[tor-talk] Harvard student used Tor to send bomb threats, gets caught by old-fashioned policework

[Mirimir]

On 12/19/2013 06:37 PM, Joe Btfsplk wrote:
>> This is going seriously OT, so I'll cease after this post.
> 
>> Using Tor to make bomb threats is clearly off-topic for tor-talk.
> 
> Was anyone that's commented defending the guy for making bomb threats?
> Was the focus on making bomb threats, or was it on how (seemingly)
> easily they narrowed it down to a few individuals?

Nobody was defending him, but some of his technical mistakes were
pointed out, perhaps without suitable distancing. Mea culpa.

> I didn't get the sense that the discussion was about making bomb threats.
> 
> Besides, what's legal in one country may be very illegal in another.
> So when one says, "Using Tor (or any thing) for illegal porpoises,"
> which country are we talking about?
> "Legitimate use" is relative.
> 
> Point I got was, IF... you are using Tor in a freedom / no freedom or
> life & death situation, there may be several ways to get caught, "nearly
> caught," "hauled in & questioned for hours," "put on a watch list," etc.
> 
> If "bad people" using Tor can be tracked down (or narrowed to a few
> individuals), what about "good people?"  Which is which, is often relative.

I totally agree with your points.

Upon reflection, it may have been tactics for dealing with police that
jimmymac at copper.net was referring to.