# I (particularly) Pit the Wikileaks denial-of-service tantrums **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 7, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227 "2010-12-07T02:30:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/1 "2010-12-07T02:30:55Z")
Wherever you stand on the whole Wikileaks tangle-of-issues, you would probably agree that the [denial-of-service attacks](http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=12262195) were silly tantrums of the impotent and frustrated, **at best.** If whoever did this thought they could actually accomplish something, they were all that and stupid. Then again, the attacks might just be the work of desperate civil servants trying to show their superiors that they’re trying to do **something** about this – even though they know that in the Information Age, nothing in Wikileaks’ possession can be bottled up; anything they choose to release – somewhere in the world – will be in the print media and then back again all over the Internet before the hackers can get their boots on. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/2 "2010-12-07T02:35:13Z")
No. It’s just one tactic in response to this “hero”. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/3 "2010-12-07T03:04:08Z")
Was it really a DDoS attack or did their server just suck? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/4 "2010-12-07T10:51:00Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > Was it really a DDoS attack or did their server just suck? I have no problem believing it was a DDoS. Their domain host was attacked so much that it was impacting their other customers, and so they shut [wikileaks.org](http://wikileaks.org) down. Yes, that’s a totally different thing, but it shows that people were really attacking. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/5 "2010-12-07T11:18:51Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > Was it really a DDoS attack or did their server just suck? I do know someone I play EVE Online with that read about the DDoS and pinged them for about an hour [while during downtime] because [though not a US citizen] he does not believe that what wikileaks is doing is right. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/6 "2010-12-07T11:39:05Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > No. It’s just one tactic in response to this “hero”. A particularly impotent, pissing in the wind tactic that achieves fuck all, and makes those attempting it look rather stupid. Good job! ---
**Author:** ![ClaytonThroop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@ClaytonThroop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClaytonThroop)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/7 "2010-12-08T18:46:41Z")
> [@Gary\_Kumquat](#): > > A particularly impotent, pissing in the wind tactic that achieves fuck all, and makes those attempting it look rather stupid. > > Good job! I’d say creating a not insignificant amount of hassle for the wikileaks folks is more than “fuck all”, if that’s the goal. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/8 "2010-12-08T18:52:48Z")
If the Wikileakers want to operate outside the rule of law, it is difficult to be sympathetic with their misfortunes when no longer protected. Poetic justice would be for every detail of their lives to be made public, especially the embarrassing parts. I want to see all the details of every financial transaction they ever engaged in, their tax returns, the details of their sex lives (if any), photos and addresses of their families - the works. Openness, like charity, should begin at home. Failing that, maybe they can leak something from Iran or similar, and have a death fatwa taken out against them. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/9 "2010-12-08T18:59:26Z")
I would rather have seen a big puff of smoke where Wikileaks previously existed. Maybe I’m just not empathetic towards those who potentially jeopardize my country and countrymen. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/10 "2010-12-08T19:10:40Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Openness, like charity, should begin at home. You’re a goddamn idiot, you know that? Openness should begin with the government, because they are granted extraordinary powers, supposedly for your benefit. You should care when the government and its agents shit all over what your country supposedly stands for, and should be _thanking_ Assange for bringing their actions to your attention. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/11 "2010-12-08T19:26:23Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > You’re a goddamn idiot, you know that? Openness should begin with the government, because they are granted extraordinary powers, supposedly for your benefit. You should care when the government and its agents shit all over what your country supposedly stands for, and should be _thanking_ Assange for bringing their actions to your attention. I assume you weren’t talking about publishing the lists of good terrorist targets when you mention all the things I should be glad that this person publicized. If you don’t believe that governments should be able to do anything out of the public eye, then I am not the only idiot in the thread. Then again, I never am. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/12 "2010-12-08T19:59:46Z")
