Neverland's recent activity

  1. Comment on Woodward book: Trump says he knew coronavirus was ‘deadly’ and worse than the flu while intentionally misleading Americans in ~health

  2. Comment on Woodward book: Trump says he knew coronavirus was ‘deadly’ and worse than the flu while intentionally misleading Americans in ~health

    Neverland
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I can’t listen to that voice anymore, so if you don’t mind.. on the tapes does he say “... to prevent panic.” ? Because as much as I’d like to lock that entire family up for life, “to prevent...

    I can’t listen to that voice anymore, so if you don’t mind.. on the tapes does he say “... to prevent panic.” ?

    Because as much as I’d like to lock that entire family up for life, “to prevent panic” plausibly excuses all kinds of horrible behavior by governments.

    Edit: to be clear, I just wanted to make sure there was not some convenient out for Trump come October Surprise time.

    3 votes
  3. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech

    Neverland
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Fancy maybe, but I am probably using 1% of the tool, and incorrectly at that. I had been trying to avoid learning Linux firewall stuff but finally bit the bullet recently with ufw. * I do need...

    Wow, that sounds pretty fancy..

    Fancy maybe, but I am probably using 1% of the tool, and incorrectly at that.

    just ufw with a few rules to allow apt and stuff

    I had been trying to avoid learning Linux firewall stuff but finally bit the bullet recently with ufw. *

    I do need what you say below, and real networking fundamentals too.

    The right cert could certainty help, a general Linux cert would be good for understanding the fundamentals.

    The signal to noise ratio sucks for me in “cert” search results. Could anyone please point me to a specific cert for Linux and one for networking? Let’s say I wanted to eventually be able to do lab research like reverse engineering APIs to look for shady stuff/CVEs and I currently have a middle aged script kiddie level of understanding. I need solid entry level stuff to build on I suppose, so which certs would you recommend?

    * this is because I used to run OpenSnitch and manually allow things... yup.

  4. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech

    Neverland
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Thanks! It’s good to hear I was at least on the right track. I’ve got https everywhere, privacy badger and ublock. On the network side, I started building a porta-homelab/firewall. Goal is to...

    Thanks! It’s good to hear I was at least on the right track. I’ve got https everywhere, privacy badger and ublock. On the network side, I started building a porta-homelab/firewall. Goal is to learn, research, and hopefully secure myself. I got a little Protectli FW4B and it’s running esxi7 with pfsense (pfblocker and snort) and the ELK stack on an Ubuntu guest.

    I set up geoblocking for countries that don’t co-operate with US or EU law enforcement, and I think I’m adding Holland and S Korea to that list. I know it’s not at all foolproof, but it certainly has been eye opening. Blocks a ton of .ru connection attempts, among others. If security is like an onion then I am happy to expend cpu and ram on this even if it’s not perfect.

    Oddly enough it pointed out that fact that my GeForce Now activation email linked to subdomain.nvidia.cn ... seriously why? Ping sucked, the CCP is involved, and just changing .cn to .com activated my account. Could hosting be that much cheaper?

    Not sure where to go next... would studying for a cert be helpful?

    Edit: I stumbled into it, but I guess working in security actually sounds interesting to me. Also, for any other noobs reading this, checkout jnettop. It’s just neat to look at. Use the number keys to change network interfaces.

  5. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech

    Neverland
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    neophyte here: How significant is what really happened to someone whose threat model includes having been spear phished from .ru before? (Thanks to my naive use of LinkedIn. Which is the biggest...

    their security team

    neophyte here: How significant is what really happened to someone whose threat model includes having been spear phished from .ru before? (Thanks to my naive use of LinkedIn. Which is the biggest boon to intel since I donno?)

    For example, should I continue having a password manager extension in Firefox? Should I still have some passwords saved in Firefox? Is MS Edge the next least worst thing, and should I jump if my top 2 requirements are security then privacy?

    I would much rather stay with FF if appropriate. I know FF is still FOSS, so that is a huge plus, and it does actually have a ton of eyes on it which should provide the intended sec benefits of FOSS. Any feedback is greatly appreciated, I've heard other opinions but I remember that there is a lot of knowledge here on this topic.

    2 votes
  6. Comment on With Canada and Mexico borders closed, Americans are trapped in their own health care system in ~health

    Neverland
    (edited )
    Link
    I actually benefited from being stuck in the USA and the effects of COVID on the local medical system, I think. When things started to open back up I had a procedure that was found by a...

    I actually benefited from being stuck in the USA and the effects of COVID on the local medical system, I think. When things started to open back up I had a procedure that was found by a neuro-ophthalmologist taking the time to explain something to me using a whiteboard. While thinking out loud, and talking to me, he had an epiphany.. I ended up getting the off-label procedure that has seemingly cured me from a horrible quality of life. He convinced the insurance company and everything.

