I recently read PsilocybeChild's excellent article (https://www.dmt-nexus.me/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=66932) about internet security on the Nexus and it got me to thinking a bit about how we protect ourselves - both as individuals and a group - as regards attention from unwelcome organisations such as security agencies and law enforcement departments.

Organisations such as the NSA, and their equivalents in other countries, have come under a lot of scrutiny recently, not least since Snowden's revelations. Numerous organisations are tracking what we do on the internet and undoubtedly the Nexus likewise has its visitors from these bodies checking out exactly what is happening here.

Just a few general points... The vast amount of energy spent on surveillance of our private affairs is to prevent terrorism. This is their current obsession and billions are spent on this every month. Next down the list of priorities is prevention of trafficking of large amounts of drugs. By large amounts we're generally talking about millions of dollars worth. Further surveillance goes to prevent things like exploitation of children in paedophile rings and pornography associated with that. These organisations have limited budgets so lesser items, whilst being noted as illegal, basically fly under the radar as unimportant and not worth the resources that would be needed to investigate further.

So just a couple of ideas - in my humble opinion - about how to make oneself very unimportant:

- Don't go for big quantities. No need to process kilos of mimosa or whatever and produce the equivalent of several hundred breakthrough doses. Make enough for your needs over the next few weeks/months then repeat the extraction when you're getting low.
- Stress you're making it for your own consumption or for you and a couple of friends. Money is never involved if it's shared with other people.
- Say how your motivation for consuming this substance is for spiritual, personal developmental, healing, meditative purposes - nothing bores the crap out of these organisations more than words like "spiritual".
- The substance will be consumed primarily in the privacy of your own home. You'll probably be sat motionless in a chair or cross-legged on a mat for 10 or 15 minutes. How boring is that! It's not for parties, it's not for public gatherings, you'll not be attempting to fly off the top of any high buildings.

I guess some people might be of the opinion that we should fight these organisations as they're sticking their noses in where they don't belong. And I am of the opinion that we as human beings should be able to put in our bodies whatever we wish, all the more so when it's something that harms neither the individual nor people around. However while this stupidity persists maybe we just need to duck the issue rather than fight it. Just make sure to use all the internet tools available to keep yourself anonymous! Thanks PsilocybeChild

I think ducking the issue probably isn't the answer, but I really don't have any alternatives. Keeping your head down and hoping they don't come for you is what most of us do. But eventually that might not be enough.

I'm thinking more of net neutrality than drug use here. This kind of unrestricted surveillance will obviously lead down a darker path in the future. If we don't want to be living our own Orwellian nightmare then things need to change, somehow.

Cool story bro

Well at least I can say that in the European country in which I reside that accounts for 80% of their budget.

The point I was trying to make is that basically we're small fry for them and it would be quite nice to maintain that status.

I'd much rather be an unimportant tiddler and be free to roam unlimited hyperspace to my heart's content rather than be upgraded to a threat to society and risk having my front hammered in by security agents.

We're up against ignorance here and there's not too much you can do with that. But I love the fact that university research no longer considers entheogens a taboo subject and neurologists and the like are giving talks on all aspects of psychedelics. That gives me hope at least.

Hmm, I get what Anne is saying, this is a beautiful place of learning and culture, what we do is illegal in the the eyes of the law. Although we generally (I can't speak for everyone here) do not perpetuate any negativity back into the universe with our actions, don't seek to make a profit, don't harm others, don't destroy wildlife etc. 'The system' doesn't view it this way.
I would like to see a section here on security, time = $, it doesn't have to do with spending but education, online security is a big thing, I am still getting up to scratch, to get secure is free, you only need to apply yourself. Peace

Something like this?

Yes, not as a subsection though..

Why say anything at all? If by organizations you mean LEO, they'll not be bored, they'll be fired up to issue warrants and subpoenas. In conversation with like minded folks("the choir", sure, expressing your view and relating your conscious use of psychs is a valid and valuable effort in that it may raise awareness around the possibility of a psychedelic practice, but advertising illegal activity is crazy. Unless you want to martyr yourself for the cause...

i never get why any serious security discussion amounts to someone saying.......
"OMG your training drug lords."
i mean really, 99.9% here pry dont have the production capacity to even wish.
yet pry 99.9% couldnt survive a flash raid and not do time......
ironic.

fact is , a serious security discussion is gonna save alot of little people most.
el chapo , can hire a team of pros.
a dog behind the double wide just isnt enough for the rest of us.

in these times , leo is sophisticated,
and has quotas to fill and things to sieze.........
if were not wise to that basic, then were on drugs fer sure.

people can project on me ab0ut this any way they wish.
im just sick and tired and bored seeing people get took down for dumb reasons.
the only defense, is better education on safety and security.

It's really not that hard to stay off the radar.

I'll use TOR over a VPN to randomized countries. Change your browsing habits so that you access one site per identity with tor - this helps minimize the ability to profile a single identity if you were to browse a 'usual set of your interests' and less of a metric for multiple correlation matching. Don't browse drug related or anything like that on your clearnet link.

Keep the TOR browser in its default resolution not the full resolution. Switch the user agent string to make it look like you're using a separate Browser configuration.

If you upload pictures, strip all exif data. Change the way you write - grammar, sentence structure - maybe even pitch yourself as a bad speller or use a hell of a lot of short hand. "u 2 bro".

Don't post sources or yield sizes or "I extracted 4.5 metric tonnes of mimosa and got 10.5kg of spice"

I personally don't believe there's too much to be concerned about here. Some basic principles keep you safe.