Hacker's project sends media-filled hard drives to troops
By Donald Melanson 
posted September 22nd 2007 6:42AM
posted September 22nd 2007 6:42AM
A network engineer going by the hacker handle 'Deviant Ollam' has taken it upon himself to send care packages of a different sort to troops serving overseas, with him ditching the usual goods in favor of hard drives filled with movies, music and other content. That's the basis for his Traveling Terabyte Project, which is apparently still operating on a relatively small scale, although "Ollam" hopes it'll pick up once he gets a website up and running. The hard drives themselves are packed in an appropriately olive-drab Pelican case, which also includes all the necessary USB cables and international power adapters. As the name of the project suggests, the hard drives aren't intended to stay in one place forever, with recipients of them encouraged to add their own files before sending 'em on to another location. For their part, the troops that have received the hard drives so far seem to dig the idea, especially considering that high-speed internet is hard to come by in many of the locations they're stationed.
Hey doriangray, it's not your picture in the attic that's showing ugliness.
Hitler was also in the army, long before he became dictator, he's also a "a class of hero" is he then?well since you were in homeland security I guess you think so.
To think or even try to argue just anybody that is in an army, like the idiots in iraq, are 'heroes' goes beyond ridiculous I must say, even if they were to do something brave they do it in a harmful manner for a bad cause and I'd be more impressed if they had the courage to say NO, now that would be heroic, but that is too tall an order of course.
One thing though, in the interest of (not quite) full disclosure, I'm not an american, I'm an european from a country that has troops in afghanistan and I think a handful of cop trainers in iraq.
Oh and by me naming the NAZI's this concludes this thread, you know the rule ;)
So don't even try to come with the BS 'we freed your continent' because it were americans FIGHTING fascism that freed europe, not people that ENFORCED fascism, it's a completely different breed.
I have been doing this as well. I convert anything going over for an iPod video (mp4) and then burn DVD's and send to a few of the good young men serving in Iraq. They tell me that they are bombarded to reload everyone's iPods when they arrive and since it all converted, they just drag and drop. As I sit at home, safe and comfortable, with my 24" iMac, I wish I could do more. They love this stuff. If you know someone there, they can't go to the movies or hangout at your house, they need something to help pass the time, great story!
I am not a "troop", but a State Department worker in Baghdad. Internet here is unbelievably slow and the $2 copied DVDs are generally trash. This is a great idea... Looking forward to running into a soldier who has received such a care package.
Stop spamming you stupid douche. That website has nothing to do with anything, and you've been spamming it in other threads as well.
"especially considering that high-speed internet is hard to come by in many of the locations they're stationed."
How about someone packs up a satellite internet device into a pelican case? :)
http://www.satsig.net/perla/transportable-mobile-vsat-middle-east.htm
Nice, i really like the idea. I have less then 2 months here, so it's not going to help me but i'm sure others can take advantage.
I'd be happy to add my movies, we picked up a few drives from Balad AB down to VBC, but doesn't seem like they've been updated since a few years ago.
this is old news and people have been doing it since the start of this war. Every time my buddies have went over myself and others have been sending all types of media including hd's over there. No idea why this made engadget now, kinda like letting people know edison had a group of guys make the light bulb.
Add in a few man-weeks of the "Stephanie Miller Show" (www.stephaniemiller.com) or at least the free podcasts, and a healthy dosage of The Daily Show, the Colbert Report and Keith Olberman, and they might feel like SOMEONE is on their side!
Wwhat @ Sep 22nd 2007 2:26PM
"Wasn't strictly meant as a troll but to smile and sit quiet while thousands of people live in misery and are tortured and murdered and then us cheerily send presents and not comment to prevent 'uneasiness' and controversy, I dunno, is that so ideal?
And I am responding to the item, didn't start it out of the blue, but yeah responding might lead to all kinds of pointless fights, so it's probably best to not feed this little rant of mine, won't change anybody's view anyway, I can't change theirs, you can't so quickly change mine."
Sir, you are out of line. Where these police with tasers when you need them?
Is he looking for help because i would love to
I have been doing this for 4 years now. Although I am not sending drives that I purchase, I do preload drives and laptops for people I know that have them shipped to me when they order them.
I also ship stacks of DVDs over filled with "content".
Sending over pelican cases stocked with drives and such seems like a great idea though, I just cannot afford to pay for it.
I think you'll only end up getting troops in trouble by trying to smuggle them alcohol.
And the first general order is "Take charge of this post and all government property in view", not sure what that has to do with alcohol smuggling...
This is an awesome idea. As a soldier stationed in souther Iraq, this would be a great help. While there IS the local Haji mart with pirated videos, they ARE mostly trash. And we can use the free computers, but are not allowed to plug anything in or DL anything. A E7 has put himself forward to buy a satelite internet (like $12k system) and now has to recoup his costs. This would help a lot of people out. A great idea.
@Wwhat
I didn't sign up to be one of Bush's "assassin's". I signed up to protect and defend people like you. People that believe that their freedom is free. People that take every morning for granted.
Without my brothers and sisters in arms this great country, with all of its faults and problems, would not exist. So until you've done your time and felt the heat of desert sun, the humidity of the southern states, and the weight of the rucksack on your back, you, my fellow American, have the right, but not the credibility to talk on the subject. US Army, 82nd Airborne Division.
-John
If you burn a DVD to this hard drive, it goes out for a year and you never watch the DVD, is this not the same as loaning it out to them, but using the original as the new backup? The intent is not to copy, abuse, rip off the movie companies, and so on. The hard drive travels with specific instructions regarding copying files and so on.
If anyone in theater wants dibs on the drive next, check out travelingterabyte.org and get hold of one of the folks in the know.
@ Tim
Nice job calling him on his general orders... or at least it would have been, except that he didn't say General Order to the Sentries, he just said General Order No 1.
In reality, General Order No 1 refers to the prohibition on consumption of alcohol and sexual activities by United States Department of Defense personnel while in a combat zone and certain pre-deployment training activities.
Wwhat @ Sep 22nd 2007 2:26PM
You simplifying it, and making generalizations based on your own personal politics. The service goes beyond politics, and your blaming them namelessly without taking them as the individuals they are. To you they are just the hand of the evil bastard currently in power. As civilians its our right and duty to be critical, especially to make sure the might of our nation is being used properly. To that I would say we owe to our soldiers even, and yet you want to blame the tool rather than the policy makers.
That being said, your in a dream world if you think the human race is capable of peace. So while you wish all the bad stuff would go away, it isn't, so go hide under your blanket. Its an ugly world, but the truth always is.