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Hacker Cops to Amazon Gay Flap

Skeptics still unsure whether he did it

By Ambreen Ali, Newser User

Posted Apr 13, 2009 2:50 PM CDT

(Newser) – A notorious hacker has taken credit for the snafu that bumped gay titles from Amazon’s bestseller lists and rankings, Gawker reports. “Weev” claims he tricked users into flagging the content as inappropriate without their knowledge. “I guess my game is up,” he confessed in a how-to on his blog. His motive: “I really hate reputation systems based on user input.”

“This started a while back on Craigslist, when I was trying to score chicks to do heroin with,” he continues, resenting what he perceived to be a bias against heterosexuals in how ads were flagged. “The audacity of the San Francisco gay community disgusted me.” Weev offered no proof that he was the culprit, and one skeptic says Weev’s hack doesn’t really work.

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The controversy exploded on Twitter, where users have been expressing outrage at the software company. (Twitter)

An Amazon.com team member loads boxes of fulfilled orders into a truck at a Fernley, Nev., warehouse. (AP Photo)

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I decided to get them back, and cause a few hundred thousand queers some outrage. - Weev, a hacker

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Hacker Cops to Amazon Gay Flap