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Nov 2012 26

by Nicole Powers

These days, it’s kinda like your computer illiterate granddad is laying down the law on the internet. Only worse. Cause your computer illiterate granddad doesn’t have the power to send your ass to jail for longer than most rapists for the crime of clicking on the wrong http link. Which is something the US government is trying to do. Fo’ realz. Yep. That.

Case in point. Andrew Alan Escher Auernheimer, a.k.a. @rabite, a.k.a. Weev. He’s just been found guilty on one count of not actually hacking anything and one count of having a list of email addresses, even though no one bothered to prove he ever actually had ’em, tho everyone agrees his mate did. Confusing right? You can totally imagine Gramps throwing his hands in the air at this point and saying to hell with this good-for-nothing with two too many silly-ass names – which is pretty much what the US government is doing.

Part of the problem is that the laws Andrew Alan Escher Auernheimer, fuck it, let’s just call him Weev, has been found guilty of violating – which came into being under the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) – predate Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the first documented version of which, V0.9, was codified in 1991. In light of the fact that we’ve yet to come up with a fully functioning flux capacitor, as you can imagine, the application of the CFAA on today’s internet works about as well as Doc Brown’s DeLorean time machine.

***

“Couldn’t it be argued that Weev actually did something good and beneficial for society?”

Wait? Wut? If that’s the case, remind me why Grampa Government is trying to throw his ass in jail?

I’m chatting with Jay Leiderman, a chap who knows a thing or three about the law and the internet. He’s an elite California State Bar Certified Criminal Law Specialist-grade lawyer who’s defended several high profile hacktivist types, including Raynaldo Rivera of LulzSec and Commander X of the Peoples Liberation Front. He also happens to be a Twitter ninja, which is how I got to know him. A quick perusal of his @LeidermanDevine twitter feed will tell you Jay’s a rare legit legal animal who clearly gets today’s wobbly whirly web, which is why I called him up to discuss Weev’s wobbly whirly situation, which is as follows…

On November 20, 2012, in a Newark, NJ court, Weev was convicted of USC 1028, “identity theft” (as in “stealing” a list of email addresses) and USC 1030 “conspiracy to access a computer device without authorization” –– which, according to Jay, is something we technically all do multiple times every day. Given that Weev was singled out of the entirety of America’s online population for prosecution, in real terms, it’s safe to say what he’s actually more guilty of is embarrassing the fuck out of a Fortune 500 company…and the government no likey that.

Let me explain: Back in 2010 when the iPad first came out, Weev’s mate figured out that AT&T was doing a sloppy ass job with autofill on an app, and in the course of achieving this great technological feat had publicly published the e-mail addresses and ICC-IDs (the identifiers that match a person to their SIM card in a mobile device) of its entire iPad customer base on the web – with no password, no firewall, no fuck off or die warning, no nothing to protect them. Yep. Really. They were that dumb.

“There’s an AT&T web app that had a URL on it with a number at the end, and if you added one to the number you would see the next email address,” explains Weev by phone after I tracked his ass down via teh twitters. Obviously there’s quicker ways to get kicks online than adding a digit to a URL and hitting return (have you tried Googling Goatse?), so Weeve’s ever resourceful mate, Daniel Spitler, created an app called the “iPad 3G Account Slurper” which sucked up well over 100,000 addresses. “My friend just wrote a script to irate though and add one to the number again and again and again,” Weeve tells me. “It’s not fucking rocket science. It’s basic arithmetic. It could have been done manually on any iPad.”

So that explains how they “stole” the list of publicly published email addresses, but why might be a better question to ask. “Comment and criticism against large companies which go unchecked in our country,” replies Weev, when I ask him. “And making a public spectacle and ridiculing them, which I think frankly makes me the best fucking American in the room. We used to be a country that valued criticism of the powerful, and we haven’t really been in the past three decades.”

