"Hidden Users" - How do I become one, please? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Resistoid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2013, 11:04:17 pm
content: Hello All,On the first forum page, above the list of people online, I see text stating the number of "guests" and the number of "users" after which there is a category of "hidden users".Is it possible for me to be a "hidden user" too? - If so, what do I need to do, please?Resistoid.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2013, 11:07:08 pm
content: You don't. Those are the government spies keeping tabs on the DIY community.

author: Resistoid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2013, 11:15:37 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 14, 2013, 11:07:08 pmYou know, c4757p, that might not be as crazy as it sounds:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1209175/PhD-students-experiments-spark-police-raid-dangerous-chemicals-ordered-internet.htmlResistoid.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2013, 11:18:13 pm
content: God, I hate stupid, perpetually scared people.

author: Radio Tech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2013, 11:27:07 pm
content: Yep.MIB

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2013, 11:31:38 pm
content: Quote from: Radio Tech on April 14, 2013, 11:27:07 pmI was going to say something along these lines about the "guests", but couldn't figure out how not to make it sound stupid...

author: Resistoid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2013, 11:34:58 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 14, 2013, 11:18:13 pmYou might have seen this one already, but if not, check this out for another "police" overreaction:http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.06/chemistry_pr.htmlResistoid.

author: PeterG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2013, 11:35:24 pm
content: God bless the "Foil Hat" brigade....Regards

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2013, 11:37:12 pm
content: Hey, I'm happy right now. Stop trying to make me sad.

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 12:03:22 am
content: Quote from: Resistoid on April 14, 2013, 11:34:58 pmOr this one, 40 emergency vehicles attend and incident which kept a motorway closed for 5 hours producing 16 mile tail backs.The incident being a guy trying to discretely smoke an electronic cigarette on a coach.http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2012/07/05/m6-toll-terror-scare-caused-by-electronic-cigarette/

author: Resistoid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 12:05:22 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 14, 2013, 11:37:12 pmIt's ridiculous, isn't it?- I had a rather minor personal experience of this sort of thing a few months ago when I enquired about buying a Geiger-Muller tube:Before the company would take my enquiry any further, they wanted to know the name of my company (I'm a hobbyist, I don't have or represent one), why I needed the tube (I like experimenting), whether I was the end-user or was going to pass it to another party...Only after going through this rigmarole did they tell me the minimum quantity they could sell was ten and since I only needed one or two, regretfully, they were unable to assist.I understand that there are some people up to no good, but the degree of caution exhibited by this firm seemed excessive.Resistoid.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 12:08:29 am
content: Quote from: Resistoid on April 15, 2013, 12:05:22 amCYA. When you start requiring people to do the government's job by checking up on things like this, they're going to do it the easiest and safest way they can - extreme suspicion. They don't give a damn what you want to do with the tube, they just don't want their business ruined if they're wrong.I suspect that's similarly true for the people responsible for these police kneejerks.

author: Resistoid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 12:22:30 am
content: @ Rufus. - It's funny when I read about it now, but I am certain I would not be amused had I been caught in the five hour, sixteen mile traffic jam.Resistoid.

author: Resistoid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 12:40:08 am
content: @ c4757p: That's right. We appear to live in an increasingly litigious society and by taking steps of this nature it may become somewhat easier to fight off allegations of negligence if anything untoward does happen.- I wonder how long before some "concerned" politician suggests that people wishing to do certain types of experiment at home should be required to obtain a licence. Which is not to say such an idea would get much support from the public, but it wouldn't surprise me if one tried it on in the not too distant future.Resistoid.

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 12:55:59 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 14, 2013, 11:37:12 pmThen stop looking at the stupid members of our monkey collective. Their behavior can sometimes make you sad.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 01:03:17 am
content: Quote from: Resistoid on April 15, 2013, 12:40:08 amSTFU before you give them any ideas! I don't know about where you live, but many of the yahoos around me would think that's just a swell idea!People don't care about rules that don't affect them, so for a bunch of people who don't understand why you can't eat tomato soup with a fork ('Cause y'ain't s'posed ta, m'daddy says it's wrong!), it doesn't matter one bit if people can't do scientific experiments...

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 01:11:51 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 15, 2013, 01:03:17 amSadly, I suspect you may be correct.

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 01:12:07 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 15, 2013, 01:03:17 amYeah, we really need to formulate some gene therapy that targets that suppreses expression of that bullshit. I frigging hate stupidity like that. Best bow out of this thread pre-emptively because that level of stupidity really gets me.Now if you'll excuse me I have to go put some hydrogenated oxidizer on the furnace and check if neutron levels in the hobby room are still acceptable. After I partially outgas the hydrogenated oxider I'll add some herbal extracts to it and also some fuel and maybe some citric acid.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 01:16:56 am
content: IknowI'm correct. The people around me are always in solid support of any law restricting anything that doesn't fire bullets, run over small animals or save them money. Funny how they always accuse the "damn liberals" of wanting to restrict everything.Quote from: mrflibble on April 15, 2013, 01:12:07 amIt's called eugenics and was decided to be unethical a long time ago. How about education instead? The hard part is getting these dumbasses to be willing to pay for it.

