may vary by jurisdiction. Aiding and abetting, being an accomplice, some sort of failure to inform the police, recklessness, probably plenty of other things. IANAL - but it would seem to fall along the lines of the bartender getting charged (or at least sued) in relation to a drunk driving death for not cutting the driver off or calling a cab for him.
Why, do you own a gun store? More importantly, am I the target?
Re:What!? (Score:5, Funny)
What if I'm hunting deer that happen to have body armour on?
Re:This is not a crime (Score:1, Funny)
Wouldn't that be more:
Utility Analogy.
The electric company offers you a flat rate for any electric usage up to 100KWh. You sign up for it and agree to the contract. Then you bust the meter and suck down gigawatts to power your skyscraper-sized tesla coil without paying for it. You then sell your services to others to bust their meters too, so they can steal from the electric company as well.
Except..... not as cool as a huge tesla coil.
Re:What!? (Score:1, Funny)
Come to think of it, that shouldn't be too much of a concern for most policemen...
Re:Paperwork infraction (Score:5, Funny)
Isn't it obvious? Convert them to Spam. Soylent Green forever.
Re:What!? (Score:5, Funny)
It's nice to see that street thugs these days are keeping up on their Agatha Christie.
Re:This is not a crime (Score:5, Funny)
Wow! Someone found a way to explain this very simple concept without using an unnecessarily complicated analogy involving cars.
Bravo
Re:I wish I saw this earlier (Score:5, Funny)
Please bother to live on Earth before talking. (Score:1, Funny)
You're talking like someone who just came from Mars with a head full of theory about how humans can live, but with no actual experience of human behavior. Your ideas are unworkable in any real human civilization.
P.S. Quotes without reasoned discussion of those quotes just make you look like you're Gene Ray jabbering about Time Cube, slapping together quotes to make you look smart.
Re:What!? (Score:4, Funny)
Wild pigs are a very dangerous game.
Whatever you say, Locke.
Re:What!? (Score:3, Funny)
Its fine, because only people who deserved it would die.
Re:WOW!!! The Feds must be really working overtime (Score:2, Funny)
funny irony is funny . . . .
Re:What!? (Score:5, Funny)
Depending on the jurisdiction and if that person did murder someone or not, you may actually be guilty of Negligent Homicide.
Or if that person did murder someone from TV's "The Hills" or Paris Hilton, you may actually be guilty of Negligible Homicide.
Or if you murder someone in a pink girly dress, you may actually be guilty of Negligee Homicide.