All Complex Ecosystems have Parasites
May 10, 2010 5:24 AM Subscribe
Say what you want about Cory Doctorow, it's hard to argue he's some kind of ludite. So what hope does your aunt Sadie have when even Cory get's phished? (via Schneier on Security)
This post was deleted for the following reason: needs to be more facts and less LOLCORY -- jessamyn
The message read “Is this you????” and was followed by one of those ubiquitous shortened URLs that consist of a domain and a short code, like this: http://owl.ly/iuefuew.
Really, Cory? Really? You fell for that?
posted by ymgve at 5:30 AM on May 10, 2010 [4 favorites]
Really, Cory? Really? You fell for that?
posted by ymgve at 5:30 AM on May 10, 2010 [4 favorites]
All I know is that if Aunt Sadie becomes a bore about steampunk, she's off my Christmas card list.
posted by Joe Beese at 5:34 AM on May 10, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by Joe Beese at 5:34 AM on May 10, 2010 [6 favorites]
Just before this goes... Cory, we've got his bridge in London you might want... it's very steampunk...
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:36 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:36 AM on May 10, 2010
The quality of the writing in this post leads me to suspect it is too a phishing attempt. I'm not going anywhere near those links.
posted by permafrost at 5:37 AM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by permafrost at 5:37 AM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
"Ludite"? Someone who likes to play?
I'm with you, I guess. I'd think of him more as the "cheerless scold"-type.
posted by felix betachat at 5:37 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm with you, I guess. I'd think of him more as the "cheerless scold"-type.
posted by felix betachat at 5:37 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
He may not be a Luddite, but he's an idiot, so there's that.
posted by unSane at 5:39 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by unSane at 5:39 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I got back from school to find a strange, obtrusive toolbar in Safari on my father’s iMac. I have no idea what piece of spyware/malware installed it, but I am almost certain my dad would have had to entered his password at some point for it to happen.
I believe that if my parents were to get hit with a well designed phishing scam, they would take the bait. That really scares me, and there is nothing that I can really do to stop it.
posted by mazniak at 5:44 AM on May 10, 2010
I believe that if my parents were to get hit with a well designed phishing scam, they would take the bait. That really scares me, and there is nothing that I can really do to stop it.
posted by mazniak at 5:44 AM on May 10, 2010
Missed the deleted post. Just found it interesting what circumstances it took for a guy who rolls around in a giant pile of cell phones every moring until he smells like the future to get phished.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 5:48 AM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 5:48 AM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Irritating self-promoter gets phished, somehow warrants two FPPs.
posted by TrialByMedia at 5:48 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by TrialByMedia at 5:48 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Please explain to me why "fishing" is now spelled "phishing".
You can call me at 261-468-2769 with your answer. Or if you can't reach me by phone, my email address is bunny@gmail. Or if you can't reach me there, please come to my house: 4455 Waverly Drive, Connecticut, MA.
posted by twoleftfeet at 5:49 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
You can call me at 261-468-2769 with your answer. Or if you can't reach me by phone, my email address is bunny@gmail. Or if you can't reach me there, please come to my house: 4455 Waverly Drive, Connecticut, MA.
posted by twoleftfeet at 5:49 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Say what you want about Cory Doctorow...
OK. His mediocre writing talent is vastly outweighed by his talent for getting even people who agree with him to fulminate against him for inexplicable reasons.
posted by DU at 5:54 AM on May 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
OK. His mediocre writing talent is vastly outweighed by his talent for getting even people who agree with him to fulminate against him for inexplicable reasons.
posted by DU at 5:54 AM on May 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
Well I don't have an aunt Sadie. And I'm not in such a furious rush to network that I get phished by a two bit spammer sending links for a site I'd never use because I can't entirely see the point of it.
I feel safer than Cory already.
posted by MuffinMan at 5:54 AM on May 10, 2010
I feel safer than Cory already.
posted by MuffinMan at 5:54 AM on May 10, 2010
Say what you want about Cory Doctorow...
I read one of his books, and it wasn't my kind of thing. He is, however, very popular among YA readers, and, considering some of the other stuff that's big with that audience, I feel like the kids could do a whole lot worse.
posted by box at 6:02 AM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
I read one of his books, and it wasn't my kind of thing. He is, however, very popular among YA readers, and, considering some of the other stuff that's big with that audience, I feel like the kids could do a whole lot worse.
posted by box at 6:02 AM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Okay, maybe 'very' popular is overstating it. Let's just say 'popular.'
posted by box at 6:03 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by box at 6:03 AM on May 10, 2010
Poor old Luddites; working class fighters consigned to the opprobrium of ignorant posterity.
posted by Abiezer at 6:04 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Abiezer at 6:04 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Please explain to me why "fishing" is now spelled "phishing".
