[Bob Kuczewski]

This story should scare everyone:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-10-04/the-big-hack-how-china-used-a-tiny-chip-to-infiltrate-america-s-top-companies

It describes one of the latest computer security threats - tiny processors implanted by motherboard manufacturers that allow complete remote control and access. There is some debate about this particular story. But whether this story turns out to be true or false, one thing is certain: This is only the beginning.

I started programming computers in 1979 ... using paper punch cards. I have been programming computers in one form or another nearly every day since then. I understand the technology very well, and we have a big problem looming before us.

It is foolhardy to rely on the internet for 100% of anyone's communication ... with anyone. It is even more foolhardy among our tiny and largely fragmented group of hang gliding reformers. We've seen how quickly someone like Jack Axoupolous can silence anyone he chooses. Even worse, we've seen how maliciously he can change what anyone has written to make them appear to have written whatever he wants. The U.S. Hawks forum is always just one hack away from complete disruption.

Don't rely on the internet to communicate. Pick up the phone and actually call someone. Get out and actually visit others in person. Get to know others to a depth that can't be easily spoofed or disrupted with current technology. Yes, it's less convenient to actually deal with others as real humans in person or on the phone. But that's a small price to pay to build a real community.

[Free]

Back doors have been in most devices for years. Probably from the beginning.
It was a conspiracy theory to say it before. Now the admit it at the same time they want to shut down our use of the net.
Social media has always been about surveillance of users.
Nothing has changed except now they want to scare you out of using what you've paid for.
The surveillance will still be there whether you have a connection on your end or not.
The control grid has been built and now you are imprisoned within it.

[Bob Kuczewski]

There are at least 2 levels of bad things that can be done via the internet:

    1) Surveillance
    2) Impersonation

The first is bad, but we speak publicly on this forum so it's not a big issue for us.

The second is horrible. The second allows someone to take over an account and say things in your name. That's effectively what Jack does when he bans people and changes their posts. But it can happen by other means as described in those articles. That's why I recommend that people have alternate (and less easily faked) paths of communication. If Rick or Sam or Bill or Frank or Joe or Scott or Dennis or Tommy or ... were to find someone posting in their names, they could call me and I'd recognize their voices and their phone numbers. I could also call them back to verify. It's not a perfect system, but it's about 100 times better than not having that additional channel.

Furthermore, without establishing that additional channel in advance, it would be hard to establish in a pinch. If someone called me up claiming to be "Warren" who had his accounts hacked, how could I verify that? It might really be you or it could be an imposter. How would I know? But if you called me now (when there isn't a problem), I could ask you to verify by sending a PM through the forum or by email. You could do the same for me. Then if we had to contact each other, we could do so with some degree of confidence.

I fear there will be a time when our identities will be harder and harder to prove. That's another reason I feel it's important to be able to reach each other outside the somewhat fragile internet. I know you resist this Warren, and I doubt that I will convince you (maybe you're really Mark Forbes posing as "Warren"?). All I can do is make the case that it's helpful for us to have alternative ways to communicate. What you do with that suggestion is up to you.

[Bob Kuczewski]

This topic was originally started in the "Free Speech Zone" (over 4 years ago), but as I read it today, I feel that it's an important aspect of building a solid organization. For that reason I've promoted it to this forum ("Building the US Hawks").

Please take the time to contact your fellow Hawks outside of the forum so you know them as real people. You'll never regret it.

[Chris McKeon]

Well I will stay on the Title of this Post. So My Pilot friend, Note that I do not say what My Friends Name is. I did not say his name because first, I have not said this to Him. Second I should not on a Public Forum State His Name, and repeat what He said to Me. Just so no one thinks that I am referring to "Pilot-X". No, no I am not referring to Pilot-X here. X has been a Beacon of Support and sympathy. X got the Title X for when a Group of Us Bay Area Pilots would Fly Diablo . After We Flew, it is Quite common for Me to write up a Post-Flight where I would say Who had flown that Day. I would put the Post up on the Web. Well once after I had mention that Pilot X by His Real name had been among a couple of other Pilots had Flown. Well X took Me aside the next time We Flew. He Forbid Me from using His real name when writing a Post FLight report. I mean X, here is something to think about. It is not just Me who knows who You are. Practically Everyone knows who You are. I do not know what Drives this type of Skull Duggery. But I will say it again; X is a good Guy. I sure do hope that He and I will fly again.

told me just a little over a week ago; "Chris get Real, You will never Fly again". I Mean at this point and time I am so hoping to fly, You Guys simply do not have a point of reference from which to truly Sympathise with what I have gone through, most if not all of You just do not have a similar experience from which to draw from. But You Hawks are not taking Pot Shots at Me. Why do People react the way They Do? There Truly is a Pecking order in Humans.