Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most?

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by jbirer on Saturday November 19, 2022 @06:08PM (#33675911)

I built a crypto invoice system that was originally targeted towards our freelance dev clients, which was soon overrun with drug sellers, weapons sellers, and when it reached a point where some of the invoice descriptions included words like "8yo.mp4" we realized it was time to put it down. We reported the IPs of the people involved and shut down the servers. Luckily I live in a third world country and not somewhere I could get in trouble for.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by scotty79 on Saturday November 19, 2022 @06:25PM (#33676081)

It could become very useful honeypot for the police or some government agency tracking crime.

Those people found another way to get paid.

Although I couldn't never blame you for shutting it down. I'd probably do the same and try to forget about it for many years.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by jbirer on Saturday November 19, 2022 @06:38PM (#33676212)

Unfortunately, I was not contacted by any intelligence agency with a promise of money and lack of prosecution, so that was my choice at that time.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by wruza on Saturday November 19, 2022 @07:38PM (#33676751)

I think it was fortunate, in a sense that these agencies’ employees usually couldn’t care less about your own fate or expenses in all this mess. You’re just a little bug in their gears which rotate regardless. Unless you can gain substantial publicity, it’s not worth the risk.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by imdvayn on Saturday November 19, 2022 @11:02PM (#33678102)

It shouldn't be that way though. That honeypot could've been really useful to them, and the cost of providing peace of mind to him is negligible to their orgs.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by IAmGraydon on Saturday November 19, 2022 @09:23PM (#33677465)

Not trying to be snarky here, but did it surprise you that a system built to obfuscate financial transactions would be used for illegal activities?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by jjeaff on Saturday November 19, 2022 @09:32PM (#33677520)

I don't think most crypto is built to obfuscate. It's built to bypass centrally controlled monetary system. With the exception of some specialty crypto created to obfuscate, it's really not nearly as good at hiding transactions as say, cash.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by bruce511 on Saturday November 19, 2022 @11:44PM (#33678337)

Technically it might not obvuscate, but practically it does.

Critically (compared to cash) it allows remote transactions. Cash requires presence which limits the customer base geographically, and carries enormous personal risk. (you're already transacting with a criminal, do you want to be alone with him as well?)

The killer app for crypto is illegal activities. (which may in some cases be moral, but nevertheless are illegal.)

As a side note, the volatility in the crypto value, caused mostly my legal speculators being exploited by scammers, hurts the utility of crypto in all contexts, including illegal ones.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by fomine3 on Sunday November 20, 2022 @04:36AM (#33679620)

BTC->XMR->BTC

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by csours on Saturday November 19, 2022 @11:58PM (#33678409)

Illegal !== Immoral

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by jbirer on Sunday November 20, 2022 @02:34AM (#33679103)

I thought nobody would be stupid enough to try to slang rocks on "clearnet", and also Bitcoin is not built to obfuscate, that's Monero.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by derangedHorse on Sunday November 20, 2022 @08:54AM (#33680881)

I wouldn’t care too much about the people who try to “slang rocks”, the “8yo.mp4” is infinitely worse in my eyes.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What is the thing you've build you regret the most? by jbirer on Sunday November 20, 2022 @11:54PM (#33688935)

Pretty much. We laughed off the weed stuff but when we saw the .mp4 stuff we realized it got too far.

[ Parent | on HN ]