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Escaped Convict Continues To Update Facebook

Craig "Lazie" Lynch has been on the run from a U.K. prison since September. However, he continues to taunt police by updating his Facebook status. Now he is threatening to quit. From the article: "It seems, though, that late Sunday, Lynch began experiencing a little emotional pain. In what must have been an almost teary update, he posted: 'right I'm coming off this page as I have better things to do.' Who might have imagined that, in his mysterious hideaway, Lynch had something better to do than continue his run as a Facebook attraction?"

125 comments

  1. intresting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So... the guy not only has access to a device, but he has access to one with internet capability. Scary stuff. I imagine what ever he's got could be turned into an effective shank.

    1. Re:intresting by dch24 · · Score: 1

      The way laws in the UK are going, soon it will be a crime to have an internet-capable device. (We can't have those prisoners using it as a shank!)

      Fortunately, it's not a crime if slashdot links to cnet who claims cbnsews has the scoop, where we find that CNN is the source.

      Otherwise, where would we get "news for nerds, hyperlink puzzles that matter"?

      * For the lazy, here's the solution: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~jdevor/links/n_nfshost_com-solution.htm

    2. Re:intresting by Sparr0 · · Score: 1

      "sept is the French for 7, so let's try the French for 8, 'huit.'" -- very weak link. everything else about the site is in english. I have up after "oct" and "octo" and "octa" didn't work.

    3. Re:intresting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... except for the welsh ...

  2. wired has really upped the ante by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Interesting

    http://www.wired.com/vanish/2009/08/author-evan-ratliff-is-on-the-lam-locate-him-and-win-5000/

    i guess finding a missing writer wasn't that exciting, why not go for finding a missing convict?

    i suggest wired take it to even the next level, and just go and challenge us to find osama bin laden

    not a bad idea, since the combined might of the world's governments can't seem to do the job of neutralizing that symbol

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:wired has really upped the ante by LOLLinux · · Score: 3, Insightful

      i suggest wired take it to even the next level, and just go and challenge us to find osama bin laden

      not a bad idea, since the combined might of the world's governments can't seem to do the job of neutralizing that symbol

      But capturing or killing him won't do anything. He'll just be a martyr and someone else will take his place.

    2. Re:wired has really upped the ante by PakProtector · · Score: 1

      At this point, I am beginning to lean towards one of two things

      • Either he does not exist
      • or the government(s) do(es) not actually want him to be found
      --

      Edward@Tomato - /home/Edward/ man woman
      man: no entry for woman in the manual.
      "Qua!?"

    3. Re:wired has really upped the ante by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I would think you would be encouraging people to help find your MISSING SHIFT KEY!

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    4. Re:wired has really upped the ante by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

      Nah. The US government would prevent everyone from finding their most precious agent.

      Everyone knows where he lives anyway. And nobody does anything for that very reason.

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    5. Re:wired has really upped the ante by CAIMLAS · · Score: 1

      That's why it's important to publicly humiliate him by his own beliefs, as well - to show him as a fraud and/or hypocrite. Child porn? Drinking problems? Sodomy? Pick something.

      --
      ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
    6. Re:wired has really upped the ante by LOLLinux · · Score: 1

      Except those will all be easily dismissed as the trumped up charges they are. That will only feed the anti-US feelings by the Al Qaeda supporters.

    7. Re:wired has really upped the ante by WraithCube · · Score: 1

      Well, I guess you could say the US government has already done that. In fact for the capturing, killing, or providing information leading to the capturing or killing of Osama bin Laden could net you the nice amount of $50 million dollars. I guess wired just has a better marketing campaign.

    8. Re:wired has really upped the ante by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      where is the question mark button?

    9. Re:wired has really upped the ante by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      i KNOW WHERE THE SHIFT KEY IS. iT'S THE CAPSLOCK THAT i CAN'T FIND. pLEASE HELP ME.

    10. Re:wired has really upped the ante by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Correct name of card game is Pinochle

      Although what you specified about the bin laden family being allowed to leave the USA is correct... there are still a lot of unanswered questions about 9-11

  3. Redemption by kdogg73 · · Score: 0

    The conscious can be a bitch.

    --
    Let's face it, most of us are scoffers. But moments before zero hour, it does not pay to take chances.
    1. Re:Redemption by sbeckstead · · Score: 1

      Yeah I prefer the unconscious. Much easier to deal with...

  4. taunting? by girlintraining · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Sometimes it's not taunting -- sometimes it's a guy who's just tired of running. Sometimes it's a person who has no choice but to keep running, but wants to get caught. Before you jump to conclusions, let me share--

    True story:

    There was someone once upon a time who had gotten in with the wrong crowd. As it turns out, there's quite a demand for computer geniuses in the underworld and after being noticed and blackmailed, this person was in the unenviable position of having to assist an organized criminal group in defeating the electronic and physical security of various operations. S/he couldn't go to the authorities directly because s/he was being watched constantly by the co-conspirators and if s/he tried to leave s/he would be killed. So this person started leaving subtle clues behind in the equipment that s/he tampered with and elsewhere at the scene. This group was later responsible for clearing out several floors of a skyscraper and police were able to follow the clues left behind (or as you would call them "taunts") to eventually locate the person behind it and shut the group down. That person served a few years in jail, and later became best friends with the arresting officer. This individual now works as a consultant to the agency responsible for the arrest, helping them to gather electronic evidence.

    Even the dumbest criminal knows by now that posting online under your own name when you're wanted by the cops is stupid. I'm forced to conclude there's a non-obvious motive for this behavior.

    --
    #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    1. Re:taunting? by Lumpy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You do know there are countries where you can run to that you cant be extradited from. Problem is 99.99785% of all criminals are too stupid to do that. Hell this specific dork cant stop posting on facebook.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    2. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, sounds like the plot of a hollywood movie. Links or it didn't happen!!!

