Full Disclosure mailing list archives
Re: Lun_mountd.c vs mounty.c
From: Cael Abal <lists () onryou com>
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2003 09:33:35 -0400
It astounds me that so many people on this list (well, two) use the full disclosure ethic as an excuse to oblige programmers to give up our privacy rights and divulge all their code to a group of strangers. Can you *seriously* not see the problem with someone taking credit for someone else's work? That is just exquisite bullshit, regardless of the nature of the code itself, or with whom it was initially shared. Tobias was right on the money to take issue with this, and some of you need to back off and let talented hackers claim a little due credit and take pride in their work once in a while.
Hi Person/Devon/[t],Personal pride and quality of work is important, I'll give you that. Also, I am intimately aware of how unpleasant it can be to have someone else take credit for ones work. Now, do I feel a whole lot of pity when I see a script kiddie take credit for someone else's exploit?
Nope.Consider this analogy: A graffiti artist spends long hours labouring over a wall mural, only to come back the next day and see some seven year-old surrounded by his friends, proudly taking credit for it.
Know what? The world at large doesn't give a shit. I don't give a shit. The end result is still the same either way, one more eyesore in a jungle of eyesores. Realistically, it was only a matter of time before that wall was tagged. The only folks who care about graffiti art is graffiti artists -- like any community.
Mr. Brown was exactly right, if a tad terse: If an exploit writer wants privacy, they should not release the code (or release it anonymously). If an exploit writer wants fame and fortune, they should release it publicly under their real name with much fanfare -- Either of these choices quite efficiently prevent some kiddie from taking credit for their work. There's really no in-between to speak of, not one with much value to society.
The other alternative -- a limited release amongst friends or colleagues -- is really nothing more than self aggrandizement. Understandable, maybe, but not very valuable... All it does is add one more tool to the script kiddie cookbook -- and set up the original author for plagiarism.
Cordially, Cael _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
Current thread:
- Lun_mountd.c vs mounty.c Tobias Klein (Sep 17)
- Re: Lun_mountd.c vs mounty.c Person (Sep 17)
- Re: Lun_mountd.c vs mounty.c Cael Abal (Sep 17)
- Re: Lun_mountd.c vs mounty.c Gregory A. Gilliss (Sep 17)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- RE: Lun_mountd.c vs mounty.c Ferris, Robin (Sep 17)
- RE: Lun_mountd.c vs mounty.c Brown, Rodrick (Sep 17)
- RE: Lun_mountd.c vs mounty.c Person (Sep 17)
- Re: Lun_mountd.c vs mounty.c Cael Abal (Sep 18)
- RE: Lun_mountd.c vs mounty.c Person (Sep 17)