My, but some little mushrooms become _ever so cross_ when you turn on the light and stop feeding them… well, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/13 "2010-12-08T20:07:11Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > If you don’t believe that governments should be able to do anything out of the public eye, then I am not the only idiot in the thread. > > Then again, I never am. The retarded mouse in your pocket doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/14 "2010-12-08T20:48:23Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Wherever you stand on the whole Wikileaks tangle-of-issues, you would probably agree that the [denial-of-service attacks](http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=12262195) were silly tantrums of the impotent and frustrated, **at best.** If whoever did this thought they could actually accomplish something, they were all that and stupid. Then again, the attacks might just be the work of desperate civil servants trying to show their superiors that they’re trying to do **something** about this – even though they know that in the Information Age, nothing in Wikileaks’ possession can be bottled up; anything they choose to release – somewhere in the world – will be in the print media and then back again all over the Internet before the hackers can get their boots on. The number one problem with the DNS attacks on Wikilinks is that it’s engaged the attention of people who consider DNS attacks their personal form of entertainment. Anonymous has started up Operation: Payback, launching retaliiatory DNS attacks on Mastercard (who stopped processing donations for Wikileaks) and which resulted in the Mastercard website being cut off for a while. They’ve also taken out the website for the lawyer representing the two women who allege Assange raped them. The postal branch of the Swiss banking firm which closed Assange is also under an attack which has been partially successful. [Cite: Huffpo](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/08/mastercard-down-hacked-wikileaks-ddos_n_793625.html) [Cite: The Guardian](http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/08/operation-payback-mastercard-website-wikileaks) All in all, whoever ordered the wikilieak DNS attack has started a pissing match against professional piss purveyors. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/15 "2010-12-08T20:50:21Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > If the Wikileakers want to operate outside the rule of law, it is difficult to be sympathetic with their misfortunes when no longer protected… For law to mean anything it has to apply fairly and evenly to every one. Period. To do anything else would put us on a slippery-slope that could lead to things like people being detained for years at a time without being charged with anything or even worse things like torture. I am sure that you don’t want stuff like that to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/16 "2010-12-08T20:55:53Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I would rather have seen a big puff of smoke where Wikileaks previously existed. > Maybe I’m just not empathetic towards those who potentially jeopardize my country and countrymen. But has that ever happened? I feel like the powers that be are doing an excellent job at focusing all of this attention away from the actual contents of these documents. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/17 "2010-12-08T21:27:41Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > You’re a goddamn idiot, you know that? He actually has no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/18 "2010-12-08T21:29:11Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/19 "2010-12-08T22:29:33Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Anonymous has started up Operation: Payback, launching retaliiatory DNS attacks on Mastercard (who stopped processing donations for Wikileaks) and which resulted in the Mastercard website being cut off for a while. They’ve also taken out the website for the lawyer representing the two women who allege Assange raped them. The postal branch of the Swiss banking firm which closed Assange is also under an attack which has been partially successful. > > [Cite: Huffpo](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/08/mastercard-down-hacked-wikileaks-ddos_n_793625.html) > > [Cite: The Guardian](http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/08/operation-payback-mastercard-website-wikileaks) > > All in all, whoever ordered the wikilieak DNS attack has started a pissing match against professional piss purveyors. I’ve been ‘watching’ the sites some of the ‘anonops’ folks are posting to as this has been happening over the last couple hours. I am impressed at what I am reading. I saw a couple posts saying “Visa goes down in an hour” -and it did (worldwide, it seems, for the most part). I’ve even seen a few posters that hinted NYSE was next. _That_ would get interesting, or beyond. Some crafty folks hitting back in Assange/Wikileak’s name, no doubt at all. I wonder what the end-point is in this aspect of the game? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227/20 "2010-12-08T22:49:23Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > If the Wikileakers want to operate outside the rule of law, it is difficult to be sympathetic with their misfortunes when no longer protected. Which law would that be? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-particularly-pit-the-wikileaks-denial-of-service-tantrums/563227.md?page=2)