    3. Re:taunting? by Bromskloss · · Score: 1

      You do know there are countries where you can run to that you cant be extradited from.

      Interesting. I'd love to see the list. Though I imagine it depends on which country you are running from, right?

      --
      Swedish plasma phys. PhD student; MSc EE; knows maths, programming, electronics; finance interest; seeks opportunities
    4. Re:taunting? by MMC+Monster · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I think that many of us have incidents in our past that would make for a good book or movie. I certainly thing that there is stuff in my past that would hold interest for a couple hours of movie time. Certainly I tell stories that keep people engaged for a long enough time socially or at work.

      The problem is that writing a book or screenplay is deceptively hard.

      --
      Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
    5. Re:taunting? by girlintraining · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You do know there are countries where you can run to that you cant be extradited from. Problem is 99.99785% of all criminals are too stupid to do that. Hell this specific dork cant stop posting on facebook.

      *face palm* There's one of you in every discussion like this.

      1. This guy did an armed robbery. Do you really think there's a lot of countries out there that are going to welcome that with open arms? Reason for citizenship application: "I luv my gun and robbin' shit." Request granted! He didn't do it for political reasons, or because he has dual nationality and the country he's fleeing to doesn't consider it a crime, etc.

      He could flee to a relatively isolated area and probably rest easy knowing that the authorities have better things to worry about than him. But then, that's what bounty hunters are for -- these people can take the risks required to grab him and get him to the border because they're not agents of the government paying them for the collar. You think those "$100,000 reward for capture" posters don't look appealing? A plane ticket, a little bit of research, and a criminal's ego is all it takes to bring home the bacon.

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    6. Re:taunting? by MarkvW · · Score: 1

      You are naive. Many crooks are monumentally stupid. Many are too stupid to live,in fact. They die, stupidly.

      The 'master criminal' looks great in the fiction media, but he doesn't appear in real life that often. I doubt that this dirtbag is any Einstein, given that he is STUPID enough to bring a weapon along during his burglary.

    7. Re:taunting? by Lumpy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Non of these have signed an extradition treaty with the USA. Granted if you are enough of a ass-hat they will simple come get you or send someone to put a bullet in your head. See the countries we have decimated "looking" for Bin Laden. P.S: that took 3 seconds on google to get this list. did you even try?

      Bhutan
      Botswana
      Brunei
      Burkina Faso
      Burundi
      Cambodia
      Cameroon
      Central African Republic
      Chad
      China
      Comoros
      Djibouti
      Equatorial Guinea
      Ethiopia
      Gabon
      Guinea

      Many more, slashdot filters are crappy and cant tell a list from ascii porn. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_countries_have_no_extradition_treaties_with_the_United_States

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    8. Re:taunting? by girlintraining · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You are naive. Many crooks are monumentally stupid. Many are too stupid to live, in fact. They die, stupidly. The 'master criminal' looks great in the fiction media, but he doesn't appear in real life that often. I doubt that this dirtbag is any Einstein, given that he is STUPID enough to bring a weapon along during his burglary.

      Stupidity and desperation are two very different things. And very smart people in history have done very stupid things. It's naive of you to assume a person's intelligence is the only, or even an important, factor in their behavior.

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    9. Re:taunting? by PRMan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      A low-security US prison may be preferable to most of those locations...

      --
      Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
    10. Re:taunting? by X-Power · · Score: 0

      He said 99.99785% of all criminals are too stupid to leave the country.

      According to you a little research can find him, even though he was inside the 0.0215% who were smart enough to leave the country.

      I would think if the criminal is smart/dedicated enough to leave the country, they would be smart enough to not leave any trace.

    11. Re:taunting? by girlintraining · · Score: 1

      Every person has within them a book to write. And for most, that's exactly where it should stay, to paraphrase Mark Twain. If it were possible to write a story that could be published after a person's death, I might think about it -- but publishing details of an event that could endanger a person's life is criminally stupid.

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    12. Re:taunting? by girlintraining · · Score: 1

      I would think if the criminal is smart/dedicated enough to leave the country, they would be smart enough to not leave any trace.

      Tell that to the how many illegal immigrants in this and other countries? It's easy not to leave a trace... It's harder to live a comfortable life doing that. When you're accustomed to a certain way of living, changing that is very difficult. Most criminals on the run aren't caught because they're stupid -- they're caught because they slip up, usually within the first few weeks or months of their escape. It takes time to adjust, which is why once they've been out there for several months or a year the chances of them being caught go way, way down.

      There's a myth that's prevalent amongst those with little exposure to the criminal element that criminals are stupid. They aren't -- more often, they're just like you and me, only desperate. Intelligence is not a good predictor of criminal behavior -- socioeconomic status is.

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    13. Re:taunting? by girlintraining · · Score: 1

      Non of these have signed an extradition treaty with the USA

      The lack of a treaty does not prevent a country from offering them up anyway. All that means is that there's not a diplomatic channel and prescribed rules for making and granting (or rejecting) the request.

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    14. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Remember the story of the guy who broke into a house, logged onto his Facebook account, and left it logged in when he left? Or the guy who wrote a holdup note on the back of a check (stub?) that belonged to him? Someone once held up a cashier at the supermarket down the street, and left his wallet (with a driver's license in it) behind on the counter next to the cashier. Although there may be non-obvious explanations for criminal behaviour from time to time, I'm going with Occam's razor on this one: It's much more likely that what appears to be a monumentally dumb criminal is simply that rather than someone in a situation that's rarely seen outside movies or TV.

    15. Re:taunting? by DavidTC · · Score: 1

      I don't know about 'diplomatic channels', we have diplomatic relations with almost every country in the world. There are only a few we have to go through back channels to get to, like Cuba and Iran. We even had official communications with the Soviets when they were around.

