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by krapp 4363 days ago
specifically:

    // START_DEFINITION
    /*
    These variables define terms and websites relating to the TAILs (The Amnesic
    Incognito Live System) software program, a comsec mechanism advocated by
    extremists on extremist forums.
    */

    $TAILS_terms=word('tails' or 'Amnesiac Incognito Live System') and word('linux'
    or ' USB ' or ' CD ' or 'secure desktop' or ' IRC ' or 'truecrypt' or ' tor ');
    $TAILS_websites=('tails.boum.org/') or ('linuxjournal.com/content/linux*');
    // END_DEFINITION
... assuming this file is even what it purports to be.

I understand Hacker News users aren't likely to think critically when it comes to stories about the NSA but you would expect more of them could actually read code.

1 comments

Really that should be

  TAILS_terms=(word('tails')
               and word('linux' or ' USB ' or ' CD'
                        or 'secure desktop' or ' IRC '
                        or 'truecrypt' or ' tor '))
           or word('Amnesiac Incognito Live System');
because (1) you need to disambiguate the common word 'tails' but surely not the specific name 'Amnesiac Incognito Live System', and (2) you don't want to miss [tails CDROM].

See how important code review is?