Comments on: To catch an undercover journalist

By: Vincent.

Vincent. — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:33:20 +0000

Any tr00 h4×0r would’ve figured out the game was up from the get-go and just started boasting about frag counts in Doom, or whatever it is the kids are playing these days.

By: CJ Ciaramella

CJ Ciaramella — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 04:34:09 +0000

Yeah, the Wired article has some information that makes the story even more ironic. It turns out the DefCon planners were on to Madigan before she even showed up because they have a mole at Dateline. In other words, DefCon out-moled Dateline’s mole. Wasn’t that the plot of The Departed or something?

Also, I wrote in my post that Madigan denied being a journalist four times, which isn’t exactly true. She was offered a press pass four times, twice by phone and twice at the convention, and refused. Jesus, you’d think she would have figured out they were on to her after the second time.
“Are you sure you don’t want a press pass, Mrs. Definitely-not-an-undercover-reporter-from-Dateline (wink wink)?”

By: T

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 01:25:08 +0000

“Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story.”

So says the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. Now, I’m not opposed to breaking the SPJ’s codes from time to time, but it’s clear that Madigan wanted to smear the convention and the only way to do this was through surreptitious means. Too bad she was an idiot, and too bad she works for a crap, lowest common denominator program for middle brow idiots. I hope she gets fired.

By: Sho

Sho — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 23:59:12 +0000

Note that in this Wired article, Madigan was invited to the Spot the Fed contest, and she was supposedly eager to out an undercover federal agent at Defcon. Spot the Fed is a good-natured game where attendees point out people they think are undercover agents, and where the revealed feds usually don’t mind being outed (Incidentally, a friend of mine from high school won a Defcon t-shirt when she outed a undercover agent from the Navy. She noticed he was wearing penny loafers, among other non-hackerish apparel.) Of course, that’s where the tables were turned on Madigan.

By: Vincent.

Vincent. — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:53:25 +0000

MICHELLE MADIGAN: 0MG j00 hav0r 7h4 1337 ju4r3z???????????
DEFCON ATTENDEE: Are you an undercover reporter?
Madigan: L0LZ n00b.
Defcon: Uh… so what are you doing with that hidden microphone?
Madigan: h4×0ring j00r s4×0r. PWND.
Defcon: Excuse me?
Madigan: 3y3 h4×0r j00r k3rn31, n00b!!!!!!!!!!!!
Defcon: Er… I don’t think you belong here. Are you sure you’re not a journalist?
Madigan: d0nu7 fux0r w17h m3 3y3 kn0w lunax 0p3r471ng 5y573m!
Defcon: You mean Linux? Seriously. What are you doing here?
Madigan: f0rk 0-day ju4r3z 3y3 w1ll tr4d3 sh3ll on g00d pr0n FTP!!
Defcon: Alright. I’m pretty sure you’re a reporter. What, did you hang out on IRC for an hour and write down all the lingo or something? Do you even know what you’re talking about?
Madigan: *runs*