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8 \title{The delicate disadvantage of Reverse-Engineering
}
9 \author{Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton
}
16 \huge{The delicate disadvantage of Reverse-Engineering
}\\
18 \Large{The consequences of maintaining
}\\
19 \Large{proprietary hardware
}\\
20 \Large{Can we do better?
}\\
22 \Large{[proposed for
] OFSC
2020}\\
29 \frame{\frametitle{Background (about me)
}
34 \item First reverse-engineering was Samba-TNG\\
35 NTBugTraq, August
1996\\
36 "Welcome to the SAMBA Domain"\\
37 3 years later...
\vspace{6pt
}
38 \item 2002: Exchange
5.5, enhancing FreeDCE \\
39 Copied by an "Open" team that removed all attribution
\vspace{6pt
}
40 \item 2003-
2005: Xanadux Project\\
41 9 HTC smartphones reverse-engineered\\
42 Zero income earned.
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}
43 \item Lesson learned: everyone else makes money from your work.
48 \frame{\frametitle{How come I could do this but others couldn't?
}
53 \item Self-analysis time: what capability did I have \\
56 \item Definition of Reverse-Engineering:\\
58 The ability to infer knowledge.\\
59 (That's really it. No prior-knowledge is required:\\
62 \item Definitions of knowledge were a clue:\\
63 Demster-Shafer (generalisation of Bayes)\\
64 Epistemology (Advaita Vedanta wikipedia page)
68 \frame{\frametitle{Advaita Vedanta, Epistemology section
}
73 \item Pratyakáı£a - perception (includes senses, but also "intuition")
74 \item Anumana - inference (where there's smoke there's fire)
75 \item Upamana - comparison, analogy (A is to B as C is to D;\\
76 also included here is the "difference" between two things)
77 \item Arthapatti - postulation, derivation from
79 (Joe is gaining weight; we do not see Joe eat during the day.
80 Therefore Joe is eating at night)
81 \item Anupalabdi - non-perception, negative/cognitive proof\\
82 ("there is no jug in this room")
83 \item Sabda - relying on word, testimony of past/present experts
85 \bf{ Reverse-Engineers develop these knowledge-derivation skills
86 without knowing that they have them! It's incredible and valuable!
}
90 \frame{\frametitle{Why do products need reverse-engineering?
}
93 \item The profit-maximising Corporation can't be bothered to provide
94 documentation or source code
96 \item The profit-maximising Corporation is based in China and is
97 happy to blatantly disregard Copyright law.
99 \item The profit-maximising Corporation could be bothered but has
100 realised that they make more money through entrapment of end-users
102 \item Bottom line: helping such Corporations helps keep their products
106 \bf{ Reverse-Engineers by applying their amazing skills actively support
107 unethical and pathological Corporations to do harm to end-users
108 and to the environment
}
114 \frame{\frametitle{How about an alternative?
}
118 \item You have unbelievably empowering and powerful skills, far
119 beyond those of an average programmer!
120 \item Instead of supporting unethical Corporations, why not support
122 \item Transition from full-time to part-time (or work evenings)
123 \item How about creating your own products? (You're a Reverse-Engineer:
124 you know how products work, and what you don't know, you already
125 know you can to find out!)
126 \item How about designing a product and put it on Crowdsupply?
127 \item The internet exists: you can find others to team up with,
128 in an area of technology that interests you.
131 \bf{Ultimately you could do a huge amount of good. With your skill
132 there is nothing that can stop you except yourself
}