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Frustrated with People's perception of HV hobbies.

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LAN_403

Ragnarok

Mon Jun 25 2007, 12:27PM

Registered Member #659 Joined: Fri Apr 20 2007, 09:14AM
Location: SW Hertfordshire, UK
Posts: 75

I've had the same thing.
Fortunately, almost everyone that knows me either thinks "He's cool, but quite weird", or "He's weird, but also quite cool". (Ok, that's not entirely modest, but it's about right).

If people see stuff like my spudguns, they're usually fascinated at the fact I've built it myself, and just what kind of a mess it makes of things on impact.

One reaction to one of my spudguns (before firing) was along the lines of: "Yeah, shoot it at me - it's a grape, what can it do?"
After firing it at something else, the response was very different. I find the real trick is to get people fascinated by it, even if it doesn't have a "proper use".
My coilguns obviously don't have the same power, but the idea I built a "gun" from a camera fascinates most people.

If anyone does ask "What's the point. It's so much effort - why not watch TV or something?", then experience tells me that the best answer is along the lines of:
"I enjoy this more. And, people out there will give people like me very well paid and enjoyable jobs for being able to do stuff like this. TV watching doesn't have the quite the same employment potential."

Not that I'm saying TV is totally useless. There are some good science programs - and Top Gear of course.

TheMerovingian

Fri Jun 29 2007, 01:39PM

Registered Member #14 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:04PM
Location: Prato/italy
Posts: 383

To avoid these problems i keep bigger projects under secrecy, the smaller and simpler ones aren't a problem since thei are "normal" elecrtronics. Regarding the chemicals, I have no problem to buy for example acetone, solvents or hydrogen peroxyde (used with HCl for express etching copper boards) epoxies etc at local shop despite they can be used for dangerous purposes. Keeping bigger and potentially illegal (such as high power portable coilguns) projects under secrecy also is a safe way to avoid unpleasant questions or weird looks.

Remember, never let others exactly know what you are up to, only a fraction of it.

Chris

Fri Jun 29 2007, 06:13PM

Registered Member #8 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 04:34AM
Location: Harlowton, MT, United States
Posts: 214

As a home chemist or rocketeer today, with all the drugs/terrorism paranoia and DEA/BATFE bullying, you pretty much have to keep all the big projects, and most of the smaller ones, under secrecy. The War on Drugs and War on Terror really amount to a War on Knowledge, so if you have anything that makes you look smart outside of a university setting, you'd better hide it. If you don't, you will probably lose it all, and quite likely join the millions of other undeserving prisoners of our sociopolitical wars. It's that simple.

Remember: the government prying and regulations are not here to keep you safe from anyone or anything; they are here to keep THEIR POWER safe from YOU. Public safety is only a feeble cover.

Sulaiman

Fri Jun 29 2007, 08:38PM

Registered Member #162 Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 10:25AM
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3140

Is that a sceptical view or is it really that paranoid in america?

AndrewM

Fri Jun 29 2007, 11:40PM

Registered Member #49 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 04:05AM
Location: Bigass Pile of Penguins
Posts: 362

chris is a dramatic guy, but the War on Knowledge is pretty accurate. getting sent to the gulag isn't quite the reality (yet?) but harassment, detainment, bogus charges, etc are salient risks.

Steve Conner

Sat Jun 30 2007, 08:46AM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

I don't see how it can be that bad. Sure I imagine there will be problems if you buy large quantities of chemicals that are known drug precursors or ingredients for explosives. But that by no means covers all the fun experiments you can do at home. And of course it's natural for a government to want to stay in power above all else, but does that really matter to the man in the street?

If there is a "War On Knowledge" then I'd bet on smart people winning. Bear in mind that a few of our members actually work for the space and defense industries, where the govt. now pays them to make giant rockets and blow stuff up. Win.

AndrewM

Sat Jun 30 2007, 05:23PM

Registered Member #49 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 04:05AM
Location: Bigass Pile of Penguins
Posts: 362

It really is that bad. For about 5 years the fun thing to do was to pass ambiguous laws that allowed law enforcement great latitude when deciding to detain/charge people for activities that are, in some case, explicitly legal.

The war on drugs is a good one, first you could only buy so much cold medicine, then it was behind the counter, now you can only buy a pack or two, and have to show ID... for cold medicine. (yes I know what some people do with it, but frankly, cold medicine is not the major avenue of drug supply in this country)

I have no doubt that if you were spotted in a hardware store reading labels on solvents or other products, the police would be called. And I also have no doubt that you'd get to go back to the station, as no reasonable excuse is reasonable enough any more.

Your assertion about working for the government so you "get" to play with cool things is alarming. Why should I have to? Look at what they've done to amateur rocketry! Have black powder bombs ever downed a building? Blown up a car?

Chris

Sat Jun 30 2007, 06:18PM

Registered Member #8 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 04:34AM
Location: Harlowton, MT, United States
Posts: 214

How can you even claim it's not that bad Conner? You don't even live in this country. Small-time hobbyists and the like are raided/arrested/shot quite frequently based on anonymous tips. This does not require the purchase of large amounts of chemicals, or the doing of any large activities. The neighbors spying a bottle of a chemical (or and empty one in the garbage), or some simple glassware is more than enough to draw suspicion, and suspicion is more than enough to warrant dire consequences.

Marko

Sat Jun 30 2007, 07:35PM

Registered Member #89 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 02:40PM
Location: Zadar, Croatia
Posts: 3145

steve conner wrote ...
One thing I noticed is that some people almost seem to revel in their nerd outlaw status. I don't necessarily think this is a good thing. GreySoul's comment about cooking meth is a case in point: why on earth would the cops search his house in the first place? Even if they did, what on earth would he have to worry about, considering that they wouldn't find any meth (I hope)? He's just trying to make the ownership of sodium and iodine look more glamorous than it is, and not exactly doing the geek cause any good.

The War on Drugs and War on Terror really amount to a War on Knowledge, so if you have anything that makes you look smart outside of a university setting, you'd better hide it. If you don't, you will probably lose it all, and quite likely join the millions of other undeserving prisoners of our sociopolitical wars. It's that simple.

Small-time hobbyists and the like are raided/arrested/shot quite frequently based on anonymous tips.

Now either steve is correct or we have a real government-hates-us tinfoil hatter here.

Getting harassed by bunches of idiots is very far from being selectively arrested or assasinated. I think chris is being silly for this last quote, or/and thread is turning into a big conspiracy theory.

Zonalklism

Sat Jun 30 2007, 11:50PM

Registered Member #213 Joined: Sun Feb 19 2006, 05:48PM
Location: Blythewood, SC
Posts: 39

While it's not as bad as Chris makes it out to be here, I must point out the fact that there is yet another post saying that it "Can't be that bad" from someone who doesn't even live in the U.S.

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