To add context, at the time, Weev and his mate (who copped a plea bargain) were working under the banner of Goatse Security, and as such, their mission in life was to explore gaping holes (I told you to Google Goatse!). AT&T’s might not have been the sexiest of holes, but it was gaping and it could be argued that it was in the public interest that Goatse Security rummage around in it.

Among the private email addresses that AT&T were publicly publishing were ones belonging to politicians (New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel), members of the military and multiple government agencies (DARPA, DHS, NSA, FAA and FCC), and high profile media types (Diane Sawyer and New York Times CEO Janet Robinson). Goatse Security could have had much lulz with the list and/or sold it for mucho dinero, an option which the duo allegedly discussed in IRC chats but put aside. Instead, they decided to go to the press to speak truth to power, which was really when the trouble began.

Weev served as Goatse’s spokesperson and spin master. It was his job to liaise with the media and present stories in a way that might titillate us lazy-ass scribes. “Hey, look, I just found a list of email addresses on a bunch publicly accessible web pages” might have been accurate, but it wasn’t the kind of story that would make copy even on the slowest of news days, so Weev sexed it up a bit. In a press release sent to several news outlets he wrote, “I stole your email,” and, like a magician offering to explain a trick, followed it up with, “Let me explain the method of theft.”

Because of this hyperbole, Weev essentially convicted himself on the first count of “identity theft.” The prosecution spent much of their time with Weeve on the stand discussing his use of the words “stole” and “theft” during cross-examination. I mean, I know it’s said that sarcasm is the lowest form of humor, but I didn’t know it was illegal! And speaking of the law’s humor bind spot, the prosecution also referred to Weev’s Encyclopedia Dramatica entry and used that against him, which, given the spoof nature of the site, is tantamount to using a Saturday Night Live skit as legitimate and damning character evidence. I. Kid. You. Not.

At no time did Goatse ever make the list publicly available – AT&T were the only ones doing that. The prosecution never really attempted to prove that Weev possessed the full list of email addresses. What neither side disputes is that Weev tapped the list for a handful of press email contacts (something he would have likely got by calling the media outlets direct anyways), then merely passed on a link to it to a journalist for verification. The journalist in question was Ryan Tate of Gawker. His story ran on June 9th, 2010, and it was because of this that the shit hit the proverbial fan.

“This access would have gone unnoticed if I hadn’t gone to the press. If I hadn’t informed AT&T’s customers,” says Weev. “They’re not really pissed about the access, they’re pissed about the speech attached to the access. God forbid corporations be subject to fair comment and criticism.”

Talking of access, the second count Weev was convicted of – “conspiracy to access a computer device without authorization” – is something that should be cause for concern for anyone that has ever clicked on anything on the web. The way this law – which predates all of One Direction and the hyperlinked internet as we know it – is interpreted means that accessing a “protected computer” could get your ass slung in jail. But what is a “protected computer” and how the fuck are you supposed to know when you’re accessing one? This is where the law gets interesting. And by interesting, I mean really fucking stupid.

“The definition of protected computer comes from comes from the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986, and in 1986 http hadn’t been invented yet,” says Weev. “This was a long time ago when servers were things that were only accessible by dial-up that every single one universally had a password for. There wasn’t the concept of a public network. At the time, if you were accessing a remote server, and you didn’t have permission to be there it’s clear that it wasn’t public data. But now it’s the age of the internet. We click links every day. You’ve never gotten Google’s permission to go to Google, you’ve never gotten any website’s permission that you’ve visited. It’s the universally understood aspect of the web that you can visit a public http server without pre-written authorization. It’s a ridiculous notion that you need it. And the prosecutor is using an ancient antiquated definition of a protected system, which is any system that engages in interstate commerce. So essentially, every cell phone, every computer, every public web server is a protected system, and the minute you do something that a website operator doesn’t like – if they’re rich enough of course, if they’re a Fortune 500 company – then they can have you.”

That might sound rather dramatic, but Jay, my favorite SG-lovin’ lawyer agrees. “Based upon this case, the government’s new position is that you are required to be clairvoyant in terms of determining what a protected computer is and what a non protected one is,” he tells me. “From now on you have to be a psychic…because if it isn’t password protected but it’s a ‘protected computer’ you’re potentially going to be found guilty like Weev was.”

