I just saw this thread >> http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=63483

This was the OP's first post on this forum:
Now I don't know who this guy is and he could be the Pope for all I know so this is by no means meant to deride his character or a comment about his honesty but that's the point! :

No one knows who this guy is and from a simple search of his forum profile we find that his only posts and involvement in our organization have been in that one dang thread. :eek

>> http://talk.maemo.org/search.php?searchid=8710400

While reading that thread it became apparent that he did not know, or was just learning about the capabilities and limitations of the N900. We also see in that thread where some good intentioned members tried to help him out... Fortunately the thread has been closed but others may come and this is why I am calling for restraint.

In the future I am proposing that we refrain from posting instructions on how to defeat or circumvent a users security code. Instead, perhaps we should refer then to Nokia or if they are a known member, contacted via PM.

I realize that there are pro'ly plenty of web sites where this info could be found but none as visible and easy to join as talk.maemo.org

I would hate to think that a users security code can be compromised as easily as joining this site and making a few posts.

i'll second that! if there is a way to circumvent the lock code and we're willing to tell anyone who takes the time to create an account after 'acquiring' an n900, whats the point in having the lock code?

I third that notion as well

Fortunately, that user essentially got rid of himself. I agree that we should send users seeking to overcome security features to Nokia.

Edit: BTW, the title could have been more descriptive. I thought maybe we were considering invading North Korea and someone was against it...

I agree.

The other thing also is that for many people that come here, English is not even their first language, how would you manage if you had to figure out something in a different language without a translator... either way the bottom line is if someone is asking for help is because they really need help otherwise they would not be asking for help in the first place, I'm quite sure when they find an answer that they will share it with others (i do), so would be nice if some people around here sometimes were more patient.

I'm pretty sure that with all the developers on this forum we would have the power to launch a decent attack on N.Korea's computer systems

Possibly a sticky in the Maemo 5 / Fremantle sub-forum is in order.

Something along the lines of:

Any suggestions on the content of the sticky would be welcome.

Edit: YoDude, could you change the thread title to something more descriptive?

I agree. But, at the same time, will admit that I would be willing to help out someone who's been around at this forum for a longer time. Let's say, hypothetically, that Gerbrick asks for an unlock code for his n900. Should I not be willing to share?

Fun put aside, I think in some rare cases people ought to be helped out, but the majority of silly questions seem to come from people that have posted once or twice.

I disagree myself.

Anti-theft measures are better handled by IMEI blacklisting.

A device lock that can be disabled by a reflash, then read out and brute forced, is not really a device lock. All it does is delay the inevitable.

My vote would be for a theft sticky advising people to go to their local government communications bureau to submit their IMEI rather than make a big deal about device locks that are really only designed to prevent access to the rootfs until reflash.

That's just me though. I'll happily type out how to do it if I see someone ask, no matter the post count : )

Maybe we just should start to keep a list of IMEIs