If anyone else can't find the Almanac from the article link it's here:
https://harris.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/the_def_con_33_hackers_almanack.pdf
Denizens of DEF CON are 'fed up with government'
Hackers – especially Jake Braun – are "fed up with government." Braun was one of the creators of the first-ever Voting Machine Hacking Village at DEF CON in 2017 and served as a homeland security and cyber advisor to the Obama and Biden administrations. He also co-founded the Franklin project, named for Benjamin Franklin, who …
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Sunday 1st March 2026 07:35 GMT amanfromMars 1
And here also .....
THE DEF CON 33 HACKERS’ ALMANACK is available for reading here ....... https://defconfranklin.com/almanack.html
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Sunday 1st March 2026 21:17 GMT doublelayer
I don't see anyone suggesting he did not. I see people questioning what level of significance it should have, with opinions ranging from "remorse and subsequent opposition mitigates it somewhat" to "it is unforgivable no matter what happened afterward". Both of those are valid positions in moral philosophy. Neither makes much difference to a comparison which never stated that Franklin was a person of perfection whose life should be copied in every possible respect.
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Sunday 1st March 2026 11:02 GMT Anonymous Coward
Soft Power Leading To Who Knows What!
Quote: "...To combat authoritarianism..."
The article seems to be talking about the consolidation of power WITHIN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM......hence the chatter about Donald Trump.
No one mentioned the consolidation of SOFT POWER OUTSIDE the political system.
Think: billions of citizens subscribed to X (Twitter as was).
Think: billions of citizens subscribed to Meta (WhatsApp, Facebook, etc).
Think: the power of GROUP THINK.......well away from Washington DC (and the push of authoritarian ideas and the control of citizens by Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg).
Billionaires can drive citizens to vote for authoritarian governments.......and everyone says "That's democracy at work".
Sigh!
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Sunday 1st March 2026 14:21 GMT amanfromMars 1
Re: Soft Power Leading To Who Knows What!
The constipated powers within present day political systems are absolutely terrified of emerging engagements with surging orders consolidating Almighty Soft Powers outside of both the traditional and conventional and legacy political systems. It is what their mainstream media channels and puppet masters are having to task themselves with trying to ensure remains a zealously guarded and stealthy top secret and relatively unknown rather than accepting it is an Herculean job of SISyphean proportions to wholeheartedly vow to accept and perpetuate as it is totally ill suited to any of their ancient mainstream expertises and formally expert teases and so easily proves itself to be universally popular and graciously acknowledged and gratefully received by an increasing majority of all in favour of savouring and flavouring the delights and opportunities made readily available to more than just the Astutely IntelAIgent and a chosen few and Future Builders.
One uncertain but definite thing you can be absolutely sure of though, is that such leads no one with a titter of future necessary wit, nowhere near anything formerly responsible for current difficulties or past negatively impacting travails ..... ie ’tis something completely different to be lauded and applauded.
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Monday 2nd March 2026 12:34 GMT amanfromMars 1
Re: Changing the world here ?
Changing the world here ? You're not. Get back to work. ...... Anonymous Coward
Don’t take even just one small step too far here, AC, and foolishly suggest that the world cannot be changed by that and/or those able to enlighten and enable with simple plain text commentary on myriad entangled complexities freely aired and shared here for the addition of reinforcing positive feedback/SMARTR Peer Review, for the challenge then would be for you to try to ensure you are proven right and not wrong in fields in which you would very quickly discover you know practically and virtually nothing of any significance or worth.
Such is the Advanced Exalted State of Greater IntelAIgent Games Play in the World of Worlds today ....... and that too of all of their tomorrows. I Kid U Not. Almighty Things have been fundamentally and radically changed.
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Monday 2nd March 2026 16:50 GMT martinusher
Beware of "us good", "them bad"
Orwell used the slogan "Four legs good, Two legs bad" in Animal Farm. The notion its trying to convey is that inside a bubble we tend to think that we're the Good Guys so a lot of current angst is in noticing that we really might just be the Bad Guys, or at least trending that way.
Those of us who grew up during the Vietnam era have witness us being the Bad Guys. Not just in Vietnam but in many other countries, sometimes by intervening directly and sometimes turning a blind eye to what we euphemistically call 'authoritarian' governments. The number of instances are literally far too numerous to list here (it is a technical website, after all) but if you look at big picture there's serious doubt whether we as a society are good after all. This doesn't mean that individuals are all bad but rather the dominant culture isn't benign, it just tolerates the illusion of tolerance when it doesn't threaten the fundamental underpinnings of our society.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