Thank god there’s free tittysprinkles on the internet, because otherwise the risks of clicking on something you shouldn’t wouldn’t be worth price. As Weev puts it, “The law says every time that you click a link, if the person at the other end has enough money and connections, and they just don’t like you, they can have you arbitrarily thrown in jail by declaring your access – after the fact – unauthorized.”

But how did we get from “something good and beneficial for society” to “free tittysprinkles”? Well, some might see a very obvious linear connection, but those that don’t should consider this; There’s a cat and mouse game that goes on between big business and the internet security community, but it’s a symbiotic relationship nevertheless. And as consumers who are clueless when it comes to code, we should be grateful to those that are scanning for flaws, and pressuring big corporations to sort their shit out on our behalf.

“Perhaps the greatest lesson of Weev’s case is that not only is there no reward for helping these companies patch their holes and fix themselves, indeed now you’re going to be facing ten or fifteen years of prison if you do,” says Jay. “What’s the incentive to make these companies more secure? I mean, you’re better off just hacking them now. You’re better off just hacking these companies and not telling them. If you get caught essentially you’re facing about the same punishment anyway so what’s the difference?”

***

Weev is currently in the process of appealing his conviction. You can donate to help with his legal costs here.

And tell Grampa Government to get off our lawn and out of our emails.

Isn’t it time we upgraded our legal operating system?

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Nov 2012 26

by Alexander Hinkley for Examiner


[Bixton in Cross My Heart]

Bixton is this week’s SuicideGirl gamer of the week. She is a former GameStop employee that likes a wide variety of video games and even has some gaming tattoos! I talked to her about her personal taste in video games and whether or not she thinks GameStop rips people off with their used game prices.

So what are some of your favorite video games?

My choice in video games is often considered casual as I lean towards a stress less atmosphere. I enjoy RPG’s, turn-based games, tower defense, side-scrollers, and the occasional button masher or adrenaline pumping zombie hunt. I guess all the obvious ones like The Legend of Zelda series, all of the Super Mario and friends series, Super Smash Bros., Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Dead or Alive, Soul Calibur, and Ninja Town. Haha, I’m a Nintendo fan that’s for sure. I don’t much care for first person shooters unless it’s in an arcade (like House of the Dead and Time Crisis), so my Xbox 360 gets used in other ways. Ninja Gaiden and Resident Evil are two other series’s I like. And I love Limbo and Castle Crashers. Dang I think I’m going to stop now. You get the picture.

Ah a tower defense fan! What are some of your favorite TD games?

Haha to be honest I have been hooked on South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play! on the 360, especially with my brother and his girlfriend. It’s a riot and even better with a little help from some friends, definitely worth trying out. Ninja Town, Desktop TD, Plants Vs. Zombies, and PixelJunk Monsters. And there’s an even longer list for ones I NEED to try still.

Desktop Tower Defense has to be one of my favorites.

The funny thing about the Desktop TD is it was recently suggested to me, but oh man is it addicting. The audio effects are quite distracting, I’m usually giggling to myself as I try keep up. It’s intense.

What are you currently playing?

I am actually playing Blue Dragon these days since I no longer have access to a Wii to finish Skyward Sword. I used to work at GameStop and purchase games I read great reviews on. Now that I still have a sibling in the haven for me, I can just borrow his and return them when I’m done. Of course I have to wait until they’re no longer needed so often times a few days or weeks after new releases I’m forced to share.

Are people ever skeptical that you are a “real” gamer just because you’re a girl?
What do you say to them?

Of course, I don’t know who wouldn’t be. I am skeptical of even guys when they say they like video games or claim gamer status. I go through dry spells sometimes where I lack energy to do anything but sleep, and to be honest, I usually don’t get into intense conversations about my gamer qualifications. Instead they’re coy quips or novelty knick knacks that give it away to detail orientated folk. Thus ending their feelings of disbelief towards me.

