Posts by Matthew Jackson2

It seems like I’m constantly being kicked back to the login screen right when I’m trying to post, even though I was definitely already signed in.

And then, just when you think you've finally bypassed the login hurdle, you get hit with this sudden error message:
Code:

Once that pops up, everything is gone—the entire post just vanishes into thin air, no matter what I try to do to save it.

Jack Cook7 said:Well, not exactly, because passwords aren't actually stored in the database in their original plain-text form; they're hashed using MD5 or SHA1/128/256 or whatever else.

So, even if you somehow manage to get your hands on the password database, you wouldn't be able to just log in using those strings. That’s literally what hashing is designed to prevent.

To be honest, MD5 is about as secure as a screen door on a submarine, and while the SHA algorithms are a step up depending on which version you're looking at, by today's modern standards, none of them are really adequate for actual protection.

I'm not entirely sure what specific stack this particular forum is running, but back in the day, vBulletin used to rely on double MD5—where you hash the password, add a salt, and then hash it all over again. While that does technically kill off pre-calculated attacks, it doesn't actually provide a massive leap in security compared to just using basic MD5 plus a salt. I don't know if they migrated to something more robust later on, but whenever I hear someone on a support desk claiming that double MD5 is significantly more secure than standard salted MD5, it immediately sets off red flags for me. It feels like tech-babble meant to soothe people who don't know better.

Furthermore, we have to consider that SQL injection attacks don't necessarily require someone to read a password to be successful. If an attacker can extract enough information to forge a "remember me" cookie, they can bypass the login process entirely without ever needing to touch a single password string.

In some poorly architected systems, it might even be possible to change a password through such a vulnerability, though the downside there is that the user usually realizes they've been compromised once they find themselves locked out of their own account.

There's also the issue of other potential attack vectors, like advertisements. If they aren't implemented correctly—and I've personally dealt with a few incidents on various US message boards where ads caused malicious redirects because they weren't properly sandboxed—they can end up having access to data they should never have been touching in the first place.

Noah Perez5 said:I suppose I have to agree. The political and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic will likely remain a relevant topic for many years to come.

Even if you look at the epidemiological data—though I wonder how many people actually bother to follow those daily reports anymore—the context remains incredibly significant, regardless of how much effort is being made right now to sweep everything under the rug.

Then again, I guess it’s also true that most people have simply reached their breaking point and just don't care about any of it anymore...

Spot on. The political and economic dimensions, both regarding the pandemic itself and the way the government responded to it, are going to stay inextricably linked to our broader national discourse for a very long time.

From a scientific and epidemiological standpoint, if we fail to actually extract some meaningful lessons from all of this, then frankly, we haven't earned our place as a civilized society.

Then again, the reality is that for most people, they've already checked out of all of this for one reason or another...

There were plenty of folks who had already checked out back in 2020, so I suppose they feel they shouldn't be forced to pay attention now.

But then you have the other group—those whose motives for silencing the debate aren't nearly as innocent. They’re looking for an amnesty today, but mark my words, they'll find themselves repeating the exact same mistakes when the next crisis hits...

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ar...veness/671879/

The issue with this Adobe file is that it doesn't actually belong to any single category; it’s more like a chaotic cocktail of everything under the sun—health, social issues, politics, the economy, science, philosophy... you name it.

I honestly think the whole concept was doomed from the get-go because there isn't a logical home for it now. Instead of trying to jam everything into one massive document, we should have just tackled specific topics within their respective subreddits, using the Adobe file merely as a curated collection of links to those discussions. If we just shut down this particular thread, every topic would finally land exactly where it belongs. For instance, under the economics section, we'd still have active threads debating how both COVID-19 and the subsequent government mandates impacted the economy—which remains a vital conversation, especially when you consider the current inflation rates we're all dealing with.

Just a bit of unsolicited advice here—looking at this from one angle, the forum offers a certain level of anonymity, and since nobody truly knows the inner workings of how everything is managed behind the scenes, it’s actually quite easy to mask an alt account. But then again, if someone has reached a point in their life where they’ve shaken off their old ways, or perhaps they realized they were playing some shady games in the past and now genuinely want a clean slate, isn't it much more honorable to just come out and say so? On one hand, I feel we should give people a second chance rather than catering to those who prefer to lurk in the shadows; however, on the other hand, if the admins know exactly who is behind the screen, they’re going to be significantly less forgiving if that person decides to fall right back into their old, toxic patterns.

