On: “They introduce kernel bugs on purpose”

[gbrown]

A human subjects determination isn’t really an approval, just a note that the research isn’t HSR, which it sounds like this wasn’t.

[op00to → gbrown]

It absolutely was human subject research. Try for yourself! Here's the NIH's rubric:

https://grants.nih.gov/policy/humansubjects/hs-decision.htm

for q1, the study collects data like observations of behavior, so we must answer yes.

for q2, none of the exemptions apply - it's not an educational setting, they're not sending a survey, it's not an observation of the public - they're interacting, and it's clear that these interactions are not benign - they have clear impact on the community. None of these exemptions apply.

Based on this flow, it's clear the study involves "human research".

[bluGill → gbrown]

Well it was, but not the type of thing that HSR would normally worry about.