Can I trust downloading Python?

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Sat, 07 Sep 2013 21:04:59 -0600, Michael Torrie wrote:

> As for trusting python in general, I do trust the python developers, but
> recent NSA revelations call just about all aspects of computing, trust,
> and privacy into doubt.

"Recent" revelations? Where have you been for the last, oh, 20 odd years?

Remember when people who talked about Carnivore and Echelon were 
considered in tin-foil hat territory? I do.

I think it was Paul Krugman who talks about the one thing worse than 
being wrong is being right too soon. In context, he's referring to the 
Bush administration's adventures in Iraq, and how those who were right a 
decade ago are still routinely ignored even after being proven right, 
while the Very Serious People who were utterly, obviously wrong are still 
feted as experts. The same applies to the surveillance society. This 
didn't just appear overnight. You don't build programmes the size and 
complexity of PRISM, Tempora, Stellawind, X-Keyscore, Dropmire, and no 
doubt others that we still don't know about, overnight.

When it comes to NSA spying, before Edward Snowden, there were these 
other guys:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/06/16/snowden-whistleblower-nsa-officials-roundtable/2428809/


And if you think it's just the NSA, you *really* haven't been paying 
attention. From 2005:

http://www.noplacetohide.net/



-- 
Steven