Principia Discordia

Principia Discordia => Think for Yourself, Schmuck! => Topic started by: keren or on January 15, 2008, 05:44:44 PM

Title: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: keren or on January 15, 2008, 05:44:44 PM
Well, as a complete N00B, so to speak, I find it only appropriate to open with some kind of introduction before anything.

Then hello.
I am a human-being, apparently, and rather unfortunately(tough luck!).
I do not live on the english-speaking side of the globe, so if you don't mind, forgive my spelling/grammar mistakes. It's not my native language after all.
I serve in the army; the circumstances and reasons that got me here, as well as many other things regarding my military service and the puzzling collision between the army and discordia, will be discussed, maybe, sometime.

I read Principia Discordia about 2 years ago, and enjoyed it greatly. Reading BIP, however, was an entirely different experience - it was like seeing my ideas written for me by someone else. Practically everything, even the part about things made of nothing! And that was very pleasing for me to see.

Just a thought.
You're very open here on the internet. That surprised me. It's a risk.
Being part of an army - some sort of a primitive Machine™ - I understand and know of some fractions of its job, so here I confirm the obvious - yes, they search the net. Thoroughly. With hazardous-yet-never-heard-of consequences, actually.
I'm pretty optimistic about my chances ever getting discovered here, but I have a rather paranoid personality structure, so in order to obtain my relative freedome and happiness I guess I won't write here so much.
The Machine™ is, probably, here.
As far as you know I could be it.

But if I was, it would be kinda stupid of me to suggest it, heh?

or...

Er, got carried away. Anyways, hello.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: LMNO on January 15, 2008, 05:49:11 PM
Hi.

The amount personal information you decide to share is completely up to you.


But I've found it fairly easy to offer ideas, divorced of any sort of PI.


Welcome, and don't be afraid to post.



PS - glad you liked the BIP.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Thurnez Isa on January 15, 2008, 05:51:44 PM
I think she's more afraid of being found out by her superiors
...
like we're radicals or something
:lol:
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Cain on January 15, 2008, 05:51:58 PM
Hey there.

There are a few army, or indeed ex-army types around here.  It does seem interesting how Discordians get drawn into it.  Many existentialists are rather similar, I suspect there is an attraction of utter inversion going on, or something along those lines, though I'm not in the military myself, so I couldn't say.

True, in one sense, it could be seen as a risk, but on the other hand, it could also be seen as a strength.  The main weakness, I think, is isloation, not openness.  Machiavelli would probably agree, but that's a discussion for another day.  Still, I would be interested in hearing about some of these hazards.

And hi.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: keren or on January 15, 2008, 06:50:42 PM
QuoteStill, I would be interested in hearing about some of these hazards.
military prison & transference to unknown locations. Just what you always thought the army does when discovering soldiers typing something it doesn't approve of.

QuoteI think she's more afraid of being found out by her superiors
...
like we're radicals or something
Hahaha! I'd stand military prison and transference to oblivion just to see their faces when they find this place!  :lol:
But I won't, the army doesn't mind about Discordia. The most interesting thing I could get is weird glances. Maybe a meeting with an army psychiatrist, if I'm lucky.
It doesn't matter, the army was just a metaphore for the bigger thing.

I'm not too worried anyhow. But I do tend to get carried away on paranoid lines of thought, and when you think I do, please feel free to not take me seriously at all.



Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Cain on January 15, 2008, 07:14:19 PM
Ah, normal Army hijinks.  What scamps they are, with their secret holding cells and systems.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: AFK on January 16, 2008, 01:38:48 PM
Welcome.  So far there are only three people I know IRL who know about my contributions to BIP.  And I feel pretty confident that they will keep my confidence.  If not, I know where they live.  So like others have said, just be careful with PI and you should be fine. 
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 16, 2008, 05:26:23 PM
Yes, not like me, who has emblazoned everything but my home address and phone # on the forum.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: LMNO on January 16, 2008, 06:04:13 PM
Oh, I already found that.


Now, I just need your SS#, and we're all set...
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 16, 2008, 07:45:03 PM
 :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap: :fap:
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Dysfunctional Cunt on January 16, 2008, 08:48:04 PM
I am curious.  In general is it a real concern for most members here not to be 'known' or discovered to be Discordian or whatever you follow?  Do you feel it would hurt your job?  Housing etc?

Just because I don't think about it that much, whether people know about me.

Sorry, just came to mind from this topic....
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 16, 2008, 08:49:45 PM
Well, there is some concern about whackjobs harrassing you if you engage in trolling, and also I imagine that if some of my clients found me here they might be turned off of buying my stuff. Other than that, no, not really.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Chairman Risus on January 17, 2008, 12:09:04 AM
Quote from: Khara on January 16, 2008, 08:48:04 PM
I am curious.  In general is it a real concern for most members here not to be 'known' or discovered to be Discordian or whatever you follow?  Do you feel it would hurt your job?  Housing etc?

Just because I don't think about it that much, whether people know about me.

Sorry, just came to mind from this topic....

If they find you, they can WOMP you.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: AFK on January 17, 2008, 02:21:10 PM
Quote from: Khara on January 16, 2008, 08:48:04 PM
I am curious.  In general is it a real concern for most members here not to be 'known' or discovered to be Discordian or whatever you follow?  Do you feel it would hurt your job?  Housing etc?

Just because I don't think about it that much, whether people know about me.

Sorry, just came to mind from this topic....

