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MIKE D.
Co-founder of Newsvine.
Articles Posted: 12; Links Seeded: 122
Member Since: 8/2005Last Seen: 11/19/2009
Member Since: 8/2005Last Seen: 11/19/2009
239 Comments
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John McCain's MySpace page, with artificial lifestyle-tolerance implant.
The red herring that tipped me off. Who sends design requests to John McCain???
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If you visit John McCain's MySpace page (as of 9am PST Tuesday morning), you will notice an interesting announcement from him. He's apparently reversed his position on gay marriage as well as revealed a bias towards attractive lesbians.
Why would a presidential candidate make such an important announcement on his MySpace page?
The answer? He wouldn't.
But I would.
You see, John McCain's people commandeered my world-renowned MySpace design template and did a few things wrong:
- They did not credit me for the template, even though the template explicitly requested credit.
- They used my own unmodified imagery, specifically for the "Contacting John McCain" table.
- As if #2 wasn't bad enough, the McCain crew is actually pulling their image directly from my server on each page load. So every time someone visits the McCain MySpace page, my bandwidth is being used to deliver part of the page! Bad McCain!
So...
Numerous people have written me over the last few weeks to tell me that McCain has been using my code, but up until I realized he was pulling images from my server, I didn't really care. A lot of celebrities including Ryan "Van Wilder" Reynolds and the beautiful Nelly Furtado use my code and I'm totally cool with it.
But then I read the article in today's Newsweek about how politicians are all setting up MySpace pages in order to "connect" with younger audiences. McCain's MySpace page is listed, as are the pages from several other candidates. I think the idea of politicians setting up MySpace pages and pretending to actually use them is a bit disingenuous, so I figured it was time to play a little prank on Johnny Mac.
Luckily, I had already set up a special .htaccess rule on my server which served my real "contact me" image if the image was referenced from my own MySpace page, and served up a sample image if it was served from anywhere else. This is the whole reason I even figured out what was going on. I had my real image in cache and upon loading McCain's page, the real image showed up (including my special note that said "NO REQUESTS FOR DESIGN HELP PLEASE"). Thinking it was weird that McCain would get any requests for design help, I immediately realized what happened.
So, the only thing necessary to effectively commandeer McCain's page with my own messaging was to simply replace my own sample image on my server with a newly created sample on my server. No server but my own was touched and no laws were broken. The immaculate hack.
Abortion? The Iraq War? Probably too heavy to joke about. Gay marriage seemed like a more of a non-lethal subject to center the prank around.
So with a few minutes in Photoshop and a quick FTP, a new John McCain was born...
...and The Straight-Talk Express isn't just for straight people anymore.
Note: Before McCain fans comment on this, let me reiterate that this was a prank. I'm not politically inclined, I'm not anti-McCain, and I'd have a beer with the guy anytime. Election season on Newsvine is sure going to be fun though.
355 Votes- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
Published to:
- Mike D.'s Column, All of Newsvine
- Groups: Queer Finds on "Straight Talk", The Drollhouse
- Regions: none
 | Newsvine founder hacks McCain's MySpace page | Daily Kos | Wed Mar 28 | 0 |
| Mike, You Are On Ananova! | Ananova | Thu Mar 29 | 0 |
| Sen. McCain's MySpace page commandeered for a 'prank' | Computerworld | Tue Mar 27 | 7 |
| Seattle Internet CEO 'traps' Sen. McCain | Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Wed Mar 28 | 0 |
| "Straight-Talk Express" not just for straight people anymore? | Wired News | Tue Mar 27 | 0 |
- Public Discussion (238)
- Queer Finds on "Straight Talk" (0)
- The Drollhouse
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7.8
2.6
0.4
{"commentId":610118,"authorDomain":"burntpickle"}
That's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time! Total pwnage.
