Open-Source Security Nonprofit Tries Raising Money With 'Hacker-Themed' T-Shirts (ostif.org) 11
The nonprofit Open Source Technology Improvement Fund connects open-source security projects with funding and logistical support. (Launched in 2015, the Illinois-based group includes on its advisory council representatives from DuckDuckGo and the OpenVPN Project.)
To raise more money, they're now planning to offer "hacker-themed swag" and apparel created with a state-of-the art direct-to-garment printer -- and they're using Kickstarter to help pay for that printer: With the equipment fully paid for, we will add a crucial revenue stream to our project so that we can get more of our crucial work funded. OSTIF is kicking-in half of the funding for the new equipment from our own donated funds from previous projects, and we are raising the other half through this KickStarter. We have carefully selected commercial-grade equipment, high quality materials, and gathered volunteers to work on the production of the shirts and wallets.
Pledges of $15 or more will be rewarded with an RFID-blocking wallet that blocks "drive-by" readers from scanning cards in your pocket, engraved with the message of your choice. And donors pledging $18 or more get to choose from their "excellent gallery" of t-shirts. Dozens of artists have contributed more than 40 specially-commissioned "hacker-themed" designs, including "Resist Surveillance" and "Linux is Communism" (riffing on a 2000 remark by Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer).
There's also shirts commemorating Edward Snowden (including one with an actual NSA document leaked by Edward Snowden) as well as a mock concert t-shirt for the "world tour" of the EternalBlue exploit listing locations struck after it was weaponized by the NSA. One t-shirt even riffs on the new millennial catchphrase "OK boomer" -- replacing it with the phrase "OK Facebook" using fake Cyrillic text.
And one t-shirt design shows an actual critical flaw found by the OSTIF while reviewing OpenVPN 2.4.0.
So far they have 11 backers, earning $790 of their $45,000 goal.
To raise more money, they're now planning to offer "hacker-themed swag" and apparel created with a state-of-the art direct-to-garment printer -- and they're using Kickstarter to help pay for that printer: With the equipment fully paid for, we will add a crucial revenue stream to our project so that we can get more of our crucial work funded. OSTIF is kicking-in half of the funding for the new equipment from our own donated funds from previous projects, and we are raising the other half through this KickStarter. We have carefully selected commercial-grade equipment, high quality materials, and gathered volunteers to work on the production of the shirts and wallets.
Pledges of $15 or more will be rewarded with an RFID-blocking wallet that blocks "drive-by" readers from scanning cards in your pocket, engraved with the message of your choice. And donors pledging $18 or more get to choose from their "excellent gallery" of t-shirts. Dozens of artists have contributed more than 40 specially-commissioned "hacker-themed" designs, including "Resist Surveillance" and "Linux is Communism" (riffing on a 2000 remark by Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer).
There's also shirts commemorating Edward Snowden (including one with an actual NSA document leaked by Edward Snowden) as well as a mock concert t-shirt for the "world tour" of the EternalBlue exploit listing locations struck after it was weaponized by the NSA. One t-shirt even riffs on the new millennial catchphrase "OK boomer" -- replacing it with the phrase "OK Facebook" using fake Cyrillic text.
And one t-shirt design shows an actual critical flaw found by the OSTIF while reviewing OpenVPN 2.4.0.
So far they have 11 backers, earning $790 of their $45,000 goal.
Slow news day. (Score:2)
Nobody cares.
Re: (Score:2)
At least the post is news for nerds. You just can't satisfy everyone. \_()_/
Re: (Score:1)
Re: Slow news day. (Score:1)
Nice shirts. (Score:4, Informative)
I was skeptical but I saw the shirts and most of the designs are actually good looking (and there are lots to chose from). I'm a backer because the shirts look cool.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm glad the shirts at least look good... but this "story" is still nothing but an advertisement for those ostensibly good-looking shirts.
Re: (Score:2)
More abuse of the term "hack" (Score:3)
Not what "hack" means. /. should know better.
Re: More abuse of the term "hack" (Score:2)
I know what you mean, but I haven't heard anyone complain about it in so long that I thought we were all "over it".