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A ZDNet story explains that Niagarafiles, renamed as NiFi, will be released under the Apache license. The tool, which is conceptually derived from flow-based programming, is used for automating data flows across multiple networks, even where data formats and protocols differ.
The project's lead developer, Joseph Witt, said the NSA took great pains to develop the tool in a way that would eventually allow the agency to release its source code.
"From its inception, NiFi was developed with an open source philosophy in mind and with the hopes of eventually being truly open sourced," Witt explained.
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The NSA Will Release 'Niagarafiles' Data Analysis Tool as Open Source
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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Many pages make a thick book.
(Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Wednesday November 26 2014, @06:37PM
Then there's the fucking Nazi principle. Godwin be damned.
"I mean, hey! The Nazis did good research! We can't let is just sit there unused, now they've lost, can we?" Paperclip asshats.
NO! You don't use Nazi shit, on principle. That's defining the qualities of your own humanity. You don't use NSA shit, wherever consciously possible. On principle.
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 2) by tynin on Wednesday November 26 2014, @06:59PM
The Nazi Principle sounds like one stern SOB.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Friday November 28 2014, @01:58AM
That's "principal" -- 20 lashes!!!!!
(Score: 2) by tibman on Wednesday November 26 2014, @07:11PM
Using Nazi research is/was acceptable except for knowledge that was gained at the expense of someone else. Experimenting on other living humans as the big one. There were two arguments involved. Forbidding the use of that research creates little incentive for anyone to do that kind of research again. Not using that research means that all those people died horribly for nothing. Both sides have merit. Ignoring Nazi research on rockets, jets, and airplanes would be silly. What is unethical about better understanding rockets by studying Nazi engineering? Learning how to construct and launch rockets doesn't turn you into a Nazi or anything.
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(Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Wednesday November 26 2014, @08:16PM
"Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?"
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 2) by tibman on Wednesday November 26 2014, @09:31PM
Which was said by an actual Nazi. Has studying the V2 made the rest of the world into Nazis with that mindset? No.
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(Score: 2) by JNCF on Wednesday November 26 2014, @10:51PM
Actually, it was sung by a jew making fun of a Nazi. Unless...
you don't mean...
Tom Lehrer is a Nazi? This is news to me. It's probably news to him too; somebody should let the guy know!
(Score: 2) by tibman on Wednesday November 26 2014, @10:53PM
lol, nice. Never knew it wasn't an actual quote attributed to Braun.
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(Score: 1) by itn on Thursday November 27 2014, @12:37AM
The first one might be a pretty flawed argument. The experiments in question were done for the purpose of war. Someone who's willing to freeze people to death, in order to wage a war more efficiently, surely isn't that concerned about citations. More importantly, his leaders aren't. Besides, after you win the war, you get to write the history.
Granted, this principle would not apply only to war, so I think there's some merit. But it will never stop something like the Nazi experiments.
It's gruesome but I think there's only one question to ask: Will using the results make the society (or humankind) better or worse?
Maybe the fact that the research and the results were used for killing a lot of people (far more than died in the hypothermia or pressure chamber experiments)?
(Score: 1) by monster on Thursday November 27 2014, @02:46PM
I disagree to the "Using Nazi research is/was acceptable except for knowledge that was gained at the expense of someone else." part.
Knowledge is just that, it's neither bad nor good by itself. The Nazis did horrendous misdeeds, and are justly abhorred for that, but that doesn't mean that the insights they got in the process should be rejected or forgotten. Somehow, the argument is similar to "If a mobster gives money to charity, should the charity reject the money, even if there are no strings attached to it?"
As you said, using knowledge acquired by the Nazis doesn't turn you into one.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 26 2014, @07:52PM
Outstanding. This reply couldn't be a better example of the GP post. So full of broad brushing and moral absolutionism that you just gotta love the caricature it makes. It simply has to be a post intending to be ironic.