/your MySpace template has become insanely popular. I've been using it without any credit to you, but always link people to where I got it. And, I plugged your blog from a much better page SEO-wise than my MySpace. ;-)
{"commentId":610118,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"burntpickle"}
#51 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:24 PM EDT{"commentId":610134,"authorDomain":"davensjournal"}
The hack was taken off and is no longer visible. Which I guess was the point.
{"commentId":610134,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"davensjournal"}
#52 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:31 PM EDT{"commentId":610145,"authorDomain":"norman-plankey"}
Nice.... .htaccess strikes again
{"commentId":610145,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"norman-plankey"}
#53 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:37 PM EDT{"commentId":610148,"authorDomain":"osnap"}
Lauhal, that's just what I was going to say (in reference to Mike giving newsvine.com a plug within the replaced graphic).
That might make it a sticky issue (the plug), but I'm willing to bet the embarrassment of having used images w/out credit, etc. will keep McCain's team from coming back at Newsvine/Mike.
Well played!
{"commentId":610148,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"osnap"}
- 1 vote
#54 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:38 PM EDT{"commentId":610183,"authorDomain":"dylanhulbert"}
I like McCain, but this is too funny. Should have given credit where credit was due...
{"commentId":610183,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"dylanhulbert"}
#55 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:52 PM EDT{"commentId":610236,"authorDomain":"ThePopulist"}
too funny... blogged, and many are thinking it's freaking good.
However, I did notice McCain didn't mention it on CNN.COM
{"commentId":610236,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"ThePopulist"}
#56 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:21 PM EDT{"commentId":610263,"authorDomain":"minjung"}
Delightfully cheered! Well done! Next time you're in town, drinks @ the W on me!
{"commentId":610263,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"minjung"}
#57 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:39 PM EDT{"commentId":610286,"authorDomain":"stacym"}
The blog at National Review Online has picked it up.
{"commentId":610286,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"stacym"}
- 1 vote
#58 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:55 PM EDT{"commentId":610291,"authorDomain":"aine"}
I've seeded a few other pieces too. CNet, Wired, ComputerWorld...
{"commentId":610291,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"aine"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":610290,"authorDomain":"odewanebo"}
Most Excellent!
And now with greenlight goodness on the Fark.com political page.
Hope the news of this travels far and wide.
Politicians and political hacks. Dumb enough to hotlink someone elses images.
{"commentId":610290,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"odewanebo"}
- 2 votes
#59 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:59 PM EDT{"commentId":610297,"authorDomain":"dshalock"}
You would think political campaigns would hire better technical help :-)
{"commentId":610297,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"dshalock"}
- 1 vote
#60 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:03 PM EDT{"commentId":610329,"authorDomain":"jeremyemalheim"}
That would take common sense David. Why would you think that? Obviously by the laws our government passes they have no idea how technology works.
{"commentId":610329,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"jeremyemalheim"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":610361,"authorDomain":"stardove07"}
bravo amico mio, hai fatto bene, sei troppo forte, sono grande i tuoi coglione veramente
{"commentId":610361,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"stardove07"}
- 1 vote
#61 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:58 PM EDT{"commentId":610807,"authorDomain":"200MilesUp"}
Ma perche non lo chiamiamo Don Coglioni?
{"commentId":610807,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"200MilesUp"}
{"commentId":610393,"authorDomain":"misleadingamerica"}
Prop-tarts to you!
{"commentId":610393,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"misleadingamerica"}
#62 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:27 PM EDT{"commentId":610403,"authorDomain":"amberneve"}
I learned a lesson: Don't underestimate techies or otherwise take them for granted.
{"commentId":610403,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"amberneve"}
- 2 votes
#63 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:34 PM EDT{"commentId":610413,"authorDomain":"paleryder"}
BTW if you care, you have been FARK'ed www.fark.com I think Drew is laughing too!
{"commentId":610413,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"paleryder"}
- 1 vote
#64 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:43 PM EDT{"commentId":610444,"authorDomain":"whatwasleft"}
Let me just say, Mike, you the man! I am proud to be a Viner.