      The rest we have normal communications with, just no extradition treaty. Strangely enough, the 'least civilized' of those are the easiest to extradite from, as the first world ones often have due process rules that keep governments from handing over people sans law or treaty, whereas we can just throw a few promises to the third world ones and get them to grab someone.

      --
      If corporations are people, aren't stockholders guilty of slavery?
    16. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Soviet Union? You know, that means the list you provided is about 15 years old.

      Also, personally, I wouldn't want to run to most of these countries, much less spend the rest of my life there. Heck, I wouldn't be allowed to drive or go outside without a male relative in some of these countries... so what exactly would make it preferable to prison?

    17. Re:taunting? by Dishevel · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Intelligence is not a good predictor of criminal behavior -- socioeconomic status is.

      Right. Because Madof was a poor black man from the ghetto with no way out but crime.

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
    18. Re:taunting? by mysidia · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but how's he going to get the cash for transportation and credentials to get out of the country legally, without drawing attention?

      Trying to cross the border or get on an airplane without a real ID/passport is pretty risky...

      Part of the purpose of border security is to prevent such fleeing attempts.

    19. Re:taunting? by MarkvW · · Score: 1

      You ignore context.
      "Even the dumbest . . ."

      The context was not about motivation.

    20. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      oh bullshit. Most illegals in the US leave a mountain of digital waste behind them. Only our pussy congress prohibits the states from requiring employers to check SSN's against the names. We really need to stop lying to everyone and allow immigration from latin america, instead of doing the "amnesty" bullshit every decade or two.

    21. Re:taunting? by mysidia · · Score: 1

      The lack of a treaty does not, but the law of that country might.

      Also, even if an extradition arrangement is in place, it doesn't mean it will happen.

      Many countries are unlikely to spend precious law enforcement resources to attempt to apprehend someone for anything short of a major crime.

      In addition, they are not likely to do it unless the act is illegal in their own country, not a political crime, and the country they extradite to will respect the basic human rights of the prisoner (such as right to life)

      Also, you can't extradite someone from another country, when you don't know which country they are living in, and they have gone to lengths to "blend in" and do nothing conspicuous.

      Sure they might be in an extraditable country, but there are hundreds of countries in the world..

      It's a small planet, but there are lots of places to hide.

    22. Re:taunting? by Planesdragon · · Score: 1

      There's a myth that's prevalent amongst those with little exposure to the criminal element that criminals are stupid

      No, it's a definition. Blue-collar crime is less profitable than a minimum wage job and a lottery ticket.

      Criminals are clever and adaptable, but by definition (unless they're big corporations) stupid.

    23. Re:taunting? by MarkvW · · Score: 1

      Silly. There is no bail. He was serving time.

      No reward either.

      Fool's poking a stick at a sleeping bear.

    24. Re:taunting? by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 2, Informative

      Bounty hunters are an American thing. In other countries you cannot just walk in somewhere with a gun and kidnap people just because you post a sign over your door saying 'bounty hunter', and get a $50 license from the local sheriff. They will be arrested for kidnapping if they try. American bounty hunters have been arrested for kidnapping for grabbing people from countries outside of America. Daniel Kear was convicted of kidnapping in Canada and sent to prison after he grabbed a fleeing felon from Toronto and taking him back to the U.S.A. And Dwayne Dawg Chapman was charged by Mexican police for a similar incident down there.

      --
      -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
    25. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We think criminals are stupid for breaking the law. Criminals think we're stupid for obeying the law. Looking at the current state of laws and where they're going, I'm starting to side with the criminals.

    26. Re:taunting? by sbeckstead · · Score: 1

      Any one you are not in would be a paradise by comparison.

    27. Re:taunting? by element-o.p. · · Score: 1

      But then, that's what bounty hunters are for -- these people can take the risks required to grab him and get him to the border because they're not agents of the government paying them for the collar. You think those "$100,000 reward for capture" posters don't look appealing? A plane ticket, a little bit of research, and a criminal's ego is all it takes to bring home the bacon.

      Nevertheless, none of those bounty hunters you mentioned have yet located this particular guy, despite the fact that he's posting on Facebook...

      Not saying you're wrong, mind you, but if they can't find him while he is (presumably) still in the U.K., what makes you think they will be able to find him in one of these other countries?

      --
      MCSE? No, sir...I don't do Windows. Yes, I am an idealist. What's your point?
    28. Re:taunting? by Hurricane78 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Girl(intraining), there’s no need to hide it. We know it’s you. ^^

      What gave it away? The “s/he’. :)

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    29. Re:taunting? by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

      Uuum, WTF?

      Go tell that to yourself, when you ever have a total retard hold a gun at your head and threaten to kill you if you don’t do some very intelligent stuff.

      Don’t EVER dare to judge anyone that you don’t understand. Even if it’s Hitler and the devil’s lovechild of doom!

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    30. Re:taunting? by linzeal · · Score: 0, Troll

      Master criminals wear suits and work on Wall Street or Washington.

    31. Re:taunting? by Mashhaster · · Score: 1

      This is a better source for this information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_extradition_treaties

    32. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm forced to conclude there's a non-obvious motive for this behavior.

      Simple addiction will suffice. A criminal with a drug problem will try to buy his favourite drug even if it exposes him to the police.

    33. Re:taunting? by girlintraining · · Score: 1

      *sighs* With what we know today about privacy -- a zip code, gender, and last name is all it takes to uniquely identify a person in the majority of cases, I feel it's necessary to obscure as much as possible. But you're entitled to your opinion...

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    34. Re:taunting? by jollyreaper · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You do know there are countries where you can run to that you cant be extradited from. Problem is 99.99785% of all criminals are too stupid to do that. Hell this specific dork cant stop posting on facebook.

      Armed robbery indicates we're not dealing with a brain trust in the first place. Any smart criminal knows you steal more with a pen an briefcase than any gun. And if you're really good your thieving is all legal. Guns are for idiots.

