Negative99

I like to share supposedly forbidden tidbits. Here was a previous one. This is a new one. 09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0. That may not look like much, but it’s the HD-DVD AACS Processing Key number, which would allow someone to crack the copy protection on an HD-DVD.

For those not keeping score at home HD-DVD and Blu-ray are in a race to become the “new” DVD standard. They both use blue-spectrum laser light to increase the information density on their discs (standard DVDs use red light). Much like many such technology standardization pissing contests races, the two competing technologies will fight to see which group of consumers guessed wrong. Anyone out there ever own a Beta player?

Anyways… over the last few days there’s been a big hubbub about the HD-DVD key being publicly released. Obviously the HD-DVD people aren’t happy… the MPAA isn’t happy… the successful hackers Blu-ray hired to break the encryption (just my opinion) are pleased with themselves… and the Blu-ray folks are smiling.

On the site Digg there was even a bit of a revolt when the admins there sought to delete the article there that was “outing” the key. Granted, they deleted the article by a cease-and-desist order, but their user community revolted (of sorts) and plastered the code everywhere on the site… and the admins ultimately relented to their users. Now we’ll see what happens to Digg.

Here’s a little more of the story from Gizmodo:

The power of Web 2.0 is in full effect over at Digg, where users are revolting over Digg’s decision to pull a story (that netted over 15,000 diggs) and reportedly boot a user for posting the HD-DVD AACS Processing Key number, which would allow someone to crack the copy protection on an HD-DVD. The front page (along with two and three) of Digg consists entirely of stories flaunting the number or criticizing Digg for its actions.

While it might not have proven to be the best course of action in hindsight, we seriously doubt that Kevin Rose’s decision to pull the story revealing the HD-DVD key was selling out or intentionally betraying the community. A number of people have pointed out that HD-DVD is a Digg sponsor, and have used that fact to level such charges at Kevin.

We have sponsors too, but that doesn’t ever mean we’d sell out our readers or alter our content because of those sponsors. Kevin has equally shown nothing but commitment to the Digg’s users, community, and site’s integrity. People should hear out his explanation for this move before wholesale trashing Digg’s founder.

That said, tonight’s been a watermark in social media, even just looking at the ingenious (and often hilarious) variations users have come up with to cram the key into headlines, comments and users invites. Personal favorite so far: “Digg deleted my hard drive for posting the HD-DVD KEY! Now my hard drive refuses to write in binary. I get Error Code: 09-F9-11-02-9D-74-E3-5B-D8-41-56-C5-63-56-88-C0 . Oh noz.”