Download of the Week: Tails OS

[TheBigFatClown]

Not at all. The problem is that complaining and protesting is all anyone ever does anymore. It's annoying because its being backed up by nothing. Specifically, the country as a whole – the people – has been balkanizing over the past 6-8 years. It would seem that we are being divided across more and more vivid lines with each passing day. At the same time, the governing bodies and "powers that be" have largely ceased to change. If anything, they've consolidated. Even so, each time an election rolls around we all elect (directly and indirectly) the same people running the same sales pitch from the last cycle. Then, when it works out the same way, we complain and protest, rinse, repeat.

So it's not annoying because anyone should be content with the present state of affairs. It's annoying because an onslaught of pyrrhic victories – such as rising use of privacy software and services – achieves little beyond giving the protestors and complainers a psychological bone to chew on. It's like making a big deal about saving the coffee table while the rest of the house is burning down around you. More powerfully...It's like a bunch of rights activists (see above) telling us they've the right to privacy while stressing the need for services like Tor.

So complaining is annoying. What would you suggest we do short of a revolution? People don't use privacy software to elect senators and presidents. They use privacy software to achieve a small level of satisfaction. To let the politicians in Washington know where you stand on a certain issue. Basically, it's a big middle finger to the NSA. It takes time to change laws. So using Tor as an intermediate solution doesn't seem illogical to me towards that end.

We do the things that are easiest to do first. Then we focus our energies on achieving more difficult goals. Complaining has a purpose, using Tor has a purpose. It may not be a revolution but it lets people know where you stand. And shows the complainer that he/she is not alone. So there is purpose in it.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Your very well spoken which makes you appear very intelligent which I am sure you are. But under the beautifully crafted semantics I still have a problem with what you are saying. Because you speak on such an abstract level I have to try and interpret what you are saying. It sounds like what you are saying is that the 'layman' who uses Tor is a self-delusional narcissist if he chooses to use Tor for privacy sake alone. That's the suggestion that I have a problem with. It's not about how important all of us bricks in the wall 'think' we are. Whether we are 'important' or not is not the issue. It's not about the fact that the NSA doesn't have the time or resources to monitor 'everybody's email. Your justifying unethical actions because you can't see any imminent dangers. If you think thats the smartest way to approach the matter then we simply disagree.

And you have completely disregarded the most recent scandal which involves the IRS targeting conservative groups by using a compilation of 'harmless data' that relates to 'harmless people'. Shouldn't we simply assume that if a politician has the power to abuse something that they will? Wouldn't that save us all a lot of time? Isn't that the very reason that the founders of the constitution tried their best to implement a system of checks and balances?

Meta data on 1 'self-delusional' brick isn't of much use to anybody. Meta data on a million bricks can help swing elections in either direction if exploited. But these are just my 'unimportant' opinions. I could be wrong.

You make some good points, and I agree with some of them. We shouldn't be ok with the spying just because there are too many of us for them to closely spy on, right? Yes, I agree about that.

The IRS scandal had nothing to do with spying however. The IRS targeted conservative groups by making them submit tons of extra info and they delayed their tax-exempt approvals in an election year.

You said "shouldn't we simply assume that if a politician has the power to abuse something they will." Yes, I agree with you. Look at the news today (if you can find this story - http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303678404579533671320855450?mod=trending_now_1) There is now email proof that the govt lied to the public about the attack in Benghazi. They specifically said in the email to blame the internet video instead of making it look like a failure in policy. This was done 2 months before the presidential election, and one of the main players was the woman who plans on running in 2016. This barely makes the news, yet NSA 'spying' is causing lots of outrage.

Complaining about the spying is annoying because it detracts from serious issues. In a 'boy-who-cried-wolf' sort of way. Look at the actual illegal stuff our govt has pulled recently. We've already mentioned the IRS and Benghazi scandals, but what about Obama just cancelling the Obamacare employer mandate until after the election (illegal to rewrite laws that have been passed, but no one is complaining because no one wants the mandate). Or the shady crap that is allowed because it's easy to lie about like the choice to move forward on the Keystone pipeline project. Obama said late on Good Friday (lowest news audience possible) that he would delay his choice until after the Nov elections.... this comes right after Tom Steyer pledged $100 million to elect democrats in Nov and told everyone that cancelling Keystone was his most important issue. Trading political favors for campaign contributions is so illegal it's why the pres resigned in House of Cards! A fictional TV show!

