Laptop thief humiliated by computer's original owner... film at Vimeo
March 25, 2011 11:07 AM Subscribe
I could have sworn we had this thread already and the MeFi conclusion was that we should pity the poor thief who might be an innocent victim of circumstance.
posted by Artw at 11:24 AM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Artw at 11:24 AM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
I was just reading this from...
He returned it, better then dancing in jail.
posted by clavdivs at 11:27 AM on March 25, 2011
He returned it, better then dancing in jail.
posted by clavdivs at 11:27 AM on March 25, 2011
So glad that we have this socially acceptable opportunity to shame someone on the internet
posted by KokuRyu at 11:30 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by KokuRyu at 11:30 AM on March 25, 2011
No hard drive, BIOS, or user account password on the laptop? For shame.
posted by benzenedream at 11:32 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by benzenedream at 11:32 AM on March 25, 2011
Nice gesture on the part of the tech-savvy guy who got his laptop back.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:32 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:32 AM on March 25, 2011
Mark Bao: Laptop thief suffers revenge of the nerd
Them newspaper guys sure are funny! Cuz its like the movie title! And that kid is a nerd!
posted by Ad hominem at 11:33 AM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Them newspaper guys sure are funny! Cuz its like the movie title! And that kid is a nerd!
posted by Ad hominem at 11:33 AM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Never leave your laptop unattended in the dorm lounge.
Or how about if you see someone has left their laptop in the dorm lounge, don't be a dick and assume that you can just take it.
posted by windbox at 11:41 AM on March 25, 2011 [14 favorites]
Or how about if you see someone has left their laptop in the dorm lounge, don't be a dick and assume that you can just take it.
posted by windbox at 11:41 AM on March 25, 2011 [14 favorites]
Bao told the Daily Mail that he holds no grudges against the thief, because "I don't have time nor patience to. There are more important things in life."
...and that's what I'll be remembering about this story.
posted by vverse23 at 11:42 AM on March 25, 2011 [16 favorites]
...and that's what I'll be remembering about this story.
posted by vverse23 at 11:42 AM on March 25, 2011 [16 favorites]
That guy has some nice moves.... and that's what I'll be remembering from this story.
posted by tomswift at 11:44 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by tomswift at 11:44 AM on March 25, 2011
My thoughts too, Blazecock. I appreciated this as a story with minimal retribution in which some good came out of it. And the worst thing that happened was that the thief got his moves posted on the web, which is no worse than what hundreds of thousands of others have done, except of their own accord. Charity benefits all round (even the thief is wearing a LIVESTRONG bracelet!)
posted by salishsea at 11:47 AM on March 25, 2011
posted by salishsea at 11:47 AM on March 25, 2011
The dance moves (and the lyrics) are strangely offset by the lovely flower arrangement over his Mom's kitchen door.
posted by grabbingsand at 11:47 AM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by grabbingsand at 11:47 AM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
No hard drive, BIOS, or user account password on the laptop? For shame.
But if the laptop had been password protected, then the thief wouldn't have been caught.
Personally, I've been thinking of setting up my Macbook to dual boot, so if I hold down the "option" key at boot I go into my "real" password protected system; but if a thief get my laptop and boots it, it goes straight to a "honeypot" system that takes pictures and is remotely accessible.
posted by bobo123 at 11:49 AM on March 25, 2011 [25 favorites]
But if the laptop had been password protected, then the thief wouldn't have been caught.
Personally, I've been thinking of setting up my Macbook to dual boot, so if I hold down the "option" key at boot I go into my "real" password protected system; but if a thief get my laptop and boots it, it goes straight to a "honeypot" system that takes pictures and is remotely accessible.
posted by bobo123 at 11:49 AM on March 25, 2011 [25 favorites]
No hard drive, BIOS, or user account password on the laptop? For shame.
Here's the interesting thing though: I have Prey installed on my laptop, but in order for it to function, it needs to autoconnect to wifi. To function at a higher level, someone needs to be actively using it. If the computer is locked down (like mine is), any tracking software has dubious worth, especially since the computer probably won't be powered on for long. Prey actually recommends that you enable a guest account, which I haven't done yet, but there's a definite trade off between security and the likelihood of recovering the computer.