What was it like working at GameStop? Is that a job you’d recommend for others?

It was cool for awhile, and I would recommend it to folks, but with a warning. It can be a very demanding job, and like myself, when I walk into a specialty store, I expect you to know your stuff. They were becoming strict about dress code around the time I transferred states, I got a new boss who wasn’t too keen on body art and basically made work a drag with the badgering. I hear as a company as a whole, they’re lenient, even encouraging body art now. But I loved it, and enjoyed the knowledge I gained the two years while I was there and of course the few friends I made working there and still talk to.

Speaking of body art, do you have any nerdy tattoos?

I have five Invincibility Stars on my right wrist, a Zombie Ninja, and a Triforce scarification.

As someone who has worked at GameStop what is your opinion of used games? Are they are rip-off?

It’s a bummer that you don’t get your full rupees worth when you trade in a game, but it works that way in video game life too. You build something up or purchase an item, it costs you X amount of rupees, you destroy it or sell it back and you get X/3 (a third of it back, maybe 1/2). We were just talking about tower defense games so you know what I’m talking about. The best thing about the used game aspect at GameStop is the fact that if you purchase it and within the week if you so choose you don’t like it, or it’s not working properly you can return/exchange it. Also they have bonuses on certain days for trade ins if you have an Edge Card with them, you get more trade-in credit and more of a discount on used items. It’s the way they keep the cycle going.

Do you think anybody will ever be able to compete with GameStop in terms of the used game market?

I know other businesses will get close, only time will tell with any company. Hell I know a few people who don’t even bother doing trade-ins any more because they feel they are a ripoff or are in too much control, blah blah blah. However, they somewhat pioneered it, when they were EBgames and so forth. Funny thing is they won’t/don’t have many rarer titles and copies of games that are worth a heck of a lot more than some newer titles. Plus they stopped carrying obsolete platforms. I still own my GameCube and once upon a time a Sega Genesis and Dreamcast (pretty sure most don’t carry cartridges for the older hand held systems either). Where the heck am I supposed to go for my used games? There sure aren’t any new ones out. Instead we’re forced to look online and in swap-meets or Ma’ N’ Pa stores.

Tell me about your split tongue…

My tongue is one of my favorite mods for sure. The most physically demanding, too. It was just exhausting during healing, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I had to retrain my tongue to do everything all over again. Mastication was gosh darn difficult for a few weeks, maybe months. I can do a few tricks, of course. They were a pain to learn. Spent lots of time starring at it in the mirror, haha.

Related Posts

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SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Arroia Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Frolic Suicide
SuicideGirl Gamer of the Week: Milloux Suicide

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Nov 2012 26

by SG’s Team Agony feat. Salome

Let us answer life’s questions – because great advice is even better when it comes from SuicideGirls.


[Dexter in Pop Art Clash]

Q:I have been married for almost three years, and I do love my wife very much. I have multiple fantasies where I’m having threesomes or four-ways with groups of men and women or both. I have tried numerous times to explain this to my wife but she wants NO part of it. 
I want more not only for myself sexually but more for our relationship. 
How can I get my point across to her? Should I leave her and explore my options on my own? Or should I just forget about these fantasies?
Sexually Confused in the South

A:Dear Sexually Confused in the South,

You say you love your wife very much and want more for your relationship, but I am skeptical. You are asking for advice on how to press your wife into something that, right now, she has made it clear she does not want to do.

I hear a lot about you and what you want in your question, but nothing about what your wife wants. If you are approaching this as “Honey, this is what I want, give me permission and let me drag you along,” then of course she’s going to be resistant. Sex is something you share with your partner and anything new you try should be something you explore together as equals.

Try initiating a conversation with her about what SHE wants. Don’t use it as a jumping off point to try talking her into your desires again; just ask questions and then listen to the answers. Ask her what she likes in your sex life now, and what she’d like more of, or less of. Ask her if there’s anything she’d ever wanted to try or wondered about doing, but hasn’t brought up to you. If you do this respectfully and honestly, she may surprise you. You may get some of the variety you need in your sex life, she gets to explore her own fantasies, and hopefully you will make her feel safe and secure in the idea of exploring new sexual territory with you.