    My gut feeling is that no one would have had the time to spend 20 minutes talking anatomy with me, then hours on insurance, if the non-covid parts of the hospital weren't so devoid of patients. My syndrome is 1 in 200,000 so no one usually cares after they say "wow, I read about that in medical school" - but I was one of only 3 patients that day! I think I know what concierge medicine feels like now?

    edit: just for reference this is Washington State, Swedish system. Total cost for procedure and post op visits is $31,000 of which I am paying around 2500. This is on top of $430/month in insurance premiums. This was totally worth it though. If I got this kind of attention with this kind of result every time, then the US system might be OK... but really glad I live in the EU most of the time these days :)

    6 votes
  7. Comment on ThinkPad X1 Carbon with Fedora preloaded available for purchase in ~tech

    Neverland
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Huzza! Thanks. Last I looked was around 12 months ago. edit: This comment from your linked reddit thread is really great too, and does negate the reason for having the driver at all. Maybe that's...

    Huzza! Thanks. Last I looked was around 12 months ago.

    edit: This comment from your linked reddit thread is really great too, and does negate the reason for having the driver at all. Maybe that's why it took so long?

    Fingerprints are usernames not passwords.

    I totally agree and this applies to all biometrics. A whole segment of industry based on a flawed concept?

  8. Comment on ThinkPad X1 Carbon with Fedora preloaded available for purchase in ~tech

    Neverland
    Link
    I assume that means there's a fingerprint reader driver for Linux too? My older Gen 5 X1 is supposed to support Linux, but no one bothered with that missing driver last I looked. That doesn't keep...

    I assume that means there's a fingerprint reader driver for Linux too? My older Gen 5 X1 is supposed to support Linux, but no one bothered with that missing driver last I looked. That doesn't keep me from loving the laptop, but it is off-putting for "Linux support" in my mind.

    1 vote
  9. Comment on What's the most interesting/unique/strange aspect of your country's politics? in ~talk

    Neverland
    Link Parent
    Haha, I just caught myself scrolling down with a pitchfork at the ready in case you had skipped The House of Lords. Peerage in a 21st century democracy blows my mind. Source: non-UK citizen with...

    Oh and also our House of Lords has both hereditary members and Anglican bishops sitting in it. Apparently Iran is the only other country to have faith leaders of the state religion in their Parliment!

    Haha, I just caught myself scrolling down with a pitchfork at the ready in case you had skipped The House of Lords. Peerage in a 21st century democracy blows my mind.

    Source: non-UK citizen with UK family

    2 votes
  10. Comment on Reddit announces "power-ups", their plan to have individual subreddits unlock features through members paying for a monthly subscription in ~tech

    Neverland
    Link Parent
    When I first read “TNG” I was expecting the Texan financier character from the lost 20th century stasis pod. Edit: TNG - The Neutral Zone s01e25

    When I first read “TNG” I was expecting the Texan financier character from the lost 20th century stasis pod.

    Edit: TNG - The Neutral Zone s01e25

    2 votes
  11. Comment on Reddit announces "power-ups", their plan to have individual subreddits unlock features through members paying for a monthly subscription in ~tech

    Neverland
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    If this isn’t from a film script, it should be. But seriously, on a larger scale this is the modern dilemma in my view. What are reasonable limits on the wolves of our civilization.. like...

    There's no concept of making "enough" money, no threshold to reach where you'll stop trying to make even more.

    If this isn’t from a film script, it should be.

    But seriously, on a larger scale this is the modern dilemma in my view. What are reasonable limits on the wolves of our civilization.. like capital/business. IMO, the USA has certainly jumped the shark in this regard. More than once, during multiple seasons. Putting profit centers in health, education, and prisons is just insane to anyone who holds values other than mo’ money.

    But back to VCs. At the moment, the best “take the VC money” argument is that it If you don’t take it, then someone will compete with you. They will take the VC money and use it to scale their business better/faster than you. You will go out of business.

    Is that a valid argument to everyone? Is there a good counter-argument?

    Edits: grammar, clarity

    8 votes
  12. Comment on Clearview AI claims its facial recognition software identified a terrorism suspect in New York City last year, but the NYPD says they played no role in the case in ~tech

    Neverland
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I'm not holding my breath on FB. Comic book villain come to life, Peter Thiel, is behind Clearview and also sits on the board of FB. edit: just actually read the article and they also mentioned...