Anthony Perez9 said:Democracy only works until someone decides to come along and take those freedoms away by force.
That kind of thing has no business being in the mainstream media. ☕

In a purely academic sense, you’ve got a point. But when you look at how things actually play out in the real world—and I mean really look at the messy reality of it—this approach just pushes everyone with an unpopular opinion into the shadows, far away from public scrutiny. Once you drive them underground, you end up creating these massive echo chambers where radicalization thrives. It's a slippery slope; you take people who might have held relatively moderate, if somewhat disagreeable, views, and by isolating them, you inadvertently turn them into extremists.

brightcrane56 said:It’s not even happening on Reddit. You can clearly see examples right here where a "permanent" ban doesn't actually mean forever. Honestly, I wish they’d give us regular users some insight into how you turn something meant to be permanent into a mere suggestion.

Until we get an official word from the admins, all I can tell you is that there are likely instances where a permanent ban was overturned because someone actually reached out personally and filed a successful appeal.

A notarized affidavit swearing on your life that you’ll actually follow the forum rules from here on out, sent via certified mail directly to our corporate headquarters.

All jokes aside, "perma" in a perma-ban is just shorthand for permanent—as in, forever. I think that provides a perfectly adequate answer to your question; if something is described as permanent, it means it's permanent. It doesn't leave much room for interpretation, does it?

Regarding the thread http://www.reddit.com/r/discussion_thread_placeholder, I posted my reply, but for some reason, it’s just not showing up. At first, I genuinely thought my internet had just cut out on me—I mean, I was staring at the screen thinking the connection had died—so I tried posting it again, but still nothing. I even attempted using the quick reply feature, which actually seemed to work momentarily, but then the second I hit refresh, it vanished into thin air.

On the main topic list, it clearly indicates that my response is the most recent one, yet when I try to click the arrow to jump straight to it, the page just snaps back to the very top, leaving me staring at an empty space where my comment should be.

Gerald Chavez7 said:https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...12.14.472630v1

Nine different antibody treatments—including Trump’s so-called "wonder drug" Remdesivir—are basically useless against Omicron... Great. It might slightly nudge the IFR (for those without immunity—whether from vaccines, previous infection, or both), but that's about it.

If people who have already recovered face about a 1% risk of being reinfected by Omicron, then why on earth wouldn't their own antibodies work when we filter them and administer them as a therapeutic treatment? I mean, surely we shouldn't be overlooking all the other defense mechanisms our bodies use to fight off viruses, which remain completely unaffected by how many antibodies we happen to have floating around in our system?

This could actually have some pretty significant implications regarding the whole booster debate...

So, when you actually sit down and look at the data without all the political noise, the only logical conclusion you can draw is that instead of aggressively pushing these shots on kids and teenagers, we really ought to be focusing our energy on getting that third dose out to high-risk groups and ensuring the elderly who haven't been vaccinated yet finally get their coverage.

Gerald Chavez7 said:Compared to what happened in South Africa? Definitely. They’ve got a much younger population—and about 70% of them have already been through it.


America

Meanwhile, here in the States, we’re sitting at a 55% vaccination rate. Or do you honestly believe the vaccine doesn't offer protection against more severe cases from the micron level up?

And honestly, why does South Africa see such a massive age gap in their data? Are you under the impression that for COVID, the primary risk factor is just chronological age on a calendar, or is it biological—meaning the actual physiological state of an aging body?

frozenraven22 said:Maybe Omicron will learn some manners when it finally hits the West and realize it needs to follow the rules and stop being so damn infectious.

@samoistina
@teamskeptici

And more lethal? ☕

crimsonhawk20 said:Exactly. But it also makes you wonder—how long was that strain actually circulating in the JAR before they even confirmed it? Especially since the symptoms were so mild... could it have been around for months?

Listen, maybe tell that to the people who actually died from Omicron—you know, the ones for whom it wasn't exactly "mild" or "nothing to worry about." Is it really worth acting like it's no big deal?

Do you really think Norway is some chaotic mess where everyone just does whatever they want and rules are basically suggestions? The data shows about 72% are fully vaccinated—plus another ten percent with at least one dose—so they’re actually leading the pack. Besides, tell me... where exactly are the "privileged" ones getting tested before they even step into their offices? And what kind of test besides a PCR could even detect Omicron anyway?

Everyone coming in from the JAR area had a COVID pass and a negative PCR test—everyone. That was the absolute requirement just to board the plane.
People started showing symptoms right after they stepped off the plane. I think maybe 30% of the passengers were affected—so, what does that tell you? It basically means there wasn't any other way to catch it besides being on that flight—likely through aerosols circulating in the ventilation system.

