Author Topic: Dell D520? (Read 3602 times)

Cryptinox · « **on:** May 22, 2022, 01:41:48 PM »

Does anyone know what year the Dell D520 came out? I am asking because there is one for sale in my area and I'd be interested in buying it if it came out before the Patriot Act.

Yeti · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2022, 02:59:29 PM »

What does the Patriot Act have to do with anything? Are you afraid of backdoors in the circuitry? If you are, that sort of thing goes back long before the Patriot Act. The Pentium III was released in 1999, and I remember the controversy at the time with the unique serial number embedded in all of them that almost any software could read.

It is possible, though, to use even modern electronics in a way that protects your privacy if you know what you're doing. If you're interested in this sort of thing, there is a great podcast by a guy who is a privacy expert and helps people live under the radar and off the grid. He actually is a full-time expert on how to live anonymously in the modern world. A lot of his techniques are burdensome and complex to implement, but you might want to give his podcast a listen if you're into this sort of thing. I think he published a how-to manual, too, on how to be anonymous in the world today.

Yeti · « **Reply #2 on:** May 22, 2022, 03:05:31 PM »

I can't remember a lot of the details of what he talks about, since I didn't listen to it all that much, but it involves a lot of stuff like buying thing with cash, buying computers (and electronic devices in general) at garage sales so even if someone hacks the computer, they won't know who's using it, burner phones, fake names, fake phone numbers, having your car owned by a corporation (?), using a P.O. box for your driver's license, disposable email addresses, social engineering (calling up places and tricking them into accepting your fake name or your shell-corporation-owned credit card number), VPNs, privacy software, password managers, and so on.

Some of it could be used for nefarious purposes, but he helps people hide from criminals or the media or other nefarious entities, such as movie stars who are trying to dodge the paparazzi, people in witness protection, people hiding from vindictive exes, and similar things.

Ladislaus · « **Reply #3 on:** May 22, 2022, 03:08:07 PM »

Quick search suggests 2006 or late 2005.

They can track you no matter what, so I wouldn't particulary worry about it. I think lots of people have delusions of grandeur believing that the government has an interest in them.

Cryptinox · « **Reply #4 on:** May 22, 2022, 03:16:57 PM »

Quote from: Yeti on May 22, 2022, 03:05:31 PM

I can't remember a lot of the details of what he talks about, since I didn't listen to it all that much, but it involves a lot of stuff like buying thing with cash, buying computers (and electronic devices in general) at garage sales so even if someone hacks the computer, they won't know who's using it, burner phones, fake names, fake phone numbers, having your car owned by a corporation (?), using a P.O. box for your driver's license, disposable email addresses, social engineering (calling up places and tricking them into accepting your fake name or your shell-corporation-owned credit card number), VPNs, privacy software, password managers, and so on.

Some of it could be used for nefarious purposes, but he helps people hide from criminals or the media or other nefarious entities, such as movie stars who are trying to dodge the paparazzi, people in witness protection, people hiding from vindictive exes, and similar things.

My interest is getting a separate computer so that facebook doesn't get my information. I want to get an account so I can use marketplace.

CathInfo.com

Author Topic: Dell D520? (Read 3602 times)

Cryptinox

Dell D520?

Yeti

Re: Dell D520?

Yeti

Re: Dell D520?

Ladislaus

Re: Dell D520?

Cryptinox

Re: Dell D520?