An Informational Website About Why I Went to Prison

I don't know how old OP is but I did a lot of dumb stuff on the internet 25+ years ago when I was a teenager. Including writing viruses and stealing credit card information. I'm glad things were a lot different back then.

> Who's giving away 100s of TB of video decode and bandwidth for free. And why?

Not everyone is doing it for the same reason, but there are anarchists doing it because they want people to be allowed to freely access media, and that's the entirety of the reason. No profit motive or clout chasing, they just are frustrated that access to information or media is locked behind a paywall and only available to people with a credit card, or in countries allowed to view that content, or have enough money to subscribe to the services, so they do something about it.

Though I would imagine the majority of the most popular websites are just using client computers as compute, or serving ads.

The thing is called freedom. There was a time on the internet where people shared media not to make any profit, but to supply those who could not afford them. There was a time in my life where I earned 215€ per month. Later 343€. There was nothing left for any entertainment after expenses. No console, no games, no movies and no music. These times are over, plus there is affordable streaming services, but I still know and understand the spirit.

Ad revenue. But this guy had paying customers:

> While it was, indeed, a subscription website

Not sure why very nice people on the internet are apologizing for laws that prohibit ripping off other people's work. These laws are very important.

The guy clearly understood he was stealing, paid his debt to society, and now has a bunch of knowledge and experience that he can put to use doing something legit and hopefully profitable. I wish him well.

Yep.

They talk about free market but they dont let your computer do one of the most basic things it can do: copying.

Yes, it is a wonderful surprise seeing an informational website that is actually informative and to the point.

I think this is the original complaint [0]; the first count was for computer intrusion by collecting (unauthorised access to) accounts and on-selling access to the streams using those accounts. Then it kind of goes on.

[0]: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.58...

I am a builder at heart. I absolutely hated doing anything with that Roku app, though.

Most of those platforms had web support which made my life easier. I had a bridge with the Android apps that kicked the stream out to a native player—nothing unique. It was otherwise just ReactNative.

I actually read this earlier because you commented on another post about Charlie Javice's sentencing. Based on that sentencing and others, it seems like the going imprisonment rate for "losses incurred by the powers that be" is around $2-3 million/month of prison.

By that metric, you received an unduly harsh sentence. Would you happen to have some insight as to why?

Also, I sincerely appreciate you sharing this, and the means by which you shared it. I honestly think that with your situation (unlike Charlie Javice, Theranos, etc), anyone who reads your candid disclosure would interpret it in a positive way.

Btw I found your site because it is in your profile. I looked at your profile because of a comment you made earlier today which piqued my curiosity: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45430992

I sincerely apologize if this is causing stress.

You seem to have created something that was technically complex and therefore difficult, and have done it relatively cheaply. Is it worth repeating the effort / rebuilding "as a service" for legitimate businesses that need a 100Gbps CDN for streaming, file distribution, whatever else. Like low-key sports that don't get much distribution because the big networks aren't interested?

(There's a lot I don't know, I'm just impressed by what it appears you were able to build whilst working other jobs)

Are you legally prevented from pursuing such an endeavour?

Does your criminal record unspokenly make it likely not worthwhile pursuing a legitimate version of what you created?

You should message the MN Ruby meetup, I think this would be an interesting talk and I heard they may be looking for upcoming speakers https://www.meetup.com/ruby-mn/

Sorry it was so boring there. Did they have a library, and if so was there anything decent in it?

The tone seems fine to me. It was a good read, also.

Where's this text on the website? I just see a very short message.

Sounds like a bogus charge where the only purpose is to scare you into pleading guilty to something else.

Btw it sounds like it's a good idea to never report bugs to Major League Baseball. Refusing to pay beg bounty is one thing but offering bounty to then paint it as extortion by the researcher?

White hats take note.

This wasn’t ever meant to be public in this way.

No. But what can we do about it? The government is on fire right now, and just like your average developer working for a company, our moral desires are powerless.

You need to give people a class below them that they can be better than. That is the permanent criminal class in the US.

Our foundation was built on offering second chances to groups marginalized or persecuted in Europe. A place those cast aside by the old world could start anew, contribute to society, and reshape their destinies away from the strictures and conflicts that had defined their past.

In the American wild west, criminals could go on be to lawmen. People were given a second chance. Second chances are what made America strong (that and opening our country to immigrants to give them a first chance).

Modern America doesn't believe in those things. It doesn't believe in it's foundation myth on immigration and second chances. It doesn't believe in it's 'wild west' myth of immigration and second chances. We have become something very angry and ugly.

America is a punishment-oriented society at all levels. They feel good when someone else suffers. It's not meant to do anything else.

You have to email them you cannot @ them.

I sent him an email too.

I appreciate your interest in this and the interest of the community at large. It's comforting in a way—I feel like the world's worst criminal still. At the same time it's validating to have done something that this community—which I hold in high regard—finds interesting. Maybe in due time I will feel more comfortable to talk more about it; I think I found more product market fit with my words.