One person is enough, but they can infect a whole crowd in a really short window. Now the real question is how many people spread that strain in the meantime? Here in the States, vaccinated folks don't get tested—and honestly, it's the same in plenty of other countries too. The door is wide open for it to spread.

I'm worried this variant is just the start of a whole new series of Omicron-based mutations. The real question is—how dangerous will they get? And then, before we know it, another one pops up on the other side of the world, and so on...

It could have, and frankly, it could have been spreading through Europe for just as long.

On a side note, South Africa has some of the most cutting-edge sequencing labs in the world, whereas our own domestic facilities are supposedly plagued by equipment failures; I recall hearing rumors that we were right on the verge of identifying a local variant, but the damn machine broke down just when we needed it most.

Oh, sure, why don't you go tell that to the people who actually died from Omicron? Tell them how "mild" and "harmless" it is supposed to be, as if that’s going to provide any actual comfort.

Right now, we only have one documented case to look at:

Britain gave no details on the death other than the person had been diagnosed in hospital. It was not clear if the patient had been vaccinated or had underlying health issues.

Maybe you should try giving that same lecture to the folks who lost their lives to Delta or those earlier strains.

Do you honestly think Norway is some lawless backwater where everyone just does whatever they want and ignores every regulation? The data shows they have a 72% full vaccination rate, with another ten percent having received at least one dose, so they are leading the pack. Besides, tell me, where exactly are these "privileged" vaccinated individuals being tested when they enter workplaces? And what kind of test besides a PCR can even detect Omicron in the first place?

All the passengers arriving from South Africa held valid COVID passes along with negative PCR tests. Every single one of them! That is the standard requirement just to board a flight.
Then, immediately after stepping off the plane, they started showing symptoms. If my memory serves, it was roughly 30% of the passengers. Which leads me to believe there wasn't any other window for infection outside of that aircraft—it had to have been the aerosolized particles circulating through the ventilation system.

I suppose that means the strain just spontaneously manifested mid-flight by divine intervention, then?

Gerald Chavez7 said:Of course I don't know. For all we know, we don't even know if patient zero was ever actually in the Jar...

Look, I have no idea where patient zero actually surfaced, but I do know that regarding the claim made by crimsonhawk20—that it originated in Africa—we simply lack the evidence to back that up.

What we actually observe is that highly vaccinated nations are still seeing high incidence rates, which means we can't just rule out the possibility that the variant emerged right there in their own backyard. My thinking goes like this: if a strain evolved in Africa specifically to bypass vaccine-induced immunity, it wouldn't actually gain much of an evolutionary advantage there, since vaccination rates aren't nearly as high; without other specific advantages present in that population, other strains would likely just outcompete it. On the flip side, you have to consider that a strain capable of evading vaccine-induced immunity provides a massive evolutionary leap in countries with high vaccination coverage. It’s basic biological pressure, really.

crimsonhawk20 said:There's more than one layer to this problem—really, it goes quite deep.
First off—since the virus is mutating within a population where HIV is already extremely prevalent—there’s no way to be certain we haven't missed a piece of the puzzle. What if this next mutation—and let's face it, more are likely coming—finds a way to bypass or crash a person's immune system upon entry? If that happens, and mild symptoms are followed by sudden nausea or a total immune collapse... things could get incredibly dangerous.
It’s spreading 3 to 4 times faster than Delta—which is pretty scary, honestly. And what's even worse? Unlike the previous variants, it seems like this one is traveling through ventilation systems—think airplanes, ships, offices, or malls... things that have been confirmed by officials over in the European Union and the UK. I've heard stories of people—fully vaccinated and tested—boarding a plane, keeping their distance, testing negative right after landing, and then suddenly developing symptoms just two or three days later. Isn't that wild?
The third—and honestly the best—example comes from Norway. At a Christmas party for about a hundred people, over 80 of them ended up catching Omicron. Every single one was vaccinated, and everyone was perfectly healthy leading up to it. It just goes to show that the virus can bypass the vaccine's effects. Is there even a difference between being vaccinated or not at this point?

They aren't shutting down the Fed for no reason... they know there's a real risk out there—and anything could happen.

Just because it was first detected in one spot doesn't mean that's necessarily where it crawled out of. It was later identified in samples from across Europe that had been taken much earlier.

That said, even if it did originate right there, I’d say your level of anxiety is roughly comparable to worrying about a random meteor hitting your house.

Second, this thing spreads three to four times faster than Delta. Even worse, unlike previous variants, it seems it's spreading through ventilation systems too—think airplanes, ships, office buildings, malls—which has been confirmed by the relevant authorities in the European Union and the UK. You have people who were vaccinated and tested boarding a plane, maintaining distance, testing negative upon landing, and then developing full-blown symptoms just two or three days later.