We should be complaining about actual illegal things that are hurting the American public. Instead, we are complaining about a spying program that congress actually approved and that has only hurt the American psyche. There have been no jobs lost, no deaths, no economic hardship like these other scandals have caused. It doesn't even slow us down at the airport like other anti-terrorism measures. By complaining about spying that hasn't affected anyone's daily life, it waters down the serious stuff into just the latest scandal that'll pass over in a week or two.

 

[davislane1]

Because you speak on such an abstract level I have to try and interpret what you are saying.

I suppose this makes me 0-3

It sounds like what you are saying is that the 'layman' who uses Tor is a self-delusional narcissist if he chooses to use Tor for privacy sake alone. That's the suggestion that I have a problem with.

There is no problem to be had because this isn't my position. As I've stated, people have every reason to use basic privacy technology. Someone using Tor or who has setup a proxy server to coverup their online footprint is perfectly within reason.

The people I am calling self-delusional are the laypeople who believe they need to become a "ghosts" to protect their privacy. In more concrete terms...They are trying to protect themselves from measures that are not likely to be used against them.

To let the politicians in Washington know where you stand on a certain issue. Basically, it's a big middle finger to the NSA. It takes time to change laws. So using Tor as an intermediate solution doesn't seem illogical to me towards that end.

A pyrrhic victory. Giving the finger to the Man only instills a false sense of achievement in the mind of the disgruntled party while conceding the very ground he claims to defend. It's like me handing you my wallet and vehemently expressing my disapproval of your robbery. Sure, it makes me feel better about myself. But you still end up with the money.

The same principle applies here. Tor and other privacy technology is not a solution of any kind. It is a treatment that merely reduces the impact of the underlying problem; aspirin for a dislocated shoulder, if you will. Washington knows exactly where everyone stands on these issues and they've demonstrated quite thoroughly that they don't care.

So complaining is annoying. What would you suggest we do short of a revolution?

Stop complaining and actively use your time to replace the people in positions of authority. To adapt a movie quote... If you're going to fix the system, don't stand around talking about it.

 

[BoxCakeNinja]

I would accuse you of being a troll for your outrageous comments and I would probably be right but since trolls let me state my position on the matter it's all good either way. You sound like you are talking about vaccines more than you are the issue of privacy. Your layman terms are still way over the top but I am sure you at least tried to come down to every other persons level reading this forum. So thank you for that.
The NSA is spying on EVERYBODY. It's not self-delusion. It's more like, "none of your ******* business whether I am at the ice cream parlor eating an ice-cream cone or at the park feeding ducks or some other harmless place. Bottom line is, that it's "none of yours or NSA or anybody else's ******* business", unless I want it to be someone elses business. The self-delusional are the people who think I give a damn everytime they cut a fart on facebook. Not the ones seeking a basic level of privacy in their lives.

Am I really having this much trouble communicating today? This is the second time someone has failed to understand the meaning of my comments. Very well. Please open your notebook and follow along with the presentation.

Chapter 1: Comments - What was said anyways?

I would accuse you of being a troll for your outrageous comments and I would probably be right but since trolls let me state my position on the matter it's all good either way.

You are half correct. Yes, I was trolling; but the social commentary I placed under the bridge was apparently not as clearly marked or entertaining as I had hoped. Unfortunately, not all of us are as predisposed to dishing out ridicule and political commentary as @captaincranky.

The NSA is spying on EVERYBODY. It's not self-delusion.

Indeed (emphasis added):

Seeing as everyone now has a completely rational basis for assuming their activity is being monitored, this can't possibly be a case of paranoia run amok.

Bottom line is, that it's "none of yours or NSA or anybody else's ******* business", unless I want it to be someone elses business. The self-delusional are the people who think I give a damn everytime they cut a fart on facebook. Not the ones seeking a basic level of privacy in their lives.

I see nothing wrong with this view. In fact, I agree. This is specifically why I qualified the level of privacy technology I was making a jab at (emphasis added):

The growing popularity of sophisticated privacy technology . . .

Your layman terms are still way over the top but I am sure you at least tried to come down to every other persons level reading this forum.

