Re: Tails

[Joel Rees <joel.rees@gmail.com>]

Please, anyone else who wants to object to a perhaps unfortunate turn
of phrase, please read the whole thread first.

On Tue, May 20, 2014 at 3:16 AM, André Nunes Batista
<andrenbatista@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sat, 2014-05-17 at 21:06 +1200, Richard Hector wrote:
>> On 16/05/14 16:42, Weaver wrote:
[ A request for some face-to-face help for a non-technical type as follows: ]
>> > Greetings all,
>> >
>> > Is there anybody on the list in Forteleza, Brazil?
>> >
>> > There's a young, female, investigative journalist there, who wants to

The specifications of "young, female" seem to have been thoroughly
misunderstood. I myself thought the mode of expression a little
unfortunate. But it is clear, I think, that Weaver was not imagining
that we would see any such intent.

>> > install Tails onto a USB stick, with a persist partition, but she hasn't
>> > got the slightest idea of how to go about it.
>> >
>> > Any father figures up for a free gig?

"gig" has lots of meanings, and there was no need to presuppose the
performer of the "gig" in this case. This was a request for help, so
we must assume the performing of the "free gig" would be on the part
of the helper.

Inducing a "sugar daddy" interpretation of the term "father figure"
indicates the frame of mind of the reader, and, really, considering
the old comic-strip "Li'l Orphan Annie" and the "Daddy Warbucks"
character, well, what *is* everyone thinking about?

>> FWIW, I consider this method of making a request inappropriate. I'm sure
>> some will disagree with me; so be it. Others have commented in the past
>> that those who don't stick up for the rights of others than themselves
>> are part of the problem. I agree with that to some extent, hence my comment.
>
> Right, as if you could just blindly trust a flash drive sent over
> governmental currier.
>
> This seems like security backwards: methods developed to ease bypassing
> all efforts do keep user at control. I wouldn't trust this flash drive
> anymore than I would trust a windows public machine.

If the request had been intended to have the nuance read, the concept
of what passing a pre-written USB drive is comparable to is telling,
but, really, the request was to show the reporter how to do it
herself.

Weaver decided to send the drive after we misinterpreted his intent.

I assume Weaver knows her personally, so she would not be "blindly"
accepting the drive. Although the possibility that it might be
intercepted en-route is probably the reason he would have preferred to
have someone over there walk her through the process in person.

-- 
Joel Rees

Be careful where you see conspiracy.
Look first in your own heart.