      --
      Kwisatz Haderach
      Sell the spice to CHOAM
      This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    35. Re:taunting? by Ihmhi · · Score: 1

      A life sentence would be preferable to most of those locations. At least you'd have a better chance of surviving in lockup.

    36. Re:taunting? by uninformedLuddite · · Score: 1

      Interestingly enough that particular Wiki - font of knowledge and wisdom doesn't have Israel on its list. There have been a few high profile dual citizens fleeing from the US to Israel and not being made to answer for their crimes by the Israeli government (Israel prefers to try its citizens for crimes committed overseas as being Jewish they wouldn't get a fair trial from the goy (or so the story goes).

      --
      The new right fascists are bilingual. They speak English and Bullshit.
    37. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "You think those "$100,000 reward for capture" posters don't look appealing? A plane ticket, a little bit of research, and a criminal's ego is all it takes to bring home the bacon."

      Clearly you have never hunted people before, let alone criminals.

    38. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      not if you had money

    39. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some aren't so bad. If you read about about Botswana they are doing pretty good these days.

    40. Re:taunting? by vegiVamp · · Score: 1

      > Even the dumbest criminal knows by now that posting online under your own name when you're wanted by the cops is stupid. I'm forced to conclude there's a non-obvious motive for this behavior.

      You severely underestimate man's capacity of self-delusion and stupidity, I'm afraid.

      --
      What a depressingly stupid machine.
    41. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      P.S: that took 3 seconds on google to get this list. did you even try?

      Wow, what an accurate and up-to-date list!

      Uganda
      Soviet Union
      United Arab Emirates ...

      Wow, you must have put in such a huge effort to come up with that result -- especially as the page is so clearly authoritative that it doesn't even need to point to any evidence to back up its claims.

      I envy your research skills, of which you are so justifiably proud. This kind of research must be where "facts" on Wikipedia come from.

    42. Re:taunting? by Plugh · · Score: 1

      The biggest, baddest, most unstoppable criminal gang is the one that has the Cloak of Legitimacy.

    43. Re:taunting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think I saw this movie...

    44. Re:taunting? by schnablebg · · Score: 1

      Qatar, UAE, China, or the capital cities of some of the other countries would not be so bad. You could probably bribe your way to a long-term visa in many of them. But that list also has "Soviet Union" on it, so I wonder how up to date it is...

    45. Re:taunting? by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but you obscured something, that no man would have thought of obscuring. :D

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    46. Re:taunting? by Idiomatick · · Score: 1

      I know people that vacation in China and Morocco...

    47. Re:taunting? by RobertB-DC · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but you obscured something, that no man would have thought of obscuring. :D

      Which probably proves the gender of girlintraining, but ultimately leaves the gender of the hero/ine of the story still in doubt.

      Though I'd still lay odds it was a guy. A female in such a life-or-death predicament has other... assets... at her disposal. Definitely not a good situation for her, but she's got ways to work an escape that are gender-specific -- and operate primarily on the weaknesses of that *other* gender.

      --
      Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
  5. he's a symbol by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Insightful

    the idea would be to capture him and try him. i doubt that is possible though, not because he is impossible to find, but he would probably kill himself if he saw his capture as imminent, well knowing himself that his status as a martyr is preferable

    and of course other people will take his place, but no one with his fame/ infamy. that matters

    the point is, you shouldn't just kill the man. you should kill his name. and you can only do this with a trial. the chance of that ever actually happening though is unfortunately very small, but it would be wonderful if osama bin laden were alive, in custody, and ready to be tried for his crimes

    let him speak freely even. so you can slay his thinking directly on the stand. that's way more important than killing the man: killing his ideology

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:he's a symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you shouldn't just kill the man. you should kill his name. and you can only do this with a trial.

      For bonus points, declare him criminally insane, institutionalize him and drug the fuck out of him until he's a zombie that has to wear diapers cause he'll shit himself. Some martyr, that.

    2. Re:he's a symbol by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 1
      Ironically, one of his supporters suggested something like this as a way to get out of serving the rest of his sentence.

      Ivor Nardon
      tell em ur hearin voices theyl put u on section 2 ! ur out in a few weeks blag em ur takin the meds no more jail !

      --
      I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
    3. Re:he's a symbol by Obfuscant · · Score: 4, Insightful
      ...but he would probably kill himself if he saw his capture as imminent, well knowing himself that his status as a martyr is preferable

      Preferable to whom? If "martyr" was his preferred status, HE'D be the one with a bomb tied to himself. People who want to BE martyrs do it. People who talk a good martyr status send others out to die in their place.

      the point is, you shouldn't just kill the man. you should kill his name. and you can only do this with a trial.

      Yeah, Charlie Manson's name is so dead. Jefferey Dahmer, too. No, the real way to "kill his name" is to find him the same way Hussein was found: hiding in a little hole in the ground. Which is how he'll probably be found.

      that's way more important than killing the man: killing his ideology

      The concept that "freedom of the press" will allow wide dissemination and discrediting of nutballs requires a press that is free enough to report what the nutball said and unbiased enough to report it in nutball context. While our press may meet those requirements, it is unlikely that the press in many other countries do, and highly unlikely that the people who are the prime candidates for recruitment into extremist groups will be served by a free press.

    4. Re:he's a symbol by flayzernax · · Score: 0

      hold a trial in his absence since he already demonstrated he won't show up. convict him. then ban his facebook account because he is convicted of being an inflammatory asshat. problem solved.

      if he wants to show up and defend his right to post on facebook then let him =) i'm sure he'll be more then happy to attend that trial!

