New WL 445nm Spyder....irresponsible?

[LSRFAQ]

QUOTE:

"Besides, even people who may be uneducated when it comes to lasers, can still understand the power...."

Your assuming a person of reasonable mental age, competency and common sense. What about a unsupervised child? What about a unsupervised child, out about town?

My cousin's kid is 9, barely controllable, prone to violence, and he comes to mind immediately. He walks up to you on the street, holding one of these after watching Harry Potter, or, that very violent Anime his mom lets him watch on cable. Does the average person even recognize it ?

Price is a issue because price controls availability, and lasers are starting to follow Moore's law.

Steve

 

[zaery]

Guess what can blind someone, for a much lower price, and with a million times less safety warnings than WL has.


The MAGNIFICENT Laser Flashlight Hack, brought to you by Kipkay.

 

[Pontiacg5]

You cannot control the Chinese market. If you make wicked charge $1000 for this laser, rayfoss will come along and charge $200.

There is nothing you can do but try to educate people. So stop complaining.

And in the case of a child, especially nine years old, the parents need to supervise him.

I say get off the high horse and educate, not regulate!

 

[jbtm]

"i was guna do it... untill he said soddering... " Your possible example of someone who doesn't know much about lasers..? Let alone spelling of soldering

Schools should teach the dangers of lasers, just like you learn about guns

 

[LSRFAQ]

, I say get off the high horse and educate, not regulate!

You've posted this EXACT same response to me three times in 3 different threads.

So you have a whole new idea of "No Child Left Behind?"

So , I guess we modify the safety curriculum of every elementary school in the US, so you can own a 1 watt pointer? Interesting!

I've got no problems with homebuilds. I have a problem with concepts such as melamine in baby formula.

Steve

 

[zaery]

So , I guess we modify the safety curriculum of every elementary school in the US, so you can own a 1 watt pointer?

Yes, i do think that school curriculum should change depending on what advances in the world. Should we have changed school curriculum to include stuff about dangerous drugs? Yes, and we did. Should we have changed school curriculum to teach kids about STD's that have only arisen in recent years? Yes, and we did.

Bottom line is, things change, and we need to adapt to the change, not fight it. There was a time when electricity was scary, evil, but we changed!

 

[Razako]

A single match if used carelessly can destroy an entire forest or building. Should we make matches cost $100 per match book to keep them away from idiots?

What about fireworks? If used irresponsibly they can start fires, maim and kill. Society has no real practical need for them other than entertainment. Should we simply ban all fireworks?

Magnifying glasses?

Baseball bats?

Alcohol?

Big scary knives?

Where does it end?

Don't ban something just because idiots and malicious people can abuse it. The key is to educate and then heavily punish the people who do abuse things.

 

[Razako]

QUOTE:

"Besides, even people who may be uneducated when it comes to lasers, can still understand the power...."

Your assuming a person of reasonable mental age, competency and common sense. What about a unsupervised child? What about a unsupervised child, out about town?

My cousin's kid is 9, barely controllable, prone to violence, and he comes to mind immediately. He walks up to you on the street, holding one of these after watching Harry Potter, or, that very violent Anime his mom lets him watch on cable. Does the average person even recognize it ?

Price is a issue because price controls availability, and lasers are starting to follow Moore's law.

Steve

Yeah and what if that stupid kid gets hold of his parents' gun? Or some illegal fireworks that his older brother has stashed and blows his fingers off/starts a fire/blinds himself? What if he brings a kitchen knife to school and stabs someone he doesn't like?

If a laser has a key-interlock then just hide the key if you're worried about little brother getting into your laser collection and going out to play harry potter on the street. It's a lot like how you wouldn't leave a loaded gun in an accessible area if children are in the house.

 

[photonaholic]

There are rich idiots and intelligent poor people, hell there is even intelligent homeless people.

what difference will a price make? none.

It does not require an IQ to have money.

I know a dude who is a complete dolt, drove his car off the road, sued the county for not having a sign, and he gets 10,000 dollars 3 times a year mailed to him.

He spends it on crack cocaine.....

I also know people who are struggling to pay bills who are graduates with engineering degrees.

what's the price have to do with anything??

I for one am tired of seeing threads like this. You are not going to be able to do anything about it, and nothing is really going to change in the long run. At the most, we will all just have to build the things ourselves.

Just sit back and watch, I have a feeling nothing will change. Kids have had access to lasers capable of burning for awhile now.

MMH ----

I have purchased much more powerful lasers from ebay. 15 to 40 WATT CO2, 40 Watt 808 modules etc. There always will be something bigger and better out there.
Who do YOU want to decide what I can own?
HMike

 

[StardustSprinkles]

I don't think it's irrisponsible, mainly because alot of these idiots will still be going "200$ for a dumb light? I can buy a flashlight brighter than 1W at home depot for 20$!" You all have to keep in mind that most people have no idea what 445nm means. This works both ways though... For those that did buy it and don't know how 1W in a collimated beam is more dangerous than 20-50W in a flashlight.

 

[cmak]

I love how you seem to think idiots don't come with money. Have you ever looked at the hip-hop industry?

+1

-Chris

 

[Exerd]

So , I guess we modify the safety curriculum of every elementary school in the US, so you can own a 1 watt pointer? Interesting!

Steve

Seriously Steve, get off it.

What exactly are you pushing? I read your posts, and still cannot make any sense out of what you are trying to propose. It seems to me you have this inept understanding that a high price somehow equals safety for everyone.

On another note, that kipkay guy has a voice which gives me nightmares.

 

[heruursciences]

I think the MARKETING method is irresponsible, they are marketing them as a weapon, and dangerous device. This will attract the wrong type of people, just wait until one gets used as a robbery weapon or to intentionally blind a police officer. Then these and probably all laser pointers will be banned.

FWIW you could build a similar unit for about $75 in parts, so the cost is fine, similar to what I would have charged for one of these things. Sadly, there are plenty of high dollar markets for these things that WL overlooked that would have generated a lot of cash without shooting themselves in the foot.

 

[Razako]

Seriously Steve, get off it.

What exactly are you pushing? I read your posts, and still cannot make any sense out of what you are trying to propose. It seems to me you have this inept understanding that a high price somehow equals safety for everyone.

On another note, that kipkay guy has a voice which gives me nightmares.

lsrfaq has always been what you could call the "safety nazi" of this forum depending on how you look at things. Also he has a way of saying things that some people may find provocative or strongly disagree with. On the other hand he does contribute some very useful things when it comes to safety information. You just can't follow it all word-for-word or you won't have much fun with your lasers.

 

[Razako]

I think the MARKETING method is irresponsible, they are marketing them as a weapon, and dangerous device. This will attract the wrong type of people, just wait until one gets used as a robbery weapon or to intentionally blind a police officer. Then these and probably all laser pointers will be banned.

FWIW you could build a similar unit for about $75 in parts, so the cost is fine, similar to what I would have charged for one of these things. Sadly, there are plenty of high dollar markets for these things that WL overlooked that would have generated a lot of cash without shooting themselves in the foot.

If I was a police officer I'd rather the bad guy pull a laser on me than a gun. Also it's pretty stupid on the bad guys part because it gives the police the right to return fire with their own lethal weapons.

 

[HumanSymphony]

If I was a police officer I'd rather the bad guy pull a laser on me than a gun. Also it's pretty stupid on the bad guys part because it gives the police the right to return fire with their own lethal weapons.

Well, depending on where you're shot, you could be patched up. But if you're blind, you're f***ed