    I'm not holding my breath on FB. Comic book villain come to life, Peter Thiel, is behind Clearview and also sits on the board of FB.

    edit: just actually read the article and they also mentioned that tidbit

    5 votes
  13. Comment on SpaceX tests black satellite to reduce ‘megaconstellation’ threat to astronomy in ~space

    Neverland
    Link Parent
    Here is a really interesting podcast episode about this subject. This is about the guy who first started collating and publicly presenting this data. He started with letters to NASA and a dial-up...

    Here is a really interesting podcast episode about this subject. This is about the guy who first started collating and publicly presenting this data. He started with letters to NASA and a dial-up BBS.

    I talked with T.S. Kelso about the history of CelesTrak.com and satellite tracking on the internet as a whole, as well as a few topics relevant to the modern day: satellite tracking and orbit reporting among operators, conjunction and collision monitoring, and space debris mitigation and management

    https://mainenginecutoff.com/podcast/142

  14. Comment on Putin has suggested a bunch of constitutional amendments. Here’s what he wants to change in ~news

    Neverland
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Wow. I'm sorry that this is a thing in 2020 anywhere on the planet, especially in Russia. Only after having watched this documentary on the Yeltsin/Putin hand-off did I learn that Yeltsin...

    First of all, fun fact. Without a VPN, I couldn't open your link

    Wow. I'm sorry that this is a thing in 2020 anywhere on the planet, especially in Russia.

    to understand the popular appeal of Vladimir Putin, you need to understand just how horrible Boris Yeltsin's rule was.

    Only after having watched this documentary on the Yeltsin/Putin hand-off did I learn that Yeltsin appointed Putin. Would you agree with that? What does that mean in regards to the the "we have Putin because Yeltsin was so bad" narrative? Isn't Putin a continuation of the same underlying power base as Yeltsin?

    edit: btw, I really appreciate your POV on this. Thanks for taking the time.

    3 votes
  15. Comment on Limit the number of posts from a particular site? in ~tildes

    Neverland
    Link Parent
    I agree that it's a lack of volume/variety issue. The solution is probably for all of us to post more varied topics. Which is funny of me to say as I've been MIA for weeks :)

    This will be less and less of an issue as the site gets more traffic & submissions, though, so I'm not sure if it's worth building a permanent solution to what will hopefully be a temporary problem.

    I agree that it's a lack of volume/variety issue. The solution is probably for all of us to post more varied topics. Which is funny of me to say as I've been MIA for weeks :)

    4 votes
  16. Comment on Terrorism police list Extinction Rebellion as extremist ideology in ~enviro

    Neverland
    Link
    On the face of it, this a crazy classification by UK authorities. They also claim to have retracted it. But how did this happen in the first place? Devil's advocate argument: I do understand how...

    On the face of it, this a crazy classification by UK authorities. They also claim to have retracted it. But how did this happen in the first place?

    Devil's advocate argument: I do understand how governments value the existing energy supply chain. Not only is the petro-economy extremely significant, but the world's militaries also run on petroleum. A disruption to this flow may be considered a nat sec threat.

    In my personal view that is a really short-sighted stance, but this is an interesting event which brings up questions of how sternly anti-carbon groups will be treated in the near term.

    5 votes
  17. Comment on Office of Management and Budget—Withholding of Ukraine security assistance in ~misc

    Neverland
    Link Parent
    What do you do when one party has decided that higher education is detrimental? It seems to me that what I always considered basic critical thinking skills and exposure to many ideas are now a...

    What do you do when one party has decided that higher education is detrimental? It seems to me that what I always considered basic critical thinking skills and exposure to many ideas are now a partisan issue.

    Results from another recent Pew survey indicate that those views have persisted. In July, only 33 percent of Republican survey respondents said higher ed had a positive effect. And 59 percent believed higher ed had a negative effect on the country’s direction, the highest number in the survey’s findings so far.

    https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/08/20/majority-republicans-have-negative-view-higher-ed-pew-finds

    1 vote
  18. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~games

    Neverland
    Link Parent
    Thanks for sharing those links. I had no idea that there was any research showing this. On reddit and elsewhere I have only seen stories suggesting the opposite is the case. This goes against my...

    Thanks for sharing those links. I had no idea that there was any research showing this. On reddit and elsewhere I have only seen stories suggesting the opposite is the case. This goes against my ancient anecdotal experience.

    I certainly experienced the Tetris Effect in my youth. While not violent it certainly programmed my brain, even after ending gameplay.

    After playing the original GTA or GTA2 for days one Christmas I recall driving afterwards and having really inappropriate suggestions coming from my brain.. like hey that you could hit that nicer car and take it. That would just be a flash of a thought, apparently programmed in me by the game mechanics. A similar thing would happen after a long day of snowboarding irl. On the drive home I would see "fun lines" on the banks of the road and my brain would suggest it. Of course I never did those things, but my brain did suggest them.

    Anyone else have similar experiences?

    2 votes