However, this doesn’t mean you should jump right to “we did what you wanted, now I get an orgy.” Introducing additional partners into a relationship can be an incredible experience, but it can be extremely complicated to pull off. The relationship dynamics have to be right, there has to be total trust, honest and constant communication, pre-established ground rules, and a way for either partner to end the encounter or situation quickly and without fear of judgment or bad feelings. Group sex, swinging, polyamory, open relationships, or any other shade of non-monogamy are not for everyone. It would be unfair of you to demand this of your wife if it is truly not for her, or if she might be up for it but you are unwilling to put the effort into building a strong, loving and trusting relationship that will not be damaged by opening it up.

Before you can think about taking a step as huge as having sex with other people, you need to make sure your relationship is as strong as you can make it – and even then non-monogamy may not be the right choice for the two of you. Only at that point is your choice actually between subsuming your fantasies out of love for your wife or pursuing your fantasies in a life without her.

Salome

***

Got Problems? Let SuicideGirls’ team of Agony Aunts provide solutions. Email questions to: gotproblems@suicidegirls.com

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Nov 2012 26

by Blogbot

“Our movie is very serious, and it’s juicy and pulpy and wonderful.”
– Destin Pfaff

“I like horror movies, that’s all I really wanted to do,” said filmmaker turned Millionaire Matchmaker Destin Pfaff when SuicideGirls first spoke to him just over a year ago. “I was so against getting sidetracked. And she sidetracked me – magically,” he said of his reality TV star boss, Patti Stanger. “I love matchmaking, and will always do it,” Pfaff adds, however, 2011 is the year he gets his film career seriously back on track.

His first full-length feature film, Sushi Girl, has just gone into production. Co-written and produced by Pfaff, the title of the film refers to the female (played by newcomer Cortney Palm) that serves as the centerpiece of a reunion dinner for members of a gang who we’re involved in an ill-fated diamond heist.

The cast features an eclectic and surprising mix of names, which includes Mark Hamill, a.k.a. Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, Noah Hathaway, who played Atreyu in Neverending Story, and Sonny Chiba, whose breakout role was that of Takuma Tsurugi in the martial arts classic, The Street Fighter.

Pfaff was kind enough to invite SuicideGirls onto the Universal Studios set to meet the cast and get a behind-the-scenes perspective on the action. But first we stopped by his trailer for a quick chat about how Sushi Girl came to be on Pfaff’s menu.

Read our interview with Destin Pfaff on SuicideGirls.com.

**Update**

Sushi Girl premieres at Mann’s Chinese Theater on Tuesday, November 27th, and is available on VOD. For more info visit: sushigirlmovie.com.

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Nov 2012 26

Eliona and Starfuck Suicide in Love At First Sight

Eliona

  • MAKES ME HAPPY: Good friends.
  • MAKES ME SAD: Lies, people who get into the lives of others.
  • HOBBIES: Dancing, drawing, walking along the beach, playing with my piercings, watching the sea.
  • 5 THINGS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: My clothes, my camera, my cell phone, my piercings, and my lipstick red!
  • VICES: Piercings!

Starfuck

  • INTO: Sex, gum, good music, photography, sleep, concerts, bags, new clothes, accessories, owls, dance.
  • NOT INTO: Drama queens, being sick, fake people.
  • MAKES ME HAPPY: Coke my dog, family, music, love, sex, La UdeChile and wishlist gifts 😀 .
  • HOBBIES: Listening to music.
  • 5 THINGS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Gum, iPhone, music, family, friends.
  • VICES: Gum, it’s so weird, I can’t live without gum!
  • I SPEND MOST OF MY FREE TIME: Sleeping, listening to music, watching TV and on internet.

Get to know Eliona and Starfuck better over at SuicideGirls.com!