"Gary McKinnon hacks NSAS for proof of UFOs"

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Keon
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18 Oct 2012, 9:46 am

I was watching the news a few days ago and I came across this story...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_McKinnon

In a nutshell, Gary has asperger's syndrome and is a computer hacker. Well, he hacked into computers being used by NASA and military agencies over the course of 13 months in order to find proof of UFOs. I thought that this was a very interesting story because well, it has to deal with someone on the autistic spectrum. I wonder if he found any useful information though... Kudos to him for trying to find answers though. Even though what he did was technically illegal, I understand what it's like with AS and having a question that you just need an answer to.

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Fnord
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18 Oct 2012, 10:05 am

Yes, what he did was illegal. Asperger's Syndrome is not an excuse -- it is not a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

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comatt1
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18 Oct 2012, 10:16 am

That is all we need, people already view me as different enough. If the guy isnt prosecuted it could be a liability to hire a programmer (like me) that can't be held accountable for his mistakes because I "don't no better"

Tonydev
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18 Oct 2012, 10:21 am

He wasn't diagnosed until after he'd been arrested. Can't help feeling that may persuade others to try to play the ASD card if they're caught doing something they shouldn't. I wonder if Gary would have had more control over his impulses had he been diagnosed earlier?

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Keon
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18 Oct 2012, 10:23 am

I understand your point of view now.

Yeah, I agree with you guys. Gary Kinnon just made it a lot more difficult for people like us to find employment and trusted by others.

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cubedemon6073
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18 Oct 2012, 10:33 am

Fnord wrote:

Yes, what he did was illegal. Asperger's Syndrome is not an excuse -- it is not a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

Do you believe that all laws in a given society should be obeyed and if yes why should they all be obeyed?

Is obeying the law always the right thing to do do? If yes, why and if not why not?

In this case, I agree with you Fnord.

Last edited by cubedemon6073 on 18 Oct 2012, 11:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

GoonSquad
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18 Oct 2012, 11:15 am

Fnord wrote:

Yes, what he did was illegal. Asperger's Syndrome is not an excuse -- it is not a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

Wow, can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree.

Next thing you know, dogs will live with cats in perfect harmony.

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18 Oct 2012, 11:51 am

Justified, but illegal. Also, a legal nightmare due to him being a citizen of the UK but accused of a crime in the US.

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Fnord
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18 Oct 2012, 12:11 pm

GoonSquad wrote:

Fnord wrote:

Yes, what he did was illegal. Asperger's Syndrome is not an excuse -- it is not a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

Wow, can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree. Next thing you know, dogs will live with cats in perfect harmony.

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chiastic_slide
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18 Oct 2012, 12:15 pm

Personally I think what he did was great. We live in a world where governments, corporations and institutions hold vast amounts of data on us and yet their actions are concealed behind a smokescreen of 'security'. I think it's a great political statement and I am glad it hasn't gone the same way as 'p**** Riot'. I doubt he discovered proof of aliens but he is right about 9/11 and US foreign policy being akin to state sponsored terrorism. Also, he has depression with suicidal tendencies not just AS. His extradition has been blocked as he would be at high risk of suicide not just because he 'played the AS card' whatever that means... That's just my opinion anyway.

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18 Oct 2012, 12:15 pm

comatt1 wrote:

Keon wrote:

... Yeah, I agree with you guys. Gary Kinnon just made it a lot more difficult for people like us to find employment and trusted by others.

That's why I haven't "come out" as an Aspie.

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Last edited by Fnord on 18 Oct 2012, 12:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

naturalplastic
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18 Oct 2012, 12:16 pm

comatt1 wrote:

And a programmer who can't spell the word "know"- has problems enough!

Lol!

Sorry- but the wrong kinda 'no' just leaps out at you.

But I agree with you.

The UFO enthusiast community might cast him as the Assange of the paranormal- (so if they want fight that fight on free press grounds-fine) but his having asperger's is not relevent-for a number of reasons. Among them-like you said- it probably would make it hard for aspies who want go into programming and cybersecurity to get hired- if they set a precedent by not punishing him just because he had asperger's.

comatt1
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18 Oct 2012, 2:21 pm

naturalplastic wrote:

comatt1 wrote:

And a programmer who can't spell the word "know"- has problems enough!

Lol!

Sorry- but the wrong kinda 'no' just leaps out at you.

But I agree with you.

Got fat fingers, and have to type on my iphone, cut me a break

Beauty_pact
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18 Oct 2012, 6:08 pm

chiastic_slide wrote:

Personally I think what he did was great. We live in a world where governments, corporations and institutions hold vast amounts of data on us and yet their actions are concealed behind a smokescreen of 'security'. I think it's a great political statement and I am glad it hasn't gone the same way as 'ρussy Riot'. I doubt he discovered proof of aliens but he is right about 9/11 and US foreign policy being akin to state sponsored terrorism. Also, he has depression with suicidal tendencies not just AS. His extradition has been blocked as he would be at high risk of suicide not just because he 'played the AS card' whatever that means... That's just my opinion anyway.

I completely agree with you. Laws should most definitely not necessarily be obeyed. It even is so that many of the better societies that exist, today, would not exist if people hadn't broken laws - laws that sometimes would've meant punishments such as death sentences, prison rape, and other forms of torture. It is ridiculous to say that one should follow the law or deserve punishment. As such, the poll is unanswerable - Asperger's should not be thrown in as a necessary reason for one to be allowed to break the law.

bnky
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19 Oct 2012, 4:39 am

Tonydev wrote:

I wonder if Gary would have had more control over his impulses had he been diagnosed earlier?

self-knowledge can't but help (IMHO -First diagnosed at 45)
Good question... and a good case for adult diagnosis being better supported by the NHS

bnky
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19 Oct 2012, 5:01 am

For him to be tried under US law is in a number of ways similar to when Salman Rushdie received a juristic ruling in UK from Iran.
Rushdie has lived in USA since 2000. Last time i looked, the USA has an extradition treaty with Iran...
...not going to happen

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