    5. Re:he's a symbol by circletimessquare · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Preferable to whom? If "martyr" was his preferred status, HE'D be the one with a bomb tied to himself. People who want to BE martyrs do it. People who talk a good martyr status send others out to die in their place.

      do you suggest us generals man the front lines? if us generals won't do that, does that nullify their legitimacy in the eyes of their troops? no matter what war you are in, it makes sense to protect the brains of the operation from the front lines. that bin laden won't strap a bomb to himself up front does not nullify his legitimacy according to his followers

      however, if in the position between capture and death, he would choose death. its simple image management. his image is more important than his life, and he knows that

      Yeah, Charlie Manson's name is so dead. Jefferey Dahmer, too. No, the real way to "kill his name" is to find him the same way Hussein was found: hiding in a little hole in the ground. Which is how he'll probably be found.

      manson's and dahmer's names ARE dead. to call their name dead in this context does not imply anonymity, but appeal: their names don't appeal to anyone, ie, their names are dead. however, as the nigerian christmas bomber asshat in detroit proves, bin laden and his ideology, his cause, his name, still has appeal

      The concept that "freedom of the press" will allow wide dissemination and discrediting of nutballs requires a press that is free enough to report what the nutball said and unbiased enough to report it in nutball context. While our press may meet those requirements, it is unlikely that the press in many other countries do, and highly unlikely that the people who are the prime candidates for recruitment into extremist groups will be served by a free press.

      there's no government in the world that would put bin laden in a positive light. china is fighting muslim extremists, russia is fighting muslim extremists, all sunni countries' governments are no friends of bin laden (since he's tried to overthrow most of them), and iran, though run by an extremist government, is a shiite country, while bin laden is a sunni extremist. of course there will be pro-bin laden propaganda and lies about his treatment and his words on die hard fan sites, but none of that matters: there's those who are anti-bin laden no matter what, and those who are pro-bin laden no matter what. their minds are made up before the trial

      the audience for the trial are those where bin laden's humbling is an issue that will cause them to grow disillusioned with him. there's always someone on the fence on every issue, and a wide open trial would sweep a fair number of them into disenchantment with violent jihad, and that matters, and that's important. the trial is highly unlikely though, unfortunately. he'll kill himself if near capture

      --
      intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    6. Re:he's a symbol by Obfuscant · · Score: 1
      do you suggest us generals man the front lines? if us generals won't do that, does that nullify their legitimacy in the eyes of their troops?

      I suggested nothing of the sort, and you know it.

      Generals are not trying to be martyrs. Your attempt at equating Bin Laden as a martyr and military generals is either ignorance beyond any reasonable measure or deliberately insulting.

      The message I replied to was talking about Bin Laden and how he'd probably kill himself when he was about to be caught because of his desire to be a martyr. He has no intention of being a martyr or else he'd already be dead, and publicly so. He's the kind of person who talks the talk and talks other people into paying for it. He's no different than Hussein, who talked the talk and then hid like a small furry rodent from the big, bad US troops who captured him.

      however, if in the position between capture and death, he would choose death. its simple image management. his image is more important than his life, and he knows that

      In who's opinion is his image more important than his life? Certainly not his. It's interesting how some people talk about sacrifice and image and then choose life when it comes down to it. If Bin Laden wanted to make his image last forever, he'd be on the airplane when it blows up, not pulling someone else's strings to get them to die for his purposes. He's "martyr" in name only; separated from reality by the inconvenient truth that he's still breathing and wants to keep it that way. Now, what I WOULD believe is that someone close to him will kill him and try to pin it on the approaching troops, in order to continue the "name". Once again, that's one person choosing life over death when the chickens come home to roost, but if it were Bin Laden's choice, we know which he'd pick.

      manson's and dahmer's names ARE dead.

      Right. And that's why so many people know who they are. More people know about them because they were caught and tried than before. "Trial" is some great way to have your name "dead", huh?

      there's no government in the world that would put bin laden in a positive light.

      Yes, it's now clear that you have completely ignored what I wrote and are heading off in your own private little universe. I didn't say anything about a government, I spoke ONLY of the press. Perhaps in your corner of the world where Bin Laden is a martyr who'd die for a cause and not someone who's hiding in the tiniest crevice he can find, "press" and "government" are equated, but in the rest of the world they aren't.

      It doesn't matter if a government puts Bin Laden in a positive light, if the press that the people read on a daily basis wouldn't report on his trial, then the trial is as good as non-existant. You can't make a man's name "dead" with a trial that the people don't hear about. And letting bin Laden rant in a courtroom, as the original poster suggested as a way of showing his lunacy, won't do a damn thing for people who don't have a free and unbiased press reporting what is going on.

      the audience for the trial are those where bin laden's humbling is an issue that will cause them to grow disillusioned with him.

      And without a free press reporting his "humbling", that audience will hear exactly what Bin Laden will want them to hear. The "trial" will accomplish nothing positive anywhere it is necessary. At BEST, the people will know their loyal leader is standing up to the brutish American despots and their appointed shill prosecutors. At worst, they won't hear about the trial at all. In either case, it won't stop people from being recruited for more attacks.

      he'll kill himself if near capture

      Nonsense. He'll kill himself no more than Hussein or any of Bin Laden's already captured associates have killed themselves. He values his own life too much, and he's proven that through his actions.

    7. Re:he's a symbol by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      When it comes to a terrorist figure head, what is interesting in this day and age, is how they are used by both sides to further their own purposes. One side uses them as a living threat, that must be acted against and that society must be willing to surrender some civil liberties to protect against and also must heavily invest in security measure to protect against further attacks led by that individual. The other side uses them as a rallying point, a proof of strength by their continued freedom and activity. As it happens both sides would be perfectly willing to lie and present false evidence to maintain that illusion for their own purposes and, of course once down that path, they are stuck and can never admit that the figure head is dead, especially should they just passively die of natural causes rather than via violent means.

      As for the current escaped prisoner, is he doing any of the things he claims to be after all his track record is not indicative of honesty or, are they updating face book at all, is it someone else playing a practical joke or just going for the advertising dollars.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    8. Re:he's a symbol by daveime · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Or better still, accuse him of filesharing, then we can fine him for 300 million or just shoot him for being a potential pedo terrorist insurgent.