I guess the best practice is to have everything constantly backed up and locked down so tight that you don't care about the physical machine, but I'm not at that place yet.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 11:51 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Here's the interesting thing though: I have Prey installed on my laptop, but in order for it to function, it needs to autoconnect to wifi. To function at a higher level, someone needs to be actively using it. If the computer is locked down (like mine is), any tracking software has dubious worth, especially since the computer probably won't be powered on for long. Prey actually recommends that you enable a guest account, which I haven't done yet, but there's a definite trade off between security and the likelihood of recovering the computer.
I guess the best practice is to have everything constantly backed up and locked down so tight that you don't care about the physical machine, but I'm not at that place yet.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 11:51 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
My laptop has never been stolen because I never go anywhere and I'm so lonely.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:51 AM on March 25, 2011 [27 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 11:51 AM on March 25, 2011 [27 favorites]
The previous story, where I definitely had a firm dislike of the avenging geek, was different. The guy only found the laptop after a few months, meaning that the hardware had probably changed hands at least once, and the person he was shaming (including revealing their sexual preferences (large asses), their name, their address, and other details presented in a mocking manner) probably wasn't even the thief, but rather someone who had purchased a stolen laptop. Still a crime, yes, but not the crime that he was being accused of.
I think it's still weird that the guy chose to publicly shame the thief when he could have just turned the evidence straight to the police without posting anything online, but he acted with a lot more class than the douchebag who revealed all of the personal information he could find to someone he couldn't confirm was the thief at a hacker conference, and then across the internet. The way some people responded to it makes me think that they'd want the stocks to come back in style.
Let this be a lesson to laptop thieves: if you don't understand computers yourself then either sell it as soon as possible or take it to a friend who does, and wipe the whole thing.
posted by codacorolla at 11:52 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think it's still weird that the guy chose to publicly shame the thief when he could have just turned the evidence straight to the police without posting anything online, but he acted with a lot more class than the douchebag who revealed all of the personal information he could find to someone he couldn't confirm was the thief at a hacker conference, and then across the internet. The way some people responded to it makes me think that they'd want the stocks to come back in style.
Let this be a lesson to laptop thieves: if you don't understand computers yourself then either sell it as soon as possible or take it to a friend who does, and wipe the whole thing.
posted by codacorolla at 11:52 AM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've installed an armored web-cam on my laptop along with a remotely controlled explosive device. I intend to similarly embarrass thieves by uploading videos of them explode-dying on Youtube.
posted by dgaicun at 11:52 AM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by dgaicun at 11:52 AM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
Never leave your laptop unattended in the dorm lounge.
At least it's not as bad as leaving your computer at the campus bus stop. The police officer couldn't stop laughing at me while I made the police report.
posted by pecknpah at 12:37 PM on March 25, 2011 [4 favorites]
At least it's not as bad as leaving your computer at the campus bus stop. The police officer couldn't stop laughing at me while I made the police report.
posted by pecknpah at 12:37 PM on March 25, 2011 [4 favorites]
The guy only found the laptop after a few months, meaning that the hardware had probably changed hands at least once
You sure about that? I knew a few thiefs in my younger days and they would just as soon keep the property as sell it. Not everyone is a high class cat burglar with international contacts to sell off merchandise.
posted by P.o.B. at 12:52 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
You sure about that? I knew a few thiefs in my younger days and they would just as soon keep the property as sell it. Not everyone is a high class cat burglar with international contacts to sell off merchandise.
posted by P.o.B. at 12:52 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
You sure about that? I knew a few thiefs in my younger days and they would just as soon keep the property as sell it. Not everyone is a high class cat burglar with international contacts to sell off merchandise.
The point is that you can't be sure either way. That's why we have a court of laws, and not mob justice.
posted by codacorolla at 12:55 PM on March 25, 2011
The point is that you can't be sure either way. That's why we have a court of laws, and not mob justice.
posted by codacorolla at 12:55 PM on March 25, 2011
What I find most interesting about the whole story is that the thief was able to walk into a police station, admit to this crime AND an additional trespassing charge, provide them with physical evidence of his crime, and walk back out.
posted by nomisxid at 12:55 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by nomisxid at 12:55 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
That guy has some nice moves....
Shame about the lyrics, though:
"sweep it with your hands b-tch
watch her take that
she said ..."
Maybe he was offering Bao a lapdance and took the laptop in payment?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:56 PM on March 25, 2011
Shame about the lyrics, though:
"sweep it with your hands b-tch
watch her take that
she said ..."
