Right then!
As a moderator on another forum (6K members) the rep thing got turned off after "rep whoring" became a saturday night pastime and ruined the system.
However, we do have another forum that is hidden from non members, non subscribing members (£20 per year),those with less than 100 posts and does not show on google searches. This removes most of the chaff.
Getting back to the subject in hand, as we are discussing using these items for building lab style lasers for inclusion in projectors or lab style experimentation, we have already elevated ourselves above the pointer fraternity. As lond as no pointer discussion takes place, I believe we would be OK.
Do the gun forums ban talk on handloading in case someone messes up and blows up their pistol?? Probablt not.
And if Obama turns off the internet, im gonna sue his arse. Us Europeans might have lost some freedoms, but we still start an action online.
PS, We are also allowed silencers for our guns.
We could call it Deep Purple.
That's what it took here in the US. We started off where anyone had a guaranteed legal right to own and use firearms no questions asked. It was a different world then. Firearms were a necessary part of life in America at that time. Of course regulation was necessary, but it took a real problem to exist before blanket rules were made and still does today. I believe that's for a reason. I can only speak as a US citizen, but I value my rights as do most Americans. We don't like to lose them because of a statistical minority consisting of a few stupid people.
There's a thing is this world that I like to call "the dipshit factor". Since perfection is not possible in the human design, there is always some level of chaos to our existence no matter how organized we are as a species. No matter what, there will always be some dipshit doing something stupid. ALL the regulation in the world isn't going to change that. You could outlaw everything that could possibly be used as a weapon and there are still at least 700 ways a person can kill another. You can outlaw all laser pointers and there will still be some dipshit building their own and pointing at planes and people at concerts. No matter what.
Last edited by ElektroFreak; 06-18-2010 at 14:07.
Yes that's a nice feeling to have the liberty to do and own everything you want... Here in Switzerland too all males have their own full automatic military assault rifle with ammo in their cellar, but even now some politics are debating if we should not give them back because there was a few "accidents".
I just think that we are a lot of humans on here, acting each differently, so there would always be one or the other that will do something wrong. So this can and will lead to banning things and building laws.
In the case of powerful laser pointers it's even more true, that when you buy one, not only they are not regulated everywhere, it will not be for educationnal purposes for sure, but mostly for playing with it and pointing everywhere without considering safety because they just don't look dangerous like firearms, and kids who are playing with them are not educated on potential hazards... Myself in the past was owning a pointer and playing all around, I was using it with quite respect to other peoples, but I saw too that some of my friends to whom I lent the laser, where doing whatsoever dangerous things with it
Edit : you said the same things as me in your last edit, I'm just too slow translating all I'm thinking in english
Easy Qualifications for auto membership would be ....
ILDA membership
Benefactor Status
Safety Course Attendance
LEM attendance
Working in a Laser environment
but it needs someone to vet etc , that takes TIME , doubt admin has the time etc
As regard random people wanting to join who have a general interest in lasers ..... how do you prove you have the love of the light !! damn sham to lose new members ... we were all there once.
I have no idea whats happened to cause such immediate and worrying changes but sometimes a storm can brew over and does no damage ..lets hope its the same here.
I am very confused though as in the great scheme of things , discussions here are 1000% more sensible and constructive than some other places that have to date changed NOTHING ...doesnt make sense to me ... IE / WL , LPF, LC, LF
PAUL
In the beginning there was none. Then came the light - #1 UKLEM - 2007
BUY UK LEGAL LASER POINTER :: NEW - Blue 460nm Laser Pointers
Hey Kats...
What about a 'Conditional membership' - ie: no 'restrictions' or fees, or 'profiling' / 'classification', other-than: Each stands on his/her OWN 'merits'.
In other words, there is a requirement for all new members to Introduce themselves, and TELL the Community WHAT their interest in being-here / experience-level, is... This would certainly cut down on people just joining-up to 'sell-stuff' / spam, and/or attack / troll, etc...
Once you are granted 'Conditional membership', you can't post-further, until you've 'Introduced' yourself, and if our wise Janitor 'smells a rat' (ie: "Hi, My Name is Yogi, and I modulesforsale like lasers, and I think modulesforsale lasers are really kewl and my cat modulesforsale likes to chase the modulesforsale dotzz... - welp, it's HIS 'Gong Show'...
Certainly, too, 'proper introductions' could allow for a (possible) Community member 'voting system' to 'help Admin' either 'approve' membership into the community, or 'sorry, we're 'full', you have a nice day, adios...' ..and granted, 'sincere variables' like language-barriers can be taken 'into account'...
This way, each person 'stands or falls' on thier own merits - which are NOT - I repeat NOT - something 'irrelevant, in-and-of-itself', like 'ILDA-membership' / Professional-show producer vs Hobbyist, etc... we all know some 'yahoo' ILDA-members, Pros and hobbyists - there are 'good and bad apples in every bunch', true? This also is not based on rediculous ideas like 'popularity points' or 'post-count ranking'... Oy...
It is ALSO great to-know, who knows / does what (ie: MemberX is an EE; MemberY is a programmer; MemberZ does system-integration, albeit for a different 'industry' but likely-brings some great 'left-of-the-dial' ideas to the table, etc, etc...) - And, for those with 'little to no experience' with lasers / just 'starting-out', etc - it's OK! - no reason for 'shame' or 'embarrasment', just because you 'don't own a 171' - NO ONE, here, just 'rolled out of bed one morning, and was a LaserGod' (...well, maybe except Pat...
...and that just gives the rest of the community chance to 'embrace the little bunny' help / encourage him / her - or - analyize / decide if he / she is, in-fact, a 'troll / spammer / wanton balloon-popper', etc..
I don't have more time to spend 'thinking this thru' right now, but that is my initial-thoughts... PS - this is NOT a 'ranking system', simply a 'do we allow this individual 'full access' / into the Tribe', or do they get invited to take a walk, based-on their OWN words / testimony...
Thoughts? Love it / Hate it? Discuss, I have to go paint a laser-housing...
peace...
j
....and armed only with his trusty 21 Zorgawatt KTiOPO4...
Im interested in knowing whats the freedom we Europeans lost? that you talk about, LoL..