But wait, was every single vaccinated person actually tested? And was the specific test they used even capable of detecting this particular strain?

Look, we already know that vaccinated individuals are far more susceptible to Omicron than they were to Delta, so if not everyone was tested, or if the tests themselves couldn't catch Omicron, that offers a much more logical explanation than suggesting the virus is somehow fundamentally changing its physical particle properties. The coronavirus spreads via aerosols, which means any filter capable of blocking Delta should inherently block Omicron, because the virus resides in droplets of essentially the same size regardless of the strain.

Of course, that assumes the filter was functioning correctly in the first place. If it wasn't, then a single infected person could be responsible for a massive outbreak.

Third, the best example comes from Norway, where at a Christmas party for about a hundred people, over eighty of them caught Omicron. Every single one of them was vaccinated and perfectly healthy until that moment. This proves the virus is successfully bypassing the efficacy of the vaccines. Being vaccinated versus unvaccinated is effectively the same thing here.

They aren't shutting down the UK for no reason... they know the danger is real and that anything could happen.

And remember, when we were all warning that the emergence of a variant like this was inevitable, we were just dismissed as conspiracy theorists...

Carol Jackson2 said:Sure, you could argue they died because of the omicron variant. 🕺

death of patient with the omicron variant

Sure, you can "interpret" things if you really want to play word games, but let’s be honest—a death resulting from the Omicron variant isn't some philosophical riddle; it has a very specific, very literal meaning. If you don't have hard evidence to back up your little alternative reading, then you really ought to stick to the translation that accounts for all the valid interpretations, because otherwise, you aren't just interpreting the news—you're straight-up rewriting it.

mellownomad7 said:Some frantic guy from the United Kingdom is claiming they've got one death from Omicron and that the world is basically ending. ☕

Cheers

The original article actually says "with Omicron," but our media outlets always insist on translating it as "from Omicron."

urbanwalker72 said:Think of it like this: if a booster only bumps up our protection against Omicron by about 25%, it’s like trying to stop a massive rainstorm with just a small cocktail umbrella!

If you plugged that 25% directly into an epidemiological model, how much would it actually move the needle? I'd love to see how much that would flatten the curve and dial down the transmission!

So, when it comes to that 25% neutralization boost, does that mean we should be pushing for mandatory vaccinations? It’s like asking if a little extra seasoning makes a meal a requirement—it depends on how you look at the recipe!

Think of it like this: if a booster only bumps up our protection against Omicron by about 25%, it’s like trying to stop a massive rainstorm with just a small cocktail umbrella!

If you plugged that 25% directly into an epidemiological model, how much would it actually move the needle? I'd love to see how much that would flatten the curve and dial down the transmission!

So, when it comes to that 25% neutralization boost, does that mean we should be pushing for mandatory vaccinations? It’s like asking if a little extra seasoning makes a meal a requirement—it depends on how you look at the recipe!
It all depends on the clinical presentation and mortality rates caused by omicron. We shouldn't look at the situation through the lens of the USA, but rather how things are playing out in Europe. I find it hard to believe that mandating vaccines is worth the effort at this stage.
It all depends on the clinical presentation and mortality rates caused by omicron. We shouldn't look at the situation through the lens of the USA, but rather how things are playing out in Europe. I find it hard to believe that mandating vaccines is worth the effort at this stage.
In principle, I'm on board with that, but if this variant ends up driving up death rates among younger people significantly, then mandatory shots won't even be an issue—unless, of course, the damage already done by the "experts" to public trust in the medical establishment proves to be irreparable. We really don't want to end up in a situation like that fable about the boy who cried wolf, where nobody listens when there's a genuine crisis because they've been burned too many times before.

rustywalker82 said:The issue is you're trying to play games with the facts by acting like we had all the current Omicron mortality data sitting right in front of us two weeks ago.🙂

Fauci basically stated that every single American needs to get a booster shot based on potential threats—threats we’re actually going to understand much better by the time the people who truly need them most, like those at high risk whose immunity is already flagging and could face fatal consequences from Delta, even get to the front of the line for that third dose.

So, if you look at what he actually said, he didn't achieve anything useful other than being dramatic—and by dramatic, I mean intentionally stirring up panic. If he had simply said, "Look, we need to gather more data and be prepared for this possibility," then fine, that would be prudent; that would be a sensible plan in case the fears turn out to be justified. But instead, he went ahead and declared that everyone must get a third dose, even though he clearly knew we wouldn't have the full picture until long after any actual rollout could happen.