Maybe he was offering Bao a lapdance and took the laptop in payment?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:56 PM on March 25, 2011
I could have sworn we had this thread already and the MeFi conclusion was that we should pity the poor thief who might be an innocent victim of circumstance.
It's like I'm in a time loop or something.
Did I accidentally steal someones laptop with a time-loop trap? If so I was a dick and totally deserve it.
posted by Artw at 12:58 PM on March 25, 2011
It's like I'm in a time loop or something.
Did I accidentally steal someones laptop with a time-loop trap? If so I was a dick and totally deserve it.
posted by Artw at 12:58 PM on March 25, 2011
For a second, I thought maybe the video would end with Joe Arpaio and Steven Seagal busting through a wall in a tank.
posted by entropone at 1:08 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by entropone at 1:08 PM on March 25, 2011
I like that he went through the effort to track down his laptop and humiliate the thief in the process, only to turn around and sell the laptop for charity.
posted by mysterpigg at 1:12 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by mysterpigg at 1:12 PM on March 25, 2011
That's why we have a court of laws, and not mob justice.
You must have a pretty broad definition for mob justice.
posted by P.o.B. at 1:17 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
You must have a pretty broad definition for mob justice.
posted by P.o.B. at 1:17 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
For a second, I thought maybe the video would end with Joe Arpaio and Steven Seagal busting through a wall in a tank.
Next week they're teaming up with the Kool-Aid Man.
posted by shakespeherian at 1:19 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Next week they're teaming up with the Kool-Aid Man.
posted by shakespeherian at 1:19 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
You may end up publicly humiliated
If I could dance even that well, I'd feel publicly vindicated.
posted by Rykey at 2:02 PM on March 25, 2011
If I could dance even that well, I'd feel publicly vindicated.
posted by Rykey at 2:02 PM on March 25, 2011
But if the laptop had been password protected, then the thief wouldn't have been caught.
Depends on which level passwords were enabled. Current software like Computrace (haven't used it personally) embeds itself in the BIOS and supposedly will survive a hard drive swap or reformat. Whether you want a semi-dangerous rootkit enabled on your BIOS is another question.
posted by benzenedream at 2:18 PM on March 25, 2011
Depends on which level passwords were enabled. Current software like Computrace (haven't used it personally) embeds itself in the BIOS and supposedly will survive a hard drive swap or reformat. Whether you want a semi-dangerous rootkit enabled on your BIOS is another question.
posted by benzenedream at 2:18 PM on March 25, 2011
Talk about humiliating. That's the weirdest masturbation ritual I've ever encountered.
posted by Elmore at 2:33 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by Elmore at 2:33 PM on March 25, 2011
Related: What happens when you steal a hacker's computer (NSFW language, images)
posted by hellojed at 2:38 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by hellojed at 2:38 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Man, if I stole this guy's laptop, he'd have hours of creepy b-roll footage of me, in my underwear, drinking and interneting. Perhaps occasionally weeping.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 3:17 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 3:17 PM on March 25, 2011
We finally got our XBox 360 back recently, and that's mostly because whoever ended up with it (presumably/hopefully through several layers of middlemen) was actually logging in with our account, using our XBox Live Gold, using our Netflix (mostly to watch soft-core porn, along with a Hiroshima documentary), spending whatever points there were on the account on avatar items and shit. Oh, also added their little buddies to the friendslist, and didn't take any of our old friends off. It was almost amusing if it wasn't so maddening. The worst part is when we got the XBox back, all of our old saves had been wiped. Ugh. We had some backups, but not of everything. Time to play through ME1 and ME2 yet again.
We were just going to get another XBox, but when we saw them log in, we decided to wait and hope to get our saves back (not to mention the console itself). It took over 3 months between the local PD, Microsoft, and local ISP to work out the trace. Ugh.
posted by kmz at 3:39 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
We were just going to get another XBox, but when we saw them log in, we decided to wait and hope to get our saves back (not to mention the console itself). It took over 3 months between the local PD, Microsoft, and local ISP to work out the trace. Ugh.
posted by kmz at 3:39 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Fuck this. The guy is a thief, who only returned the very expensive item he stole because he knew he'd been busted. I'm very happy for Mr Tech-Enough-To-Catch-Him-Rich-Enough-To-Buy-Another-Laptop-First, but what about the rest of us poor, ignorant slobs who get ripped off by selfish, greedy, can't dance for shit egotistical fuckers like this gutless sack of slime? You get a warm and fuzzy moral to your personal episode of The Brady Bunch, we get this guy free to walk around to do it to somebody else, like us (because I'm sure this is totally the first time he ever stole anything in his life).