The orthographic substitution of ph for f is by analogy to "phone phreaking".
posted by gman at 6:08 AM on May 10, 2010
The orthographic substitution of ph for f is by analogy to "phone phreaking".
posted by gman at 6:08 AM on May 10, 2010
You know, of course, that when they declaw them they break their little fingers..... It would make it impossible for them to type... wait... you may be onto something...
posted by HuronBob at 6:09 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by HuronBob at 6:09 AM on May 10, 2010
I had missed the deleted post so I'm glad the story here again. The complex chain of events that led him into the trap is both interesting and slightly frightening. I really don't get the scorn: it should be a good wake up call for those who believe themselves to be above that. Scammers look for any chink in the armor, including complacency.
posted by elgilito at 6:11 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by elgilito at 6:11 AM on May 10, 2010
Say what you will abut my Aunt Sadie, it's hard to argue she's some kind of Cory Doctorow.
posted by Wolfdog at 6:12 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by Wolfdog at 6:12 AM on May 10, 2010
This post is a perfect storm of crap. No offense.
posted by swift at 6:12 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by swift at 6:12 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I always suspected I was better than Cory Doctorow and this proves it!
SWEET VINDICATION!
posted by mazola at 6:17 AM on May 10, 2010
SWEET VINDICATION!
posted by mazola at 6:17 AM on May 10, 2010
Crudité: Appetizery snack invented by Ned Crudd.
posted by mintcake! at 6:19 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by mintcake! at 6:19 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Well, it was an interesting post topic--interesting enough for Bruce Schneier to link it. Was. Until the Cory groupies showed up. Remarkable power this Doctorow person has, able to make an ordinarily quite level-headed online community break out in advanced scabies at the mere mention of His almighty name.
posted by jfuller at 6:22 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by jfuller at 6:22 AM on May 10, 2010
The orthographic substitution of ph for f is by analogy to "phone phreaking".
I have it on good authority that
I have it on good authority that
The answer is that originally, this sound was not the same as /f/, the labio-dental fricative, but it was in fact the aspirated voiceless stop /ph/, like the 'p' in English at the beginning of a word. This sound is quite different from the 'p' of Standard Average European languages. Ancient Greek had contrastive aspiration, which is not found in modern European languages, including Modern Greek.Depending on what period or dialect of Ancient Greek was being spoken, it could also be the voiceless bilabial fricative /φ/, which is pronounced by putting your lips in the same position as /p/, but forcing air through and not stopping like you would for /p/. It should sound something like simply blowing air through the lips. In either case, it was not the /f/ of Latin the languages which adopted the Latin Alphabet.posted by twoleftfeet at 6:22 AM on May 10, 2010
Hey, 1998 just called! It wants its presentation.zip.exe back!
Seriously, URL shorteners are next up for blacklisting. Talk about insecurity through obscurity... are we doomed to keep learning the same lessons, on ever-compressing cycles?
posted by davemee at 6:23 AM on May 10, 2010
Seriously, URL shorteners are next up for blacklisting. Talk about insecurity through obscurity... are we doomed to keep learning the same lessons, on ever-compressing cycles?
posted by davemee at 6:23 AM on May 10, 2010
“Is this you????” is a clever come-on because it doesn't target technical weakness - instead it exploits the receiver's ego. So in a way, I'm not surprised Cory fell for it.
posted by foot at 6:28 AM on May 10, 2010
posted by foot at 6:28 AM on May 10, 2010
...are we doomed to keep learning the same lessons, on ever-compressing cycles?
That reminds me: Cory has a new book out.
posted by hal9k at 6:31 AM on May 10, 2010
That reminds me: Cory has a new book out.
posted by hal9k at 6:31 AM on May 10, 2010
Seriously, URL shorteners are next up for blacklisting. Talk about insecurity through obscurity... are we doomed to keep learning the same lessons, on ever-compressing cycles?
To be fair, if the cycles got longer we'd have to use a cycle-shortening service which would open us up to time-phishing attacks.
posted by DU at 6:31 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
To be fair, if the cycles got longer we'd have to use a cycle-shortening service which would open us up to time-phishing attacks.
posted by DU at 6:31 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
> Say what you want about Cory Doctorow...
He is a nice person who cares about important issues and isn't afraid to talk about them.
posted by 0xdeadc0de at 6:35 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
He is a nice person who cares about important issues and isn't afraid to talk about them.
posted by 0xdeadc0de at 6:35 AM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
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