Re: Hacking and free speech

[der Mouse <mouse () rodents-montreal org>]

> [T]he presentation provides evidence of possible criminal
> wrong-doing.  Adding a bunch of money to a CharlieTicket and then
> using at a T station seems problematic to me.

Legally?  Maybe; I'm not competent to comment.  Morally?  Provided
every fare paid with the ticket was paid for with real money, I for one
have no moral issue with their loading the card up with fake money just
to make sure it works.  (Of course, that's assuming T cards work in a
way that makes that possible; I don't know the MBTA system.)

Similarly, I once worked out the encoding used at the time for Montreal
metropolitan bus transfers (which were small bits of heavy paper with
holes punched in a pattern encoding the day code and expiration time).
While I never tried making my own transfers, I would have had no moral
problem with doing so, provided a legitimately-obtained transfer
existed for every ride taken on a synthesized transfer.

Actually, the encoding was interesting; some real thought had clearly
gone into it.  Turned out that adding holes to a valid transfer either
(a) changed the date code, (b) produced an invalid encoding, or (c)
produced an earlier-expiring transfer.

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