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 01:26:11 am
content: I had a longer paragraph about how even stupidity like that apparently serves a purpose to our species, but whatever that purpose is ... it sure as hell annoys me.Education indeed would be the solution. And bullshit like raiding someone's house because there's a %0.00000000001 chance they just might have a methlab. How about putting the same amount of effort into changing your society such that there is no market for crap drugs like that. Improve living standards and a large part of the current buyers suddenly don't feel the need for an escape. Possibly I have too simplistic a view of these things, but what the hell.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 01:34:11 am
content: Well, this is a tangent I'd not like to drag this thread down, but personally I think a big part of the reason people go for such ridiculous escapes is because simpler ones are illegal as well. You're never going to get living standards so high for everyone that nobody ever wants an "escape", but when the guy they must go to to get it has a government-ensured interest in getting them hooked on highly addictive "escapes" to keep his income flowing, this is what happens.Again, it comes down to the whole "doesn't affect me" thing. Pot neither fires bullets, runs over small animals, nor saves money, so these people don't give a damn.But that's one hell of a volatile tangent to take, so let's just keep it to "screw politicians and idiots". That's something we can all pretty much agree on

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 01:36:42 am
content: Quote from: mrflibble on April 15, 2013, 01:12:07 amWell, that definitely took longer than expected. But it's done now!*sips tea*

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 01:42:33 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 15, 2013, 01:34:11 amHeh, what I find amusing is that it is legal to "enhance" the smoking experience by adding chemicals that make it more addictive than regular boring natural tabacco.Because after all, why would you make that illegal. It's effects are fairly controlled, and above all, you can TAX THAT SHIT! Health risk? pffffrt, who cares.Anyways, people are silly, politicians hypergoogleplexily so. That will probably be so for a long time to come. I mean, they had that crap in Roman times, so that's not going anywhere soon I expect. Oh well.

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 02:28:25 am
content: Quote from: mrflibble on April 15, 2013, 01:26:11 amPoliticians want us to think we need them to keep us safe. Billions of $ are spent and hundreds of thousands are employed fighting terror. The reality is there are not enough terrorists to go around so they have to make do fighting anything that bears a vague resemblance to terror.One of the funniest things I remember is a claimed victory over terror by homeland security (or some similar agency). A particularly dumb individual tried to make Ricin from castor oil with the intention of poisoning his drug dealer with whom he had large debts. He obviously failed because you can't make Ricin from castor oil. The plot came to light because the guy he shared a flat with caught a bad cold and went to hospital claiming he had Ricin poisoning. So a grossly incompetent and failed attempt at murdering a drug dealer gets chalked up as a win in the fight against terror - you couldn't make it up.Even 9/11 was just a blip. In the two weeks or so after 9/11 as many Americans died in accidents, homicides and suicides and as many have died from those causes every 2-3 weeks ever since. In the 2008 Mumbai shootings 164 died over 3 days, at the time India had a 500 per day death rate from road traffic accidents. If you want to save lives and keep us safe there are far better things to spend billions of $ on than fighting terror.

author: lemmegraphdat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 02:30:18 am
content: Quote from: mrflibble on April 15, 2013, 01:42:33 amYes, stupidity is a constant. Avoid the stupid as much as possible.

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 05:25:30 am
content: Quote from: Resistoid on April 14, 2013, 11:04:17 pmWhy?

author: Resistoid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 11:10:07 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 15, 2013, 01:03:17 amI'm in the UK and I should STFU: We have enough bonkers laws and over here already!- An example, not strictly scientific in nature, but illustrative none-the-less:1) If a person wants to buy an air-pistol or air-rifle (in England and Wales) it is illegal to post it to him. All sales of air-weapons must be conducted face-to-face. There is a legal "loophole" which can be exploited to "get around" this, but I decline to bore you with the details.2) All air-pistols are limited by law to no more than 6 ft/lbs muzzle energy. - Any higher and the pistol is prohibited. (Rifles higher than 12ft/lbs require a firearms licence).3) Acatapultcan be sold by mail order.4) Catapults with "muzzle" energymuchgreater than 12 ft/lbs are available! I have not done the legal research to state this definitively, but I suspect there are no restrictions on the sale of these weapons. I don't even think there's anagerestriction.Sheer madness, no?Resistoid.

author: Resistoid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 11:14:43 am
content: Hello GeoffS. - Nothing nefarious (not that I'm suggesting you implied there was): I just don't feel the need to advertise that I happen to be online at any particular time.Resistoid.

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 11:21:05 am
content: Quote from: Resistoid on April 15, 2013, 11:14:43 amChange it in your profile.

author: Resistoid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 11:28:01 am
content: Quote from: GeoffS on April 15, 2013, 11:21:05 amI looked in there and could not see an option to do that: Can you supply instructions, please?Resistoid.

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 11:32:09 am
content: Quote from: Resistoid on April 15, 2013, 11:28:01 amProfile -> Account Settings

author: Resistoid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2013, 11:56:38 am
content: Thanks, GeoffS. - The option is not visible currently. I assume that's because I've not yet set up a password. Presumably, I will be able to make alterations after that?Resistoid.