
The user-friendly way to be a little drug lord: economic secrets of the dark web - lermontov
http://qz.com/481037/dark-web
======
mahranch
Man, I'd love to go poking around on the dark web, specifically those black
markets just to look around and satiate my curiosity but am to afraid that
I'll be put on some NSA watch list for doing so.

~~~
aianus
The NSA are not all-powerful. Grab Tails
([https://tails.boum.org/](https://tails.boum.org/)), put on a pair of
sunglasses, hit a local wifi hotspot, and go nuts.

~~~
pakled_engineer
[http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/xkeyscorerules100.txt](http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/xkeyscorerules100.txt)

[http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/aktuell/nsa230_page-1.html](http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/aktuell/nsa230_page-1.html)

The act of just searching/visiting Tails homepage gets you tasked into
XKEYSCORE. Get generic linux live CD, apply sunglasses, obtain wifi then get
the Tor Browser Bundle and go nuts (after about:config disable javascript).^^

~~~
craftkiller
Why not do sunglasses -> hotspot -> tor browser bundle -> tails so that way
you're increasingly covering your tracks as you get closer to the goal

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pakled_engineer
AirBnB as your criminal conspiracy supply chain strategy seems like a bad
idea, how trivial would it be for the DEA to get a list of addresses on
past/current listings, then search USPS db history to find patterns to
investigate.

~~~
hueving
All USPS would see is an Airbnb house that got a package. No return address so
there is nothing to investigate.

~~~
pakled_engineer
The student is signing for the package, I bet the dealers reuse fake ID or
reuse the same airbnb places. Now do controlled delivery next time those
addresses with patterns have packages and merely threaten the student into
cooperation or follow them for second controlled delivery and bust entire crew
for conspiracy to traffic which is a decade in jail at least, especially
interstate trafficking. This is a weak criminal scheme made weaker by taunting
the police by telling a journalist about your scheme, now they have to bust
you to save face.

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burkemw3
> The facilitator rents a carefully vetted Airbnb and arranges for a naive
> student to be there to sign for the package. The student then takes it to a
> second location

What are the risks for that renter?

~~~
intopieces
I imagine the specific risk is the packaging getting intercepted and then the
person receiving the package being confronted. As for the renter -- a
headache, but not more than that. They'd be able to prove pretty easily that
they were not at home at the time, more than likely.

But it getting down to that seems unlikely, given the number of 'levels' of
plausible deniability are involved. That's the theory at least. It seems only
feasible for very large shipments that happen often -- the DEA doesn't really
do much in the way of small-time drug deal busting, it seems.

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aaronrenoir
$63 an oz for cocaine that's a typo that must be the cost per gram. I just
watched narcos on Netflix a kilogram in 1975 was worth like $35,000 and there
are 35 oz in a kg.

~~~
PhantomGremlin
Yes it is per gram. Just below the text mentioning the $63 is a sideways
histogram showing price per gram. The largest bin is $50 - $99 per gram.
[https://atlas.qz.com/i/atlas_4kISXhx5.png](https://atlas.qz.com/i/atlas_4kISXhx5.png)

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tajen
I love studying economics like this article. It's the most counter-intuitive
science. Unfortunately it's often a frontal collision with popular opinions,
which brings a lot of hate against me (being white, I automatically get
accused of unfairness). I wonder whether I'll ever be able to have a
discussion about economics with less educated people, which means, will I ever
be able to word it without hurting people.

~~~
Mz
Remove the following things from your two comments:

    
    
      being white, I automatically get accused of unfairness)
      less educated people
      will I ever be able to word it without hurting people.
      So I've defaulted to thinking it's a prejudice from the listener. 
    

You imply a lot of ugly things about other people. It will get you ugly
reactions to do that.

~~~
steveeq1
Are you just as critical when it's inversed? Speaking (and hearing) one's
unpopular opinion is one the key elements to a successful democracy.

~~~
Mz
I have lots of unpopular/controversial opinions. I have found it enormously
helpful to work on trying to express them without insulting my audience in the
process. It can certainly be a hard row to hoe.

He asked for feedback. I gave it. I think I did so respectfully. If he
sincerely hopes to learn to engage people effectively in meaty discussion
about difficult topics, hopefully this will help him get there.

