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I trapped scammers in an impossible maze [video]

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Re: I trapped scammers in an impossible maze [video]

#171

Post by bertil »

netsharc wrote: post #167
bertil wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, his latest videos and the package-thieves are way less entertaining than his previous ones. There are interesting hesitations when he ponders the ethics and legality, but it’s otherwise (unfunny) schadenfreude. I think that’s the influence of other YouTubers: he’s hanging out with the Safety Third guys, who are (as their name implies) trying to fast-run a Darwin prize. They make entertaining science-y stuff. He’s…

Well, to derail this to a review of YouTubers I've seen, Destin is okay, his happy optimistic about everything attitude annoys the dark-hearted cynic in me a bit. Technology Connections: interesting content, sometimes the humor is cringeworthy. He knows he's making a cringe joke or a very very lame pun, so he leans into it, "I know this joke isn't funny but the fact that you're aware that I'm aware that I'm making a…

100% with you. Shane Wighton (Stuff Made Here) might be the cynic you want. He makes some cringy self-referential jokes, but he’s genuinely that one magical engineer everyone wants on his team.

Re: I trapped scammers in an impossible maze [video]

#172

Post by josu »

chedabob wrote: post #88
Ancalagon wrote: post #59

Not much sympathy for these scammers but I do wonder how desperate some of them have to be to waste so much time on a couple hundred bitcoin max.

In one of the screenshots, Kitboga's fake page promises them the equivalent of $11k in BTC. Considering a lot of these scams originate from countries with low wages and high unemployment, not really surprising people would be willing to waste a few days for the promise of a year's salary or more.

>low wages and high unemployment

Low wages sure, but high unemployment is not correct. Most scammers seem to be based in India where unemployment is around 3%.

Re: I trapped scammers in an impossible maze [video]

#173

Post by naet »

jf wrote: post #159
naet wrote: post #111

The part where someone waits for a super long time in a queue, finally gets connected, but then gets sent to an answering machine that says "the mailbox is full" hit too close to home. I know this was set up on purpose but I've had that exact same thing happen to me on a real & important government system recently. I've been trying to call California EDD to get some back pay for my state paid family leave. There is n…

Regarding your issues with CA EDD: Call the office of your California state assembly representative and ask for their help.

Thanks for the tip, I will definitely try that as an alternative option. I just looked up who mine was, and they had a section on their website about requesting help with EDD, so it must be something that they hear about often.

I basically gave up on calling EDD directly as it's just not possible to get through. I did get through to somebody once, in probably over 200 calls, and multiple hour long holds, and it's just not feasible to keep trying to make this with my work and my family and everything. You need to make it a full time job if you want to go through that channel.

Re: I trapped scammers in an impossible maze [video]

#174

Post by pests »

bertil wrote: post #164
netsharc wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, after a few videos I found Mark Rober insufferable, he seems too full of himself. I did enjoy his first glitter vs anti-package-thieves video, but not his later videos

Oh, his latest videos and the package-thieves are way less entertaining than his previous ones. There are interesting hesitations when he ponders the ethics and legality, but it’s otherwise (unfunny) schadenfreude. I think that’s the influence of other YouTubers: he’s hanging out with the Safety Third guys, who are (as their name implies) trying to fast-run a Darwin prize. They make entertaining science-y stuff. He’s…

> Jimmy has this extreme discipline of optimizing videos for views that carve the authentic excitement out to stuff cliffhangers every second instead.

Remind's me of the Patrick's long-standing urge for Colin to improve pricing / not using picodollars on Tarsnap.

> His on-screen persona with his wife [...] is not very credible

Love Stuff Made Here. I find those segments so awkward but also very endearing. Cringe levels of forced acting... but it has grown to work.

Some other interesting builders:

Imphenzia - rocket experiments, nozzle design

Jeremy Fielding - robotics, motors, general engineering

styropyro - lasers, optics

The Thought Emporium - genetic engineering, gene splicing, dna editing, etc

rctestflight - rc drones, airplanes, submarines, boats

Clickspring - antikythera mechanism, watchmaking

French Guy Cooking - unique mix of food and diy engineering (never seen a workshop and kitchen combined before)

Re: I trapped scammers in an impossible maze [video]

#175

Post by verve_rat »

naet wrote: post #111

The part where someone waits for a super long time in a queue, finally gets connected, but then gets sent to an answering machine that says "the mailbox is full" hit too close to home. I know this was set up on purpose but I've had that exact same thing happen to me on a real & important government system recently. I've been trying to call California EDD to get some back pay for my state paid family leave. There is n…

Can you post them a letter?

Re: I trapped scammers in an impossible maze [video]

#176

Post by 015a »

EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK wrote: post #48

You are all laughing, but I was just presented with an impossible captcha trying to login into my OpenAI account, that I pay $20/month for. To solve the captcha, I need to click the puzzle 80 (!) times, and if I make a mistake, I should start everything anew. That's totally not funny. Had to cancel the subscription. Anyway, Phind is faster and better quality.

I cancelled my ChatGPT+ subscription only because of their sign-in and captcha hell.

Re: I trapped scammers in an impossible maze [video]

#177

Post by rpmisms »

KingGeedorah wrote: post #117
rpmisms wrote: post #96

I know Kit through a friend. Played magic the gathering with him once. No difference between his persona and personality, one of those people made for the job. Absolutely great guy, too, nice wife and kids. He also started off as a Web Dev. The fake banking websites are all his own work. Really clever stuff, ironically using phishing tactics to catch phishers.

Really, never would have thought he was a programmer.

Mostly UI, but he can write some decent JS.

Re: I trapped scammers in an impossible maze [video]

#178

Post by irrational »

Vicinity9635 wrote: post #160
JaDogg wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

CSS is harder indeed.

I'd rather do assembler than CSS.

You only say that because you have spent more time in assembler (I presume). I've spent enough time doing CSS that I find it to be pretty easy.

Re: I trapped scammers in an impossible maze [video]

#179

Post by coryfklein »

hattmall wrote: post #170
lstamour wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Stanford Prison Experiment reveals a lot about decent people being easily manipulated - and by that I mean the whole thing has since been revealed as fraudulent: https://www.vox.com/2018/6/13/17449118/stanford-prison-exper...

Were these studies never replicated?

They were not. The Stanford Prison Experiment used to be a case study on people following orders and fulfilling assigned roles, and now it's the case study for the problem of the replication crisis.
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