Silk Road

[rb30gtr]

Watching 7:30 last night, there was an article on a drug trafficking website called Silk Road and how it has been shut down by the FBI

I had never even heard of it before, how on earth did they manage to do that and keep it running for so long?

The things some people will do for money! It was making something like 1.2 billion a year.
Disgraceful!

Has anyone come in contact with or heard of that website before?

[phibbzy]

Never used it, only investigated it (I'm in the field of IT).

The Silk Road was a hidden site on the TOR network.

I won't go into huge detail but the TOR network was a series of anonymous connections and exit points where by users can essentially hide their activity from people watching. You could not compromise the network by simply 'turning' one end or the other - which made it very very secure.

Adding in the concept of a virtual currency (bitcoin) it was very easy to purchase illicit materials without getting caught.

Ironically, by removing such a huge market which was SAFE and easy to use they may have made the overall situation worse for themselves. It's reported that the quality of drug sold by this method was very high - and as a result - safe.

Buyers will now have to revert to local dealers to purchase whatever their want is which is just generally not seen as a high quality product.

In any case - if there is a demand there will be a supply and that goes for anything so... take from that what you will.

[rb30gtr]

Very talented individuals able to run and hide such a vast website?

Good point on the demand and supply though.

I guess there will always be demand for illicit substances, but also a minority that will just get it or 'try' it because it was easy to obtain.

In any supply and demand scenario, remove supply completely and it will also eradicate demand? But I guess people always find a way right?

Maybe legalise most of it and control it with subscriptions, then anyone who uses it can be monitored? ..creeeek. *That's Pandora's box opening.
:wasntme:

[SBD4]

Saw that too.

The guy who set it up is a physics grad with a masters - was ex Sydney then silicon valley.

There are now two other sites that have now filled the gap left by Silk Road.

Very interesting program starts at 22:13.

ABC iview (http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/43256)

ABC will remove this 7:30 edition in 13 days.

[rb30gtr]

Thanks Sean,

I'll have a look at that when I get a chance.

Cheers,
Ben

[Eevo]

a lot more to that story than being reported.

[Disco Muppet]

Ooh, they shut down Silk Road, that's totally going to solve the problem.
Plenty of worse stuff on the TOR network than silk road.
Not that I'd know ;)

[Tote]

It should also be said that the TOR network facilitates the capability for people living in areas with government censorship of the WWW to be able to access uncensored information.

Regards,
Tote

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Very talented individuals able to run and hide such a vast website?

Good point on the demand and supply though.

I guess there will always be demand for illicit substances, but also a minority that will just get it or 'try' it because it was easy to obtain. <Its more likely the notion of lets try it because its naughty and makes be special>

In any supply and demand scenario, remove supply completely and it will also eradicate demand? <Hasn't worked in practice yet> But I guess people always find a way right? <gave a huge boost to organised crime in the US during prohibition>

Maybe legalise most of it and control it with subscriptions prescriptions, then anyone who uses it can be monitored? ..creeeek. *That's Pandora's box opening.
:wasntme:Treat it as a health issue and prohibit certain activities, like driving and have it on the ANPR database. If you choose to use, you also choose to take the consequences.

[rb30gtr]

Ooh, they shut down Silk Road, that's totally going to solve the problem.
Plenty of worse stuff on the TOR network than silk road.
Not that I'd know ;)

hahaha, I saw the news article about all of the other sites starting up, almost like the main player has been closed down or something...



Treat it as a health issue and prohibit certain activities, like driving and have it on the ANPR database. If you choose to use, you also choose to take the consequences.

Not sure seasoned drug abusers are concerned about the consequences. And a group of 18 year old's heading to a festival to drop eccies are far more concerned about the social consequences of not joining in...

Drug subscription works doesn't it, an annual subscription fee..?? haha... fail.

[Gerokent]

Yep, prohibition really works. Let it be open slather I reckon, it will sort itself out after a couple of generations. The collective human gene pool is rapidly crumbling into oblivion. Let nature take it's course, thats the only way humanity is going to survive.