Lock him up. I hope he at least gets kicked out of school.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:06 PM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
Lock him up. I hope he at least gets kicked out of school.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:06 PM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
He returned it, better then dancing in jail.
Or carving a wooden replica.
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:43 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Or carving a wooden replica.
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:43 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Fuck this. The guy is a thief, who only returned the very expensive item he stole because he knew he'd been busted. I'm very happy for Mr Tech-Enough-To-Catch-Him-Rich-Enough-To-Buy-Another-Laptop-First, but what about the rest of us poor, ignorant slobs who get ripped off by selfish, greedy, can't dance for shit egotistical fuckers like this gutless sack of slime? You get a warm and fuzzy moral to your personal episode of The Brady Bunch, we get this guy free to walk around to do it to somebody else, like us (because I'm sure this is totally the first time he ever stole anything in his life).
You get on with your life and realize that sometimes when you have valuable personal electronics they get stolen. Like every other adult ever.
posted by codacorolla at 5:00 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
You get on with your life and realize that sometimes when you have valuable personal electronics they get stolen. Like every other adult ever.
posted by codacorolla at 5:00 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
The other story was very different. The machine didn't connect to the internet for two years, which is why it seemed very unlikely that the guy who was humiliated was the thief. In addition, innocent people were humiliated by having their intimate photos exposed (with faces showing). Finally, that story had no dancing.
posted by Danila at 5:19 PM on March 25, 2011
posted by Danila at 5:19 PM on March 25, 2011
Or how about if you see someone has left their laptop in the dorm lounge, don't be a dick and assume that you can just take it.
You're right! If I was smart, I would adopt this security policy. What could go wrong?
posted by Brocktoon at 6:38 PM on March 25, 2011
You're right! If I was smart, I would adopt this security policy. What could go wrong?
posted by Brocktoon at 6:38 PM on March 25, 2011
which is why it seemed very unlikely that the guy who was humiliated was the thief.
Forget all that, the point at which he knew it was stolen property makes him culpable. That could've been from the point at which it came into his posession, whether he stole it or otherwise, or when he was told. No laws were broken by the person the equipment was stolen from.
posted by P.o.B. at 9:29 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Forget all that, the point at which he knew it was stolen property makes him culpable. That could've been from the point at which it came into his posession, whether he stole it or otherwise, or when he was told. No laws were broken by the person the equipment was stolen from.
posted by P.o.B. at 9:29 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Forget all that, the point at which he knew it was stolen property makes him culpable.
Probably, but you don't know. No one knows. Instead of justice being done it's a pathetic nerd revenge fantasy played out in reality. I declined having this conversation in the original thread, and I decline to have it here, but I think it says more about the shamer than the shamed in the way that these stories play out.
posted by codacorolla at 10:10 PM on March 25, 2011
Probably, but you don't know. No one knows. Instead of justice being done it's a pathetic nerd revenge fantasy played out in reality. I declined having this conversation in the original thread, and I decline to have it here, but I think it says more about the shamer than the shamed in the way that these stories play out.
posted by codacorolla at 10:10 PM on March 25, 2011
codacorolla: I agree with your main points, but I just want to say that it is a shitty shitty feeling to have your home broken into. If somebody steals something when I leave it out somewhere, I can shrug it off, but breaking and entering feels like such a personal violation. We've been broken into twice in the last two years, and our sense of security is just gone.
posted by kmz at 2:56 AM on March 26, 2011
posted by kmz at 2:56 AM on March 26, 2011
Probably, but you don't know.
We certainly do know he was willfully using someone else's computer. I guess you should've actually watched the video.
The funny thing is it doesn't become a wash when we don't know, wrong is wrong. Next time your in court try the "I didn't know" argument out and see how it goes.
posted by P.o.B. at 10:37 AM on March 26, 2011
We certainly do know he was willfully using someone else's computer. I guess you should've actually watched the video.
The funny thing is it doesn't become a wash when we don't know, wrong is wrong. Next time your in court try the "I didn't know" argument out and see how it goes.
posted by P.o.B. at 10:37 AM on March 26, 2011
Shame on the nerd dude for owning something. He deserved to have it stolen by the dancing guy.
posted by found missing at 10:49 AM on March 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by found missing at 10:49 AM on March 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
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posted by Brocktoon at 11:21 AM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]