{"commentId":610444,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"whatwasleft"}
- 5 votes
#65 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:06 PM EDT{"commentId":611233,"authorDomain":"nck"}
And here's a "star" for you wwl.
{"commentId":611233,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"nck"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":610449,"authorDomain":"fdbryant3"}
Normally, I'd be against the hacking and defacing of any candidates page. However, if they are going to be so idiotic (or careless)as to use images from a source beyond their control - they deserve what they get.
{"commentId":610449,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"fdbryant3"}
- 5 votes
#66 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:10 PM EDT{"commentId":610466,"authorDomain":"stephan"}
They did not credit me for the template, even though the template explicitly requested credit.
Does the template require credit or does it request it? Because if it requests it then McCain did nothing wrong, he just rejected the request.
Why punish McCain when it should be his staff that is punished? The mentality of "I'll attack the candidate because I don't agree with their politics" is useless when instead the real issue of a web developer essentially stealing a design is (or should be) the focal point.
{"commentId":610466,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"stephan"}
#67 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:27 PM EDT{"commentId":610491,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
"I'll attack the candidate because I don't agree with their politics
Perhaps it wasn't in this thread -- but I've seen Mike make the statement that he has nothing whatsoever against McCain and that this has nothing to do with a personal view about politics.
Frankly -- it "should" be about trying to grasp a little of the Web 2.0 wave (to look hip and cool) but entrusting it to someone else because you know little or nothing about it. Just goes to show that McCain hasn't ever been anywhere "near" Myspace and probably hasn't ever viewed the profile -- and he got burned for trying to fake hipness.
At his age -- he should just be happy that he's got a working hip.
{"commentId":610491,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":610502,"authorDomain":"johnashbridge"}
If this web developer hadn't STOLEN the content, then this would be a moot point. Karma sucks.
{"commentId":610502,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"johnashbridge"}
{"commentId":610509,"authorDomain":"stephan"}
Brian,
This in no way is an attack against Mike. I have the utmost respect for Mr. Davidson and understand why he would be frustrated at this. I think the handling of it could have taken a more professional approach.
I completely agree that this was an attempt by McCain to look "hip" and it failed horribly.
{"commentId":610509,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"stephan"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":610522,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
If this web developer hadn't STOLEN the content, then this would be a moot point. Karma sucks.
What? Jesus, two posts and you're already a waste of time.
{"commentId":610522,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":610542,"authorDomain":"grey"}
Wait, Brian: What?!
I think you missed something here or something's lost in translation or something. Or maybe it is for me. But, as far as I can see here, john-137014 A.) has only made one post here, and B.) is agreeing with you (I'm pretty sure that his 'this' was supposed to be 'his'—"If [his] web developer…"). Unless I'm missing something here.
{"commentId":610542,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"grey"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":610554,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
Wait, Brian: What?!
You may be right -- I had just noted the "douchebag" comment below, which was also by a "new user" with the name of John-xxxx" and now that I look, the numbers don't match up. It appears I was confused by a coincidence -- and I falsely assumed he was somehow implying that "mike" stole the design.
As this doesn't look to be the case, my apologies.
{"commentId":610554,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":610564,"authorDomain":"grey"}
I had just noted the "douchebag" comment below, which was also by a "new user" with the name of John-xxxx"
I think you're just hallucinating a bit (check that name below again, if you have a second). It's okay, though. Just blame it on the Scotch. :-D
{"commentId":610564,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"grey"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":610593,"authorDomain":"darkside"}
..."the scotch" is taking an awful lot of heat around here lately. It's only doing what it was supposed to, so LAY OFF!
(...
...
I blame the scotch, leave me be.)
{"commentId":610593,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"darkside"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":611228,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
Nah -- I'm certain the user "wikiality" was "John-####" for awhile -- I think the user then completed the sign-up process and that the name was then changed. In fact, it showed "John-####" for me even after your comment about wikiality not lasting long and I thought to myself: "What the @!$%# is Grey talking about?"
Now that the name change shows up, your comment makes more sense.
