[jgross206]

> Looks like somebody wants to nominate themselves for a government contract.

Interesting how when the news media baselessly questions the motives of whistleblowers it's a "smear campaign." When someone on HN does it to someone who's vaguely pro-NSA it's the top comment.

[bpatrianakos]

He's not even vaguely pro-NSA. He's pro-openness. The fact that this is the top comment is sad and its a testament to knee-jerk reactions in echo chambers around the world. There's a difference between the government as an entity and individuals who are employed by them. Feds attending DEF CON aren't really Feds, their security guys like everyone else there. Depending on the context one could be a fed first and other things second but at DEF CON that's not the case and barring a certain group of people turns it into a situation where you're labelled based on what you don't have in common with other attendees rather than being welcomed because of what everyone at the even shares.

[bandushrew]

"Feds attending DEF CON aren't really Feds"

I guarantee you that this is not something the Feds themselves believe.

What makes you think it is true?

[marcosdumay]

May it be because those whistleblowers did something right, while the NSA did something wrong?

Or, could also be because governments normally pay lots and lots of people for holding opinion, while normally there is nobody paying for the opposite side.