I think that some in the agency I work for would be cool with it, depending on how I framed it.  If I started talking 23Pineal jive and said that I literally worshipped Eris, they might think I was a bit odd.  And I'm sure the State would wonder if it's wise that some of their money is paying my salary.  So, I keep it to myself to be safe. 

That said, I have tried to incorporate some Discordian/BIP fundamentals into my work, just without the Discordian/BIP dressings. 
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: PeregrineBF on January 27, 2008, 08:54:53 AM
As a college student I get quite a bit of freedom to be weird. I wear a cloak (more for practical reasons, it's bloody comfortable) and openly call myself Discordian. On the other hand I am studying computer security, so I go to great lengths to make sure everything I do is secure. If I want something to not be seen, I encrypt it. If I want something attributed to me, I digitally sign it. I encrypt all my e-mails. I don't have IM conversations with people who don't use OTR (http://www.cypherpunks.ca/otr/) and I try to use HTTPS versions of all websites. (we need to make this forum https by the way...) My computer uses TrueCrypt whole disk encryption, etc, etc.

I can look respectable. I can look professional. And when that is needed, that's what I am. But I can also think for myself and have fun. The one does not exclude the other.

That said, all the ZOMG23PINEAL stuff is better for recruiting/surprising certain types of people than it is as an actual philosophy.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Triple Zero on January 27, 2008, 03:39:20 PM
Quote from: PeregrineBF on January 27, 2008, 08:54:53 AMwe need to make this forum https by the way...

why?

i'm curious because security involves a *littlebit* more than "let's slap https onto it and call it secure".

so please tell me, what advantages would the https protocol offer on a public forum?
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Cain on January 27, 2008, 04:34:01 PM
I'm curious too.

I mean, I'm only really starting to look into this, but what practical benefits would that offer this forum which are not already offered by SMF's own coding?  I remember Jeff doing that to the Totse website, but we still fucked with the forum exploits all day long...
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Triple Zero on January 27, 2008, 07:44:55 PM
ok, i got one

now technically, the logon procedure for SMF is pretty solid, using sha2 hashes with session-generated salt done client-side in javascript.

BUT!

what if someone manages to spoof the server (using reverse anti anti DNS pinning or whatnot), so that somebody things that he's at pd.com but actually gets served a different page which snatches the password and sends it to the hacker, then hashes it and continues to the real pd.com like nothing ever happened.

ahaah! because if we'd only used https, this could have never happened! :-P

at least, i think it couldnt.

unless of course the user doesn't notice that PD.com is suddenly not served from a https but from http. or that the certificate is different. but at least we can rest assured that peregrineBF most probably would notice and wouldn't be fooled.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Cain on January 27, 2008, 08:07:47 PM
Hmmm....
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Requia ☣ on February 14, 2008, 10:23:13 PM
The one thing I can thing of (which may be moot, I'm at work at the moment and can't see the page source), is that https would prevent an eavesdropper from knowing who is who with any real ease.  (It might still be possible to peice it together based on time of packets sent and the resulting changes to the page).
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Triple Zero on February 15, 2008, 03:53:03 PM
what do you mean, "knowing who is who" ?

IPs are logged, and since people don't go around and using eachother's accounts we usually have a fairly good idea of who is who?
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Bebek Sincap Ratatosk on February 15, 2008, 04:53:24 PM
Quote from: triple zero on January 27, 2008, 07:44:55 PM
ok, i got one

now technically, the logon procedure for SMF is pretty solid, using sha2 hashes with session-generated salt done client-side in javascript.

BUT!

what if someone manages to spoof the server (using reverse anti anti DNS pinning or whatnot), so that somebody things that he's at pd.com but actually gets served a different page which snatches the password and sends it to the hacker, then hashes it and continues to the real pd.com like nothing ever happened.

ahaah! because if we'd only used https, this could have never happened! :-P

at least, i think it couldnt.

unless of course the user doesn't notice that PD.com is suddenly not served from a https but from http. or that the certificate is different. but at least we can rest assured that peregrineBF most probably would notice and wouldn't be fooled.

Th threat exists, but its pretty small... DNS poisoning isn't all that easy assuming that the provider is patched to a current version, but in theory it could happen. I dunno if its worth a SSL connection, but one wouldn't hurt more than someone's pocketbook.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Requia ☣ on February 15, 2008, 07:50:31 PM
Quote from: triple zero on February 15, 2008, 03:53:03 PM
what do you mean, "knowing who is who" ?

IPs are logged, and since people don't go around and using eachother's accounts we usually have a fairly good idea of who is who?

I meant for an eavesdropper (IE, the FBI, CIA, freemasons or whoever you think would bother), to be able to tell who is who.  Not for the administrators to do the same.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Triple Zero on February 15, 2008, 08:52:30 PM
Rat: i was being uhh sarcastic i think, or hyperbolical, or what you wanna call it. also i think DNS Poisoning is something different than (anti anti anti) DNS Pinning, but i'm no expert on either.

Requiem: they can do so anyway, and https wouldn't solve that anyway, because it's easy enough to correlate a connection and a post, if you got resources like that.

IMO, https is only valuable if you got some medium-powered criminals that are interested in some valuable data.
Title: Re: A first hello, and a thing or two about Machines™
Post by: Requia ☣ on February 15, 2008, 10:57:05 PM
I know, I only meant it would make it harder.  (IE, not obtainable by somebody who has yet to evolve beyond script kiddie).