I did ingest a possibly rotten piece of sauteed squash yesterday -- so perhaps I was hallucinating. If so: Worst trip ever.
:)
{"commentId":611228,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":611252,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
Shoot -- I'm not suggesting that he's the same "John" as the commenter above -- just that his username was "John" for awhile before it switched to wikiality -- hence my confusing of the two users.
{"commentId":611252,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":610484,"authorDomain":"speedcat"}
There isn't a single negative comment in this whole list!
Go Mikey!
I can't wait to see this on John Stewart's Daily Show.
Cheers,
J
{"commentId":610484,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"speedcat"}
- 1 vote
#68 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:35 PM EDT{"commentId":610503,"authorDomain":"placenamehere"}
Looks like ABC bloggers picked it up which i caught on drudge with the headline
McCain's MySpace Page Hacked...
Reading the post, they [ABC] don't seem to try very hard to understand what happened here, do they.
{"commentId":610503,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"placenamehere"}
- 2 votes
#69 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:51 PM EDT{"commentId":610516,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
I worried a bit about that:
These guys aren't going to understand (or care) about things like "leeching off Mike's bandwidth" and that Mike didn't "hack" the page itself -- he changed something on his own server and their rip-off reflected that change.
McCain may even be able to use this as a claim that he's been targeted for his views. The thing is, those who know the truth aren't going to be heard over a political campaigns ability to swift-boat.
ABC (as mentioned above) already slants it towards a "malicious attack" and misses almost every single detail of "why" this happened to McCain. What happens when Bill O'Reilly gets ahold of it? Or Fox news?
"We" find it to be funny and deserved -- but what about those who won't get the joke and/or will ignore the joke in favor of spin?
{"commentId":610516,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":610534,"authorDomain":"placenamehere"}
That said, I am sort of waiting for the delayed wave of "McCain campaign commits internet theft" reports coming from his competitors and their sympathizers.
{"commentId":610534,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"placenamehere"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":610872,"authorDomain":"OnlyKnownSurvivor"}
{"commentId":610951,"authorDomain":"stevetherobot"}
"All I can say right now is that we're investigating," said Matt David, a spokesperson for McCain's 2008 White House bid.
Watch out, mike! They're coming for you.
{"commentId":610951,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"stevetherobot"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":610504,"authorDomain":"sharingthegroove"}
wikiality
Comment collapsed by the community
Comment collapsed by the community{"commentId":610652,"authorDomain":"wildsoda"}
One of the funniest things so far is that they've changed the graphic in such a rush that they've misspelled a word:
ADD TO GORUP
That's what it says as of 12:57 am EDT, anyway.
{"commentId":610652,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"wildsoda"}
- 2 votes
#71 - Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:59 AM EDT{"commentId":610654,"authorDomain":"wendylauver"}
This is the funniest story I have heard in a long long long time....
{"commentId":610654,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"wendylauver"}
#72 - Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:00 AM EDT{"commentId":610702,"authorDomain":"coloradobob1"}
Well, I sent this to Boing Boing ... I'm sure they get it .
{"commentId":610702,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"coloradobob1"}
#73 - Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:11 AM EDT{"commentId":610705,"authorDomain":"aine"}
I posted a link to it over at the Smirking Chimp. *grin*
{"commentId":610705,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"aine"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":610750,"authorDomain":"kankersukkel"}
whahahahaha, lol lol lol, you're the coolezt haxx0r in the w0rld man
</scriptkiddie mode>
now please go, you're late for kindergarten
{"commentId":610750,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"kankersukkel"}
#74 - Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:12 AM EDT{"commentId":610759,"authorDomain":"uspolitics"}
You're not politically inclined?
=:-0
This was a great prank ... but do you think it taught them (the code thieves) a lesson? Methinks probably not.
{"commentId":610759,"threadId":"88549","contentId":"633799","authorDomain":"uspolitics"}
#75 - Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:22 AM EDT{"canLink":false,"threadId":"88549","isPrivate":false}
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