    9. Re:he's a symbol by Moridin42 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      No, not preferable to whom. Preferable under which conditions. If the choice is between becoming a martyr or capture and trial by western law, which do you suppose is preferable?

      Very few people who have actual goals desire becoming a martyr. Its sort of a least worst alternative status.

      capcha.. confine. /. made a funny.

      --
      I don't expect morality, equality, consistency, or justice from the law. I expect only legality.
    10. Re:he's a symbol by thePowerOfGrayskull · · Score: 2, Insightful

      the point is, you shouldn't just kill the man. you should kill his name. and you can only do this with a trial. the chance of that ever actually happening though is unfortunately very small, but it would be wonderful if osama bin laden were alive, in custody, and ready to be tried for his crimes

      How do you think a trial would do this? Even though such a trial would be 100% by the books, with no room for error, do you think those who follow him would believe that it was anything other than rigged from the start?

      let him speak freely even. so you can slay his thinking directly on the stand. that's way more important than killing the man: killing his ideology

      The problem with attacking ideology is that it's a lot like attacking religion. Believers won't hear a word, no matter how logical and persuasive your case may be. And non-believers don't need convincing in the first place.

    11. Re:he's a symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If "martyr" was his preferred status, HE'D be the one with a bomb tied to himself.

      The GP was implying that he considered "martyr" to be better than "captured", not necessarily better than "alive and free".

    12. Re:he's a symbol by Jaysyn · · Score: 1

      Have we heard anything from him lately? I kinda figured he was dead & buried under a bombed-out cave somewhere.

      --
      There is a war going on for your mind.
    13. Re:he's a symbol by Idiomatick · · Score: 2, Insightful

      After witnessing the sham that was Saddam's trial I'm certain that any trial Osama gets will be laughable at best. Anyone that followed the Saddam trial in any detail nearly ended up rooting for the guy at the end.

  6. Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Some guy gets fed up with facebook and states, as his last update, that he has better things to do with his life. How many thousand times did that happen every day in 2009?

    PS after the initial escape, authorities don't really pursue fugitives that hard. They'll hit the system sooner or later, and when they do the long arm of the law will reach in and grab them. Living the rest of your life off the grid sounds cool, but in actuality it sucks. Most modern people won't stand for it and prefer a modern prison to a pre-modern lifestyle.

    --
    Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    1. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by Renraku · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Truth.

      As soon as you get an official paycheck (if you even make it through the hiring process because damn near everyone does background checks), they'll know where you are. As soon as you open any new accounts, they'll know where you are. As soon as you apply for a loan or line of credit, they'll know where you are. Can you really survive with no available credit, no official job (or at least, a really low-paying job), and no way to get utilities/services?

      Sure, you could live in a tent in the woods, shower in gas stations, etc, but all of that is a pain in the ass. People will realize that it's easier just to leave the country or return to prison and serve out their time. A few years in jail is much better than being imprisoned by exclusion from the rest of society and most of its benefits.

      --
      Job? I don't have time to get a job! Who will sit around and bitch about being broke and unemployed then?
    2. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by girlintraining · · Score: 1

      Some guy gets fed up with facebook and states, as his last update, that he has better things to do with his life. How many thousand times did that happen every day in 2009?

      Fair enough, but most of them are emo...

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    3. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by justleavealonemmmkay · · Score: 1

      ...which is also an aspect of the deterence and protection of society features of prison: if you do manage to live off the grid, you're pretty much harmless to society, and careful not to get caught doing wrong. Heck throw in the punishment and reform features as well: you can say goodbye to modern lifestyle.

    4. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by mysidia · · Score: 1

      What do you mean, you're harmless?

      Someone living off the grid might take up other crimes to sustain themselves, since they can't get a legit job, apparently.

      One successful heist or smuggling operation, and they're raking in the dough...

      They can buy their modern lifestyle with cold hard cash.

      Rent a place under a fake name, utilities under a fake name.

      Well, this is not my area of expertise, I don't know exactly what works, and it might be different for different people.

      But I expect they could live very comfortably.

      Particularly should they move to another country (e.g. by sneaking across the border).

    5. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 5, Interesting

      "Can you really survive with no available credit, no official job (or at least, a really low-paying job), and no way to get utilities/services?"

      Ii is a trick question, because you are assuming people have no way of doing it, when in fact many people have figured out a way. I assure you that people work "under the table" and get girlfriends or others to subscribe to services like utilities etc. all of the time. In many cases this has nothing to do with trying to hide from the law. They simply have bad credit and can't get hired by anyone else, or make more money working that way. I have known hundreds of such people in my lifetime.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    6. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As soon as you get an official paycheck (if you even make it through the hiring process because damn near everyone does background checks)

      Not in the UK, I've always been weirded out by the background & credit checks my 'merican friends need just to get a job.

      Can you really survive with no available credit, no official job (or at least, a really low-paying job), and no way to get utilities/services?

      I seem to be doing quite well at the moment, I'm not in any debt, get paid a decent rate for IT programming work (in cash and/or cheque) - all quite informal, and through sharing a house I have 50mbit internet and modern conveniences.

      The only time I've found this to be a problem is, in particular, cellphone contracts... it's annoying sometimes when you can't even pass the preliminary checks and credit checks come up entirely blank.

      In my situation I don't have to worry about the law, this guy does. In most cases hospitals in the UK don't have much paperwork as long as they can ascertain you're British, the local council is a bit more of a pain but entirely doable.

    7. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think the parent was using off-the-grid in the sense of being literally outside of society -- into the wild, so to speak.

    8. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by misexistentialist · · Score: 1

      Judging by the millions of illegal aliens in the US who manage to thrive without providing ID to anyone, I'd say it is quite doable, though things might be more challenging in the UK welfare/surveillance state.

    9. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by fafalone · · Score: 1

      First of all, most modern conveniences are available without using your real name and without breaking the law:
      -Use prepaid mobile phones.
      -Establish utilities under relatives/roommates name; or even a made up name.
      I have my own bedroom, glorious computer w/ 22mbps cable internet, electricity, water, and a cell phone with unlimited talk+text; NONE of which is under my name. And I'm not even hiding, it's actually the most convenient setup for me at this point. I personally pay for it all through a legitimate income, but we're talking about criminals. Criminals can get income from dealing drugs. They could buy a new identity and establish credit on it... but that's really not needed for a decent lifestyle. So what exactly would they be missing out on?
      ...plus you don't even have to be some criminal mastermind to accomplish any of this; if you pay on time the utilities will serve you, they're not out verifying idents.

    10. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hi

      Great information and this group was later responsible for clearing out several floors of a skyscraper and police were able to follow the clues left behind to eventually locate the person behind it and shut the group down.

      http://www.cyberdesignz.com/

    11. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by westlake · · Score: 1

      I have known hundreds of such people in my lifetime.

      If you've known "hundreds" who have been living underground, then they can't have been buried very deep.

      It has never been easy for a fugitive to break all contact with the world he left behind. These stories tend o have much the same ending:

      The manhunt for Daniel Hicks stretched to California after the 30-year-old fugitive made a collect call to his father from San Jose on Wednesday Seattle double-murder suspect arrested in Santa Cruz

      Fugitive's Girlfriend Sentenced For Aiding & Abetting

       

    12. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is currently a semi-famous "comedian" (Google for "Scotty Lee") running from a $40,000 child porn warrant in northern Utah. The authorities are well-aware of his current location (he's hiding with family in southern California), but are doing nothing, even though he continues to update his Facebook and MySpace accounts.

      Why?

      Because as long as he's on the run, he has to remain somewhat hidden. He can't really pursue his career, because every comedy club west of the Mississippi is aware of his predicament. As soon as he shows his face, he's toast. Until then, it's a bigger punishment for him to be in his current situation. Call it "captivity in freedom", if you will.

    13. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      "If you've known "hundreds" who have been living underground, then they can't have been buried very deep."

      First of all, there is no need to put "quotes" around the "word" "hundreds" when "paraphrasing" my point. That just makes you look like a "moron" who is "implying" that I am a "liar". Underground is underground. Unless you taunt the police, are a fugitive from a really high profile crime like murder, or are Lex Luthor that is good enough.

      "It has never been easy for a fugitive to break all contact with the world he left behind. These stories tend o have much the same ending:" - [example of 1 guy ommitted]

      So out of the millions of people with warrants out for their arrest you cite one guy who got caught, and that is your proof? Did it ever occur to you that they don't usually write articles titled "Johnny from down the street still just slightly underground after all these years" ????

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    14. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As soon as you update a Facebook page, they have an idea where you are.

      Facebook Post via IP address -> Warrant to ISP to disclose IP user -> stakeout to watch for individual in question. Safer if you use ramdom locations to post from, stupid if you use your relatives computers to do so.

    15. Re:Slow news day is every day at Slashdot by phorm · · Score: 1

      PS after the initial escape, authorities don't really pursue fugitives that hard.

      Actually, the whole situation is rather sad. There's an individual that AFAIK now has two warrants out for his arrest for breaching no-contact orders, harassment, etc, but despite the fact that everyone is rather sure he's just holed up at home 90% of the time, the police can't enter to nab him. I'd imagine that with two warrants getting some paperwork to enter and seize him wouldn't be too bloody hard, but all they do at the moment is pop by his house randomly and hope to actually sight him or catch him outside.

      Lame.

  7. Cool Hand Luke II by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This has the makings of a really awful sequel.

  8. That list... Yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Soviet union is on that list so I would question how up to date it is. ;)

    That said, then there are a lot of countries that only extradict criminals if the crime is serious enough. (I think that Dutch-USA treaties are like that). On the other hand, there are a lot of countries that extradict only if the crime isn't too serious (For example, constitution of Finland doesn't allow extradicting in cases when there is potentially any chance of death penalty in the target country).

    So yeah, there are countries like that. Turns out - however - that moving to another country is difficult. You don't know the language, don't know anyone there, need to leave your family behind, will likely be illegally in the country -> No citizenship, no rights, nothing... That is when you ignore the problems in actually getting there, etc...

  9. wired has really upped the ante by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    At this point, I am beginning to lean towards one of two things

    • Either he does not exist
    • or the government(s) do(es) not actually want him to be found

    The latter reason is the reality in the world of geopolitics. The family was allowed to fly out of the US when airspace to all air traffic had been closed due to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. I would not be surprised to learn eventually he has been visiting the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas, for a weekly pea-knuckle game with Bush Jr. and Cheney and Rove.

  10. I'm forced to conclude there's a non-obvious motiv by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He's gearing up to be on a reality TV Show.

  11. One problem with this though... by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This guy is ENGLISH! Come on man, "UK". That means United Kingdom. He escaped from a prison NE of London. England. What has extradition to the United States have to do with anything? Anyway, most of the places in your list look worse than being in a British prison.

    --
    -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
  12. Easy Catch by Tehrasha · · Score: 2, Funny

    Tell the MPAA that he downloaded a cam'd version of Avatar. He'll be located, and his butt will be in jail by the end of the day.

  13. Facebook?!? by gardel999 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This Birdman of Alcatraz ought to be tweeting, don't you think?

  14. UK extradition by DrYak · · Score: 1

    Interesting. I'd love to see the list. Though I imagine it depends on which country you are running from, right?

    Yup, each country has its own treaties about extradition.
    After some Googling, here's an article about extradition specific to UK.
    Any country *not* in the two lists (part 1 and 2 of the act) is safe.

    Well, not all countries are safe per se. I doubt Afghanistan and Pakistan could count as safe, but they are at least safe from extradition. The 2 Congos won't be a nice place either. Indonesia could be a better bet. China and North Korea are not on the list for obvious political reasons. Strangely, nor is Japan or South Korea.

    The most complicated part isn't finding a country with no extradition treaty with the country one is running from (due to the absence of a global international treaty that's trivial).
    The problem is finding :
    - a way to *reach* said country safely without getting caught along the way. (The closest seems to be Morocco and that's not exactly next door)
    - a way to get a new life in said country despite language barrier, lack of funding and possible political instability of said country.
    - and both, without having any money nor any other possession beside the clothes the convict had on himself when running out of jail.

    That is much more difficult to achieve than keeping low profile.

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  15. Really.... how hard is it.... by mark-t · · Score: 1

    ... to tag convicts with a GPS whenever they go out? My understanding is that he was out on day release.

    The GPS could be attached to an armband that could administer a paralyzing shock similar to a taser if the device is tampered with so it couldn't be easily removed.

    1. Re:Really.... how hard is it.... by lyml · · Score: 1

      I'm guessing it would be extremely easy to foist and extremely expensive hardware. Hell, while you're running and before you have time to remove it just wrap it in tinfoil that will make it nothing more than an expensive ugly armband.

    2. Re:Really.... how hard is it.... by sunderland56 · · Score: 1

      Cue the tinfoil hat references in 3....2....1....

    3. Re:Really.... how hard is it.... by FlyByPC · · Score: 1

      I, for one, welcome the new tinfoil armband fashion!

      --
      Paleotechnologist and connoisseur of pretty shiny things.
  16. Don't RTFA. by mwsw · · Score: 1

    Don't RTFA. While moderately informative, it's filled with cynicism. And while I enjoy a little cynicism now and then, I prefer my news to be objective. Browse the internet (news.google.com has some interesting stuff) instead.

  17. Potential Batman villain! by KneelBeforeZod · · Score: 1

    Every week he leaves a clue to lure the caped crusader into a devious trap.

  18. Next... by Tolvor · · Score: 2, Insightful

    (Gasp) Someone escapes prison and starts updating Facebook? And instead he could be doing something unconstructive like lifting some unwatched goods and running some simple 419 scams. But noooo... this guy updates his Facebook page. Who knows what comes next - World of Warcraft raids, and watching endless YouTube videos? Geez, someone get him a gun before it's too late.

    If not he might become something worse, like a web developer. (shudder)

  19. I'll bet that all of the escaped convicts with by multiplexo · · Score: 1

    who are posting taunts on their Myspace accounts are wishing that they could get some attention.

    --
    cheap labor conservatives - they want to keep you hungry enough to be thankful for minimum wage.
  20. RIAA by DrugCheese · · Score: 2, Funny

    This guy better not download any illegal music. They'd find him and fine him quickly.

    --
    *DrugCheese rants*
    1. Re:RIAA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This guy better not download any illegal music. They'd find him and fine him quickly.

      Are you sure? They'd be just as likely to find someone else and insist it was him....

  21. Looks like one big lower class circle jerk by thetoadwarrior · · Score: 1

    One look at his page gives solid proof why anyone on a council estate should be neutered.

  22. Maybe for legit citizens by phorm · · Score: 1

    But there are *PLENTY* of people who work under the radar. For example, I've met a number of immigrants who worked within their own ethnic group on a cash-basis. The pay was less than you might get for a legit job, but the work itself wasn't necessarily bad or illegal. In many cases it was students working, prior to a more recent law change that allowed you to work part-time when in on a student visa.

    Then you get into the illegal work. I'd imagine that there's plenty of jobs had for those that are willing to work in or beyond the "grey" area of legality. From what I've heard, once somebody has a criminal record one of the main reasons he/she will end up back in crime is that it's pretty damn hard to get a legitimate job.

    Money a problem? Work for cash under the table. He can steal the ID of somebody who looks like him, and use that to open a bank account in a different state. Or just get a fake ID.

    We're not talking about law-abiding citizens here, we're talking about criminals. I doubt that it often comes to a tent in the woods and showering in gas stations, especially if he makes it to a big city where he can blend in.

    1. Re:Maybe for legit citizens by Whorhay · · Score: 1

      Getting a real ID for a deceased person might not even be all that hard. I remember when I went in to get a driver's license all they wanted was stuff I could obtain without verifying my identity independantly. The process could follow along these lines:

      1. Find the name of a person that died very young and born about the same time as you.

      2. Send a letter to the county health office of that person's birth requesting a copy of that person's birth certificate, as if you were that person. They don't bother to track if any of those people are now deceased and even if they do I don't think it'd be marked on the certificate, and you could claim to be a family member doing geaneology stuff or something.

      3. Send a letter to Social Security requesting a number for your new identity. This could be tricky and is why you want the name of a deceased person who died very young. If they were never issued a SSN then it won't be listed as belonging to a deceased person.

      4. Take your birth certificate and SSN card and get your state issued perfectly legit ID card.

      The older you are the more difficult this can be since requesting a SSN for a middle aged person might raise some eyebrows. And the lack of a credit history or much of anything relating to that name could pose an issue for any kind of serious backgroud check.

  23. article is misleading by inhahe · · Score: 1
    going by that article you'd think their method is something a simple as re.replace("\b(LOL)\b", "laughing out loud",text), but if you actually read the patent, the illustrations alone take up 12 pages. they use methods to determine meaning of the acronym based on context.

    patents are too hard for me to read so i don't really know how abusive this is, but the important thing is we won't be paying royalties any time soon for LOLing.

    the article is worded to push your buttons.

    1. Re:article is misleading by inhahe · · Score: 1

      oh, somehow i replied to the wrong article..