I was using the following rhetorical formula: [unnecessarily verbose sentence] + [succinct sentence of identical meaning]. There's a technical description for this technique but the appropriate term escapes me at the moment.

Chapter 2: Context - Why situation matters

The article to which this thread is attached concerns privacy technology that leaves absolutely no footprint. Meaning, (theoretically), applicable agencies cannot eavesdrop on your Internet activity nor tell that you ever used a machine, if they so happened to come into acquisition of said machine. If you use Tails, you become a ghost (I use this term very loosely).

While we are all very well aware of the NSA et al. running around and tracking everybody, they have neither the resources nor the capacity (at present) to do deep surveillance on over 300million people. Simply put, most people are not important enough for the NSA to extend their tentacles so far into their lives as to make such a (sophisticated) technology necessary for privacy; basic privacy technologies would reasonably suffice.

So, back to my original comment.

The growing popularity of sophisticated privacy technology is, in reality, further evidence of a highly contagious strain of unjustified self-importance that is rapidly approaching pandemic-level infection rates. In layman's terms, unmitigated self-delusion is the new "thing".

While my comment appears to have failed its original purpose, it does not ridicule people who use basic privacy technologies. This would be ironic considering that I use these very technologies. Rather, it ridicules people who think the NSA is scrutinizing their activity (looking beyond the surface). Simply put, the average joe is not that important. Therefore, anyone who thinks they need to use "maximum protection" is likely delusional....or paranoid, as @VitalyT suggested.

Chapter 3: Questions and Ponderings - To proxy or not to proxy?

Given all of the above, where have I erred in my judgement? What article on the global spy industry did I miss detailing the NSA's deep surveillance program (I.e. monitoring and documenting everybody's file systems)? At what point did I cross a line and go "way over the top"? And, for that matter, who drew it (and will it move if I ignore it)?

More importantly, have I sufficiently occupied the underbelly of the bridge?

Yawn TL;DR. But basically the gist of it is, you/ we are not important (yet they are spying) and they can’t spy on everyone at the same time so there is no need to exert maximum effort to preserve your privacy…
NSA be spying and trolls be trolling. Ok that’s enough fresh air for one day, get back under your bridge, k thanks bye.

 

[davislane1]

Yawn TL;DR. But basically the gist of it is, you/ we are not important (yet they are spying) and they can’t spy on everyone at the same time so there is no need to exert maximum effort to preserve your privacy…
NSA be spying and trolls be trolling. Ok that’s enough fresh air for one day, get back under your bridge, k thanks bye.

Apparently "newcomer, in training" describes more than just a forum rank.

 

[BoxCakeNinja]

Yawn TL;DR. But basically the gist of it is, you/ we are not important (yet they are spying) and they can’t spy on everyone at the same time so there is no need to exert maximum effort to preserve your privacy…
NSA be spying and trolls be trolling. Ok that’s enough fresh air for one day, get back under your bridge, k thanks bye.

Apparently "newcomer, in training" describes more than just a forum rank.

On the topic of tails OS and privacy concerns, I would personally like to thank you for that little contribution *golf clap*

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ]...And you have completely disregarded the most recent scandal which involves the IRS targeting conservative groups by using a compilation of 'harmless data' that relates to 'harmless people'....[ ]....

Don't you think these massive ultra right wing PACs, which have unlimited funding to spray all the FUD they so choose to sway elections, deserve to be looked at very closely? And don't you think all these alleged NPO groups annoying people for money at every large intersection deserved to to be closely scrutinized?

When I'm elected supreme leader of the US, under the flag of the American Nazi Party, I vow to revoke every organization's NPO status in this country, including the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, they'll be the first to lose their tax free status to disseminate regurgitated, ancient dogma and superstition. .

@TheBigFatClown and @davislane1 Now that's trolling, if you're going to troll, don't screw around. Go for it, by going all in!

Although, I have to say, you two have been quite entertaining. Sort of like two creatures of unknown origin, shouting at one another from underneath opposite ends of the same bridge. Then there's the part where you switch places to prolong the "dialog".

@davislane1 I don't think "self delusional" is the term which best describe the uber paranoid type of person you were describing. I'm going to suggest, "people with massively over inflated senses of self importance". Or possibly, "self aggrandizing twits in dire need of the counsel of mental health professionals".

 

[davislane1]

Although, I have to say, you two have been quite entertaining. Sort of like two creatures of unknown origin, shouting at one another from underneath opposite ends of the same bridge. Then there's the part where you switch places to prolong the "dialog".

I'll take this as, "mission accomplished!" Glad to be of service

@davislane1 I don't think "self delusional" is the term which best describe the uber paranoid type of person you were describing. I'm going to suggest, "people with massively over inflated senses of self importance". Or possibly, "self aggrandizing twits in dire need of the counsel of mental health professionals".

I'll go with "self aggrandizing twits". It rolls off the tongue (keyboard?) and pairs nicely with a hint of contempt.

 

[Guest]

Tails stands for The Amnesic Incognito Live System. Read up on the OS in the official docs.

 

[pmshah]

I really can't believe this. What is happening? Is the US breeding only *****s? How can you have functional USB ports in a security agency like NSA ? You are asking for trouble.

The public can live with NSA and what have you snoop on all their communications under the guise of "National Security" but insist on having the option of burner phones - used mainly with criminal intent - or being able to hide their caller ID ! You must really live in fool's paradise !

 

[davislane1]

I really can't believe this. What is happening? Is the US breeding only *****s?

Statistically, yes.

You must really live in fool's paradise !

With a sucker being born every minute, I'm afraid it was only a matter of time. GREAT time to be a shyster, though.

 

[TheBigFatClown]

Don't you think these massive ultra right wing PACs, which have unlimited funding to spray all the FUD they so choose to sway elections, deserve to be looked at very closely? And don't you think all these alleged NPO groups annoying people for money at every large intersection deserved to to be closely scrutinized?

When I'm elected supreme leader of the US, under the flag of the American Nazi Party, I vow to revoke every organization's NPO status in this country, including the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, they'll be the first to lose their tax free status to disseminate regurgitated, ancient dogma and superstition. .

@TheBigFatClown and @davislane1 Now that's trolling, if you're going to troll, don't screw around. Go for it, by going all in!

Although, I have to say, you two have been quite entertaining. Sort of like two creatures of unknown origin, shouting at one another from underneath opposite ends of the same bridge. Then there's the part where you switch places to prolong the "dialog".

@davislane1 I don't think "self delusional" is the term which best describe the uber paranoid type of person you were describing. I'm going to suggest, "people with massively over inflated senses of self importance". Or possibly, "self aggrandizing twits in dire need of the counsel of mental health professionals".

Okay, you guys win. I am a self-delusional narcissist. *sigh*. God, it feels so good to finally admit the truth to myself. Thank you guys.

 

[captaincranky]

I really can't believe this. What is happening? Is the US breeding only *****s!

Sadly, this is quite true, as @davislane1 pointed out.

An even greater injustice, to the few fairly sane and intelligent among us, is that the federal government subsidizes the breeding of said mental defectives with generous almost beyond measure, social entitlements, and makes them bigger, stronger, and more violent, with the likewise extremely generous food stamp entitlement program.

Ten pounds refined of sugar, delivered courtesy of food stamps, and a bowl or two of crack, simultaneously delivered to a boys brain, in a full grown man's body, can result in deadly consequences

 

[dividebyzero]

While we are all very well aware of the NSA et al. running around and tracking everybody...

The American paradox?
Angry when Government doesn't listen to the people....angry when it does!

they have neither the resources nor the capacity (at present) to do deep surveillance on over 300million people

Pretty much. The NSA has a case of OCD. It's data gathering outstrips its ability to even look at what it is gathering by at least two orders of magnitude. Whilst the average member of society will undoubtedly have many facets of their life documented, it could well fall to their grandchildren to answer any NSA queries.

Meanwhile how many people decrying the invasion of their privacy, quite willingly sign up for facebook if a competition to win an iPhone demands a "like"?

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ]....Meanwhile how many people decrying the invasion of their privacy, quite willingly sign up for facebook if a competition to win an iPhone demands a "like"?

Yeah, either that or a free "IQ" test.

The joke is if you sign up and take the test, you automatically flunk it. That's because you have to give all your personal information to get the results.

So who's up for a free credit report? Let me see a show of hands!