The Historical, Informational, and Educational Podcast Megathread

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Rapidly Going Deaf > The Historical, Informational, and Educational Podcast Megathread

AstroWhale: Mar 28, 2009

So what did they do exactly? As far as I get it, they "infected" computers with a cookie and when that user sold something on Ebay, they would get a commission because the cookie is part of the marketing campaign of Ebay, right?

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/04/how-kesslers-flying-circus-cookie-stuffed-its-way-to-5-2m-from-ebay/

quote:

Between May 2006 and June 2007, Brian Andrew Dunning made $5.2 million�all of it from eBay.

5.2 million?

http://www.benedelman.org/affiliate-litigation/
Looks like the investigation was going on for a long time, but I don't know anything about the US legal system.

quote:

The FBI report from interviewing Dunning (attached to the United States' opposition to Dunning's motion to suppress evidence) includes Dunning's statements that eBay's affiliate program was "stupid", and that he was "clever" in finding a way to take advantage of the program. The FBI agent interviewing Dunning reports that Dunning admitted using a 1x1 pixel to force an eBay cookie with his affiliate codes.

edit: He updated a statement on his website.
http://skeptoid.com/blog/2011/10/05/a-partial-explanation/

Again edit, because it's funny now:
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4017

quote:

Big money is made by some of the more cleverly designed viruses (or trojan horses, whatever term you prefer). Sometimes all they do is install fake cookies on your computer to tell Amazon that some guy in Indonesia is entitled to a sales commission next time you buy something.

AstroWhale fucked around with this message at 19:25 on May 10, 2013

# ¿ May 10, 2013 19:06

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 8, 2024 16:24

AstroWhale: Mar 28, 2009

Some documents from the case are online, like the opposition to the suppression of evidence.
http://www.benedelman.org/affiliate-litigation/dunning-2013-03-04-opp-to-def-motion-to-suppress.pdf

First he talked to the agent and then six years later he says he was forced to talk.
What does suppression of evidence mean anyway? Also, who writes these documents?

quote:

Mr. Dunning makes much of the fact (he claims) that an agent, "this one dressed in
SWAT/combat attire with a visible and exposed holstered gun," was assigned to "guard [him]
and prevent [him] from leaving." This claim will have to be vetted through cross-examination,
but S/ A Miller does not recall it, and it would not make sense. (Why would a female agent,
dressed in civilian clothes, not visibly armed, be assigned to conduct the interview, only to have
the subject's peace of mind disturbed by having stationing Darth Vader three steps away?)

Darth Vader?

# ¿ May 11, 2013 17:47

AstroWhale: Mar 28, 2009

I won't listen to it, but did they use a song by Liturgy?
http://www.radiolab.org/story/dust-planet/#commentlist

quote:

We talk nihilism with Eugene Thacker & Simon Critchley, leather jackets with June Ambrose, climate change with David Victor, and hope with the father of Transcendental Black Metal - Hunter Hunt Hendrix of the band Liturgy. Special thanks to Thrill Jockey for use of the Liturgy song 'Generation'. It's from their album Aesthetica, out now, which is highly recommended listening for the end times.

"Transcendental Black Metal" :ughh: