5 ms·

Ideas on paper don't hurt people. The people who act on them do. Take some f*cking accountability for your actions; the author did not force anyone to resort to

Ideas on paper don't hurt people. The people who act on them do. Take some f*cking accountability for your actions; the author did not force anyone to resort to violence.

tptacek 16y ago
Yes, it's true, me and my high school freshman friends really should have had a better grounding in pyrotechnics and demolitions before taking on the projects in the Anarchists Cookbook. Maybe we should have gone to mining school first. I'm sorry. I'm not sure why this was left as a comment on my comment, though, since it doesn't have anything to do with it. We weren't "resorting to violence", unless "violence against garbage cans" is a political statement to you. You also appear not to have noticed me crediting my career to the book you think I want to burn.
- 9ec4c12949a4f3 16y ago
  Why? To draw a parallel: Video games teach kids how to shoot up schools.
  - tptacek 16y ago
    No they don't. Think harder. You may have turned 12 knowing how to make a pipe bomb. Me and my friends weren't.
  - SkyMarshal 16y ago
    I'm not up on the videogame scene, but is there really one out there that simulates breaking into a highschool or college and shooting up students and teachers, before finally winning the game by offing yourself?
    - 9ec4c12949a4f3 16y ago
      No, and that's my point.
- jrockway 16y ago
  It's really about common sense and responsibility. If I were going to make some thermite or something, I'd do a bit of research to see what safety precautions to take. I'd keep a good distance between myself and the thermite, and I'd make sure that everyone else was also a good distance away. I'd make sure nothing of value was near the thermite, and I'd make sure I could ignite it without being too close. When something is dangerous, you have to approach it with caution. Specific knowledge (like "grounding in pyrotechnics and demolitions") lets you know how many liberties you can get away with, but in general, you just have to be cautious. Sometimes cautious is "don't do it at all", but only rarely. A small bomb in a dirt field with nobody around doesn't really do anything dangerous. A mega-bomb in your basement does. You don't have to know much about pyrotechnics to know this, you just have to have some common sense. Watch Mythbusters, they do it right every time. Start with small scale, if it seems to work, try a bigger version. That applies to everything.
  - tptacek 16y ago
    Yeah this is all good but I'm not sure how it's relevant to 13 year olds. Also: small bomb, dirt field, nobody around, "doesn't really do anything dangerous", thanks, I'll take 4 of your fingers for that assumption. Don't thank me, thank static electricity! =)
    - kgo 16y ago
      And many of these 13 year olds were doing this before that thing called the world-wide-web was around. It made it rather difficult to do any real research, even if they wanted to.
    - jrockway 16y ago
      People need to take responsibility for their actions. If you blow off your fingers mixing up some chemicals you read about, that's your own fault. If you're not sure whether or not the activity you're about to perform is going to result in the loss of your fingers, don't do it. I probably knew at least that much in high school.
  - bmm6o 16y ago
- SkyMarshal 16y ago
  >I'm not sure why this was left as a comment on my comment, though, Some people are just looking for any excuse to preach, even if it's a stretch that requires willful misinterpretation.

Ideas on paper don't hurt people. The people who act on them do. Take some f*cking accountability for your actions; the author did not force anyone to resort to violence.

tptacek 16y ago

Yes, it's true, me and my high school freshman friends really should have had a better grounding in pyrotechnics and demolitions before taking on the projects in the Anarchists Cookbook. Maybe we should have gone to mining school first. I'm sorry. I'm not sure why this was left as a comment on my comment, though, since it doesn't have anything to do with it. We weren't "resorting to violence", unless "violence against garbage cans" is a political statement to you. You also appear not to have noticed me crediting my career to the book you think I want to burn.

9ec4c12949a4f3 16y ago
Why? To draw a parallel: Video games teach kids how to shoot up schools.
- tptacek 16y ago
  No they don't. Think harder. You may have turned 12 knowing how to make a pipe bomb. Me and my friends weren't.
- SkyMarshal 16y ago
  I'm not up on the videogame scene, but is there really one out there that simulates breaking into a highschool or college and shooting up students and teachers, before finally winning the game by offing yourself?
  - 9ec4c12949a4f3 16y ago
    No, and that's my point.
jrockway 16y ago
It's really about common sense and responsibility. If I were going to make some thermite or something, I'd do a bit of research to see what safety precautions to take. I'd keep a good distance between myself and the thermite, and I'd make sure that everyone else was also a good distance away. I'd make sure nothing of value was near the thermite, and I'd make sure I could ignite it without being too close. When something is dangerous, you have to approach it with caution. Specific knowledge (like "grounding in pyrotechnics and demolitions") lets you know how many liberties you can get away with, but in general, you just have to be cautious. Sometimes cautious is "don't do it at all", but only rarely. A small bomb in a dirt field with nobody around doesn't really do anything dangerous. A mega-bomb in your basement does. You don't have to know much about pyrotechnics to know this, you just have to have some common sense. Watch Mythbusters, they do it right every time. Start with small scale, if it seems to work, try a bigger version. That applies to everything.
- tptacek 16y ago
  Yeah this is all good but I'm not sure how it's relevant to 13 year olds. Also: small bomb, dirt field, nobody around, "doesn't really do anything dangerous", thanks, I'll take 4 of your fingers for that assumption. Don't thank me, thank static electricity! =)
  - kgo 16y ago
    And many of these 13 year olds were doing this before that thing called the world-wide-web was around. It made it rather difficult to do any real research, even if they wanted to.
  - jrockway 16y ago
    People need to take responsibility for their actions. If you blow off your fingers mixing up some chemicals you read about, that's your own fault. If you're not sure whether or not the activity you're about to perform is going to result in the loss of your fingers, don't do it. I probably knew at least that much in high school.
- bmm6o 16y ago
SkyMarshal 16y ago
>I'm not sure why this was left as a comment on my comment, though, Some people are just looking for any excuse to preach, even if it's a stretch that requires willful misinterpretation.