The Great Silk Road Crash of 20** ...?

[legitnick]

Everyone knows that SR is just a huge honeypot..

[molecular]

Also, for the time being, you may have to update your bookmarks by adding index.php after .onion, so Linking to illegal sites is forbidden. If you bypass this censorship, you will be banned..onion/messages becomes Linking to illegal sites is forbidden. If you bypass this censorship, you will be banned..onion/index.php/messages

 Someone can explain this?

forum software replaced .onion links with warning text, I guess he was linking to the SR forum

[CharlieContent]

Everyone knows that SR is just a huge honeypot..

I am sure that is not is the case, at least not for buyers.

I've never heard of anyone getting busted from using Silk Road. I also know many people personally who have ordered from Silk Road vendors with no issues.

I don't think it makes financial sense for the authorities to go after people who are buying small amounts of drugs for personal use. It would cost so much money to process cases, incarcerate people, police resources etc. Sure, if a police officer searches you and finds illegal drugs on you, they have a responsibility to arrest you and follow the legal channels, but are they going to mount a large and expensive operation in order to arrest and convict consumers? I highly doubt it.

The police have limited resources, and much bigger fish to fry. Like importers, distributors and dealers.

Is it a honey pot to trap dealers who wish to sell through the site? There would at least be some motive for doing that, but I am still skeptical. As I say, I know people who have ordered from Silk Road and received legitimate product, so at least some people must be selling drugs successfully through the site.

If you want a conspiracy theory, I think it's actually far more likely that Silk Road is being run by the CIA. They are no stranger to operating in the drug trade in order to fund their secretive operations.

Most likely though it's simply some guy who is very confident in his ability to use technology in order to keep himself anonymous. Bitcoin veterans will perhaps remember that the site didn't always take a commission from sales. I think possibly the original motivation was simply a political disagreement with drug prohibition, before he realized that he could make big money by taking a small vig on transactions.

Selling drugs on the internet isn't a new thing, but until Silk Road it was largely confined to cannabis. Previous sites processed payment with Liberty Reserve, Pecunix, and, when it was around, E-Gold. Any internet savvy potheads from 2004-2005 will recognize names such as Pepe, Budmonkey and Hermes the Hash Trader.  One of the biggest sites from this era, Budmail.biz, is still going strong. My personal belief is that it's run by a Canadian motorcycle gang.

The idea that drugs can be bought safely through the internet and delivered to your door is often greeted with skepticism, but it has been going on for a long time now. I wouldn't advise anyone to do it, but I wouldn't advise anyone to take drugs either, but more because they are extremely unhealthy rather than the level of risk involved in buying them from Silk Road.

[legitnick]

Everyone knows that SR is just a huge honeypot..

I am sure that is not is the case, at least not for buyers.

I've never heard of anyone getting busted from using Silk Road. I also know many people personally who have ordered from Silk Road vendors with no issues.

I don't think it makes financial sense for the authorities to go after people who are buying small amounts of drugs for personal use. It would cost so much money to process cases, incarcerate people, police resources etc. Sure, if a police officer searches you and finds illegal drugs on you, they have a responsibility to arrest you and follow the legal channels, but are they going to mount a large and expensive operation in order to arrest and convict consumers? I highly doubt it.

The police have limited resources, and much bigger fish to fry. Like importers, distributors and dealers.

Is it a honey pot to trap dealers who wish to sell through the site? There would at least be some motive for doing that, but I am still skeptical. As I say, I know people who have ordered from Silk Road and received legitimate product, so at least some people must be selling drugs successfully through the site.

If you want a conspiracy theory, I think it's actually far more likely that Silk Road is being run by the CIA. They are no stranger to operating in the drug trade in order to fund their secretive operations.

Most likely though it's simply some guy who is very confident in his ability to use technology in order to keep himself anonymous. Bitcoin veterans will perhaps remember that the site didn't always take a commission from sales. I think possibly the original motivation was simply a political disagreement with drug prohibition, before he realized that he could make big money by taking a small vig on transactions.

Selling drugs on the internet isn't a new thing, but until Silk Road it was largely confined to cannabis. Previous sites processed payment with Liberty Reserve, Pecunix, and, when it was around, E-Gold. Any internet savvy potheads from 2004-2005 will recognize names such as Pepe, Budmonkey and Hermes the Hash Trader.  One of the biggest sites from this era, Budmail.biz, is still going strong. My personal belief is that it's run by a Canadian motorcycle gang.

The idea that drugs can be bought safely through the internet and delivered to your door is often greeted with skepticism, but it has been going on for a long time now. I wouldn't advise anyone to do it, but I wouldn't advise anyone to take drugs either, but more because they are extremely unhealthy rather than the level of risk involved in buying them from Silk Road.

That's what I meant. It's unreasonable to think that cops would actually go after buyers/sellers on SR but the bigger agencies are probably planning something similar to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Web_Tryp

[Mushroomized]

Everyone knows that SR is just a huge honeypot..

I am sure that is not is the case, at least not for buyers.

I've never heard of anyone getting busted from using Silk Road. I also know many people personally who have ordered from Silk Road vendors with no issues.

I don't think it makes financial sense for the authorities to go after people who are buying small amounts of drugs for personal use. It would cost so much money to process cases, incarcerate people, police resources etc. Sure, if a police officer searches you and finds illegal drugs on you, they have a responsibility to arrest you and follow the legal channels, but are they going to mount a large and expensive operation in order to arrest and convict consumers? I highly doubt it.

The police have limited resources, and much bigger fish to fry. Like importers, distributors and dealers.

Is it a honey pot to trap dealers who wish to sell through the site? There would at least be some motive for doing that, but I am still skeptical. As I say, I know people who have ordered from Silk Road and received legitimate product, so at least some people must be selling drugs successfully through the site.

If you want a conspiracy theory, I think it's actually far more likely that Silk Road is being run by the CIA. They are no stranger to operating in the drug trade in order to fund their secretive operations.

Most likely though it's simply some guy who is very confident in his ability to use technology in order to keep himself anonymous. Bitcoin veterans will perhaps remember that the site didn't always take a commission from sales. I think possibly the original motivation was simply a political disagreement with drug prohibition, before he realized that he could make big money by taking a small vig on transactions.

Selling drugs on the internet isn't a new thing, but until Silk Road it was largely confined to cannabis. Previous sites processed payment with Liberty Reserve, Pecunix, and, when it was around, E-Gold. Any internet savvy potheads from 2004-2005 will recognize names such as Pepe, Budmonkey and Hermes the Hash Trader.  One of the biggest sites from this era, Budmail.biz, is still going strong. My personal belief is that it's run by a Canadian motorcycle gang.

The idea that drugs can be bought safely through the internet and delivered to your door is often greeted with skepticism, but it has been going on for a long time now. I wouldn't advise anyone to do it, but I wouldn't advise anyone to take drugs either, but more because they are extremely unhealthy rather than the level of risk involved in buying them from Silk Road.

That's what I meant. It's unreasonable to think that cops would actually go after buyers/sellers on SR but the bigger agencies are probably planning something similar to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Web_Tryp

I love conspiracy theories

[Shotgun_WooWoo]

It's a weird thing, the silk road.  The original silk road in china was riddled with violence and fighting from what I recall.  But, I think that as long as it can hold it's own as an anonymous supplier of drugs to people it will last.  If it goes through any correlation or mingling with the 'black market' though, problems will be had.  It's a cheap and reliable (from what I know) way of getting prescription drugs anonymously.  I speak from experience, it can be weird picking up your crazy pills from the girl who went to high school with you at the local pharmacy. 

I think it has it's benefits, and as long as it can hold it's own it will last.  It just needs it's own special attention, nothing more nothing less.  That being said, I don't think anyone should get hurt through it.   It's not like there is a candy road anyways...

[molecular]

Everyone knows that SR is just a huge honeypot..

I am sure that is not is the case, at least not for buyers.

and by design, it cannot be one of the sellers.

[Grinder]

If you want a conspiracy theory, I think it's actually far more likely that Silk Road is being run by the CIA. They are no stranger to operating in the drug trade in order to fund their secretive operations.

Silk Road pretty much created the market, and I doubt they would do that. I would trust the other one (Blackmarket or something like that) less, and tormail not one bit.

[CharlieContent]

That's what I meant. It's unreasonable to think that cops would actually go after buyers/sellers on SR but the bigger agencies are probably planning something similar to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Web_Tryp

It couldn't be substantially similar. It's such a different situation.

In Operation Web Tryp, the people who were caught were operating registered businesses, taking credit cards, with websites hosted on the clearnet.

It would take maybe one day's detective work to find names and addresses.

Investigating Silk Road would take substantially longer, with a larger, more specialized team, a co-ordinated international effort, and no guarantee of convictions.

Why would they make life difficult for themselves when there are people who are easier to catch selling larger quantities of drugs?


If Silk Road ever became fucking huge, accounting for a substantial percentage of the drug trade, then yeah, they'd probably put enough men and enough money on it to find a way.

But as things stand, it just doesn't make sense.

I think a lot of people believe that large federal agencies are practically omnipotent, with infinite time, money and skill. They are well funded, but the fact is that they need to allocate their limited resources carefully in areas which will give them the maximum return. They can't piss away millions of dollars to find 15 kids who are selling a few ounces of drugs a month each when hundreds of kilos are traded every day outside Silk Road. Someone would lose their job over that type of resource misallocation.

[bitcats]

... and tormail not one bit.

 any suggestions for a good alternative?

[AndrewBUD]

They would end up going through the postal service to track down vendors.

[stevegee58]

... and tormail not one bit.

 any suggestions for a good alternative?

Yes.  Create your own.  It's the only way to be sure.

[bitcats]

@Grinder

... and tormail not one bit.

  any suggestions for a good alternative?

[stevegee58]

@Grinder

... and tormail not one bit.

  any suggestions for a good alternative?

There might be alternatives, but it boils down to trust.  Why do you not trust tormail anymore?  Is it because someone posted some FUD on a message board?

If you find another, why will you trust that one?  Because people on some message board somewhere says they trust it?  How do you know they're not government shills pulling the unsuspecting into their honey pot?

[bitcats]

   any suggestions for a good alternative?

There might be alternatives, but it boils down to trust.  Why do you not trust tormail anymore?  Is it because someone posted some FUD on a message board?
If you find another, why will you trust that one?  Because people on some message board somewhere says they trust it?  How do you know they're not government shills pulling the unsuspecting into their honey pot?
[/quote]
Thanks, but "trust" wasnt my concern. Im just interested in anon. email alternatives.

[Grinder]

any suggestions for a good alternative?

Tormail is acceptable for hiding your identity, but then so is any email account you can create and use from the Tor network. It does not hide the content from the maintainers of the service though, for that you need to encrypt the email before you send it. The easiest is probably to use Torbirdy with encryption. The drawback no matter what you use is that you need the key for whomever you are contacting in advance.

[Shotgun_WooWoo]

Just goes to show how much work needs to be done to the BTC network.

[Micon]

posted this in other "SR Down" thread in speculation too. 

SR page now loading, claiming maintenance.    IMO positive sign that everything is as they say, upgrades for moar users.  Obv in BTC world you never know, but whoever the SR boys are they have done a good job keeping it alive, growing it, and dodging the fuzz.  I give them internet-brofist.

[AndrewBUD]

Good post... ^

[adamstgBit]

posted this in other "SR Down" thread in speculation too. 

SR page now loading, claiming maintenance.    IMO positive sign that everything is as they say, upgrades for moar users.  Obv in BTC world you never know, but whoever the SR boys are they have done a good job keeping it alive, growing it, and dodging the fuzz.  I give them internet-brofist.

SR should look into making a p2p distributed market place, tor is a quick and dirty solution. A specialized program where seller and users are completely anonymous, would do wonders for traffic, and also it could be organized to be impervious to DOS.