@popey …so, putting aside the whole crypto nonsense...

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@popey …so, putting aside the whole crypto nonsense itself and setting aside the whole part of doing this inside the Snap store is low hanging fruits so low they are essentially potatoes…
…is this really the mole to be whacked? The optics suck, yes, but I’d actually rather they kept them lazy and stupid instead of whacking them then having nefarious junk reappear inside of an editor or something people actually use that is hard to see.
Assuming Canonical is actually doing this…

Like 19 March at 11:37 | Wall-to-wall | Open on mastodon.social

12 comments

popey

@ministerofimpediments Speaking as someone who I imagine didn't have half a million in crypto scammed from them.

19 March at 11:38 | Open on mastodon.social

Ministerofimpediments

@popey @ministerofimpediments …think about that statement.

And honestly, yes, that would not apply to me. But pick your poison. I’d rather someone lose $500k in *crypto* than a regular person get their bank password hoovered from a faux password manager and lose $50 that they can’t afford to.

And I say it that way because if you own $500k in crypto (hah) then it’s money you can afford to lose because that’s the inherent risk with an investment that is so wildly insecure and volatile.

19 March at 12:00 | Open on mastodon.social

Ministerofimpediments

@popey …which I *should not* assume…but I’ll take optimism where I can get it.
Basically I’d rather the wallet nonsense in something I can see from lazy people than phishing code from clever people in something I can’t see.

19 March at 11:41 | Open on mastodon.social

popey

@ministerofimpediments Why not both dot gif.

Also, this isn't about you.

This is about normies out there who cannot spot the wolf in wolf or sheep clothing.

19 March at 11:42 | Open on mastodon.social

Ministerofimpediments

@popey @ministerofimpediments …yes and no. You point is perfectly correct. They should do both. And there appears to be doubts on that happening. My hope is they are doing ‘some’ on the really nasty stuff.
I will push back on the “normies” part. If you are installing snaps, on Ubuntu, to access your $500k in crypto then you have stopped being a normie a while back. If you have $500k in crypto you should be very very well aware people are out to get you…

19 March at 12:09 | Open on mastodon.social

popey

@ministerofimpediments BZZZT. Incorrect assumption.
Ubuntu has a ton of non-nerd users, like, a lot. Just like Mint. Many of them follow advice from friends about all manner of things, including investment.
Some super-normie non-Linux people even follow online guides to spin up Ubuntu in a VM and then install a crypto app to keep is "safe" from their Windows machine.
You'd be amazed what normies are willing to do, and they can be easily fooled, sadly.

19 March at 12:11 | Open on mastodon.social

Ministerofimpediments

@popey @ministerofimpediments I wouldn’t be surprised at all. I know the same kinds of people. Asking the same questions. Taking the same risks. Unfortunately there is a limit to saving people from themselves. Canonical’s is (probably) higher than most.

Side question…does Flatpak have the same problem? Same publisher? For curiosity sake mostly.

19 March at 12:25 | Open on mastodon.social

popey

@ministerofimpediments No, because every flatpak initial submission is human-reviewed. Something potentially could slip through, all things are possible, but it's less likely. Someone could submit a legit app, and then pivot it later, once it has a decent userbase. Or rug-pull, like many crpto things do.

19 March at 12:27 | Open on mastodon.social

Ministerofimpediments

@popey @ministerofimpediments They say the first step in fixing a problem is identifying the actual problem.
It seems the crypto wallet thing is a symptom. The real problem is a deficiency in initial/periodic review of the snaps and related security in the snap store itself.
And that is a problem for not just the normies, but for everyone who uses it.

19 March at 12:47 | Open on mastodon.social

popey

@ministerofimpediments This is something I mentioned in my blog post.

19 March at 12:49 | Open on mastodon.social

Ministerofimpediments replied to popey

@popey @ministerofimpediments …then I should probably read your blog post. So should someone at Canonical. One of these is more likely than the other.

19 March at 13:03 | Open on mastodon.social

Ministerofimpediments

@popey @ministerofimpediments …and it’s not the $500k bit either…any amount of crypto would meet the criteria to be clear.
There is an easy and effective solution to the problem. No wallets in the snap store. I didn’t suggest that because the whole consenting adults thing. But that would save the normies. But if they get to stay then it’s whack-a-mole. And I’d prefer my local police outside the bank instead of outside the casino…but they should do both…but resources.

19 March at 12:19 | Open on mastodon.social