atq2119 2 days ago

The interesting bit is that social expectations matter.

There is a social expectation that people can generally only enter your home with explicit permission, and so if they didn't invite you it's trespassing even if the door is unlocked. But maybe you have some close friends who you get used to coming over and just entering even if you may be out at the moment -- and then it's not trespassing anymore.

Remote computer access is a much younger phenomenon than people living in houses, and so social expectations aren't as established. There's a legitimate need for discussion there.

For example, if you have an open webserver that you want people to access, is it trespassing if people fiddle a little with the URLs and encounter documents that you didn't mean to put out there? I'd argue it would make for a healthier and more tech-savvy society if we didn't consider that trespassing.

If we try to push the houses analogy further, it's a bit like inviting people into your house for a big party, and then somebody enters a room that you didn't want them to enter. It's a faux-pas, but you'd probably also have a hard time if you tried to label it trespassing.

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macintux 2 days ago

There are echoes to discussions a few months ago about IMG_0001.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42314547

The site displays random, ancient videos uploaded from the early iPhone YouTube app, often without people understanding what they were doing.

I tend to err on the side of caution: I don't expect most people to be tech savvy, and I think those of us who are must exercise restraint to avoid trespassing.

atq2119 2 days ago

I actually agree with you, but the point is the balance.

Don't steal. Don't share embarrassing or humiliating information you may come across.

At the same time, there should be safety from prosecution overreach.

I ask for this mostly not for my current self but for "kids" (including young adults, e.g. college students) who are on a hacker journey in the original sense of the word. As a society, we should encourage rather than stifle that sort of exploration.