Matthew Keys

@matthewkeyslive · Journalist & Internet of Person

@bentossell I wouldn't want $1 billion. That sounds like way too much responsibility.

Carol Alfonso

@caa1000

Hey Matthew! Following your feeds since 2009. Tell what would you think is your biggest career moment and what you would like to achieve in the future?

@matthewkeyslive · Journalist & Internet of Person

@caa1000 First, thanks for following along so long! It's been a wild ride, hasn't it? It is hard for me to answer your question with respect to my career. I hope that my defining moment is yet to come, but I also recognize that it's something for others to define. So maybe it's happened already. I'm not really sure.

upvote share tweet・a year ago

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Niv Dror

@nivo0o0 · Writer/Social Editor @ProductHunt

What was going through your mind back in October when you were charged (other than this tweet which really says it all). On a different note, what was going through your mind when Snowden tweeted about your case?

@matthewkeyslive · Journalist & Internet of Person

@nivo0o0 I was charged in March 2013. I was convicted of those charges in October 2015 (we are appealing the case). Being charged was pretty devastating. It set me up for a fight that I didn't want to have, but also could not walk away from. At this point, it really doesn't matter whether people think I did or didn't do the alleged conduct (I've always said, and will say again, that I did not do it). Ultimately, I hope our efforts on the case bring about positive change to the law that governs all of our online activity. As for Mr. Snowden's support, I consider him one of many who voiced their sadness and shock that a case like this was brought, and I think it serves as yet another example that the public finds our computer laws to be out of touch with the behavior of today's Internet users. I wish Mr. Snowden would return my messages, but he strikes me as a very busy person.

Thomas Stöcklein

@tomstocklein · FoundersFundersFuture.com

Based on your experience, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges for freelance journalists?

@matthewkeyslive · Journalist & Internet of Person

@tomstocklein The biggest opportunity is, in most cases, being able to pick and choose which stories you want to cover. The biggest challenge is surviving.

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Emily Hodgins

@ems_hodge · Community and Marketing, Product Hunt

Hi Matthew thanks for joining us today. What needs to be done to bring the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act up to date?

@matthewkeyslive · Journalist & Internet of Person

@ems_hodge To start, lawmakers need a better understanding of how people use computers and the Internet today. The CFAA is a statute dating back to the mid-1980s that governed potential computer activity in the pre-Internet era. Many have criticized it for failing to keep pace with the evolution of technology and technological services. Part of the problems comes from elected officials being wholly out of touch with how people use technology today. Americans should start electing representative officials who demonstrate an understanding of how today's technology works and how average citizens use it. Those who are already in office should consult with leaders in the technology space when it comes to the laws that govern computer use and online behavior so they don't wind up criminalizing activity like trading a Netflix username and password (which is not only a federal offense, but because the federal definition of terrorism includes CFAA-related offenses, is also considered an act of domestic terrorism) or doling out harsh punishments for downloading large volumes of academic papers in potential violation of a website's terms of service. Unfortunately, our current presidential administration and lawmakers have gone in the opposite direction. President Obama and Congressional lawmakers have proposed reforming the CFAA so that it criminalizes additional behavior and dishes out harsher punishments to those who violate the law. Share a news story that contains information obtained from a leaked database? Under President Obama's proposals, that activity would constitute a violation of federal law — and those who violate it could be labeled terrorists. Calls for reform have, in recent years, fallen on deaf ears. I could not even get the White House's own Chief Digital Officer, @goldman44, to respond to a question on the topic of CFAA reform during a Product Hunt LIVE chat held earlier today. That means those calls for reform are not loud enough — which means the best option going forward is to express your opinion on the CFAA with your vote.

upvote share tweet・a year ago

Jake Crump

@jakecrump · Community Team with Product Hunt

What are the first tabs you open every morning?

@matthewkeyslive · Journalist & Internet of Person

@jakecrump I almost always start with my e-mail. Next thing I open up is Facebook, followed by the New York Times website. From there, it varies.

1 share tweet・a year ago

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Ben Tossell

@bentossell · Community Lead, Product Hunt

What would you tell your 20 year old self?

@matthewkeyslive · Journalist & Internet of Person

@bentossell Party more. You've got all the time in the world to work hard and make something of yourself, but you only have one chance to be a young and stupid 20-year-old.

Jake Crump

@jakecrump · Community Team with Product Hunt

If you could have your pick, who would you love to interview?

@matthewkeyslive · Journalist & Internet of Person

@jakecrump Jesus. A lot of people these days assume Jesus is on the side of their cause(s). I'd like to get his take on that.

@matthewkeyslive · Journalist & Internet of Person

Why does Product Hunt's kitten mascot wear Google Glass?

@matthewkeyslive · Journalist & Internet of Person

Hey me, good to see me here. That's a great question. I asked the Product Hunt people that same question, and the response that I got was that the kitten artwork is slightly outdated. Hopefully we'll see an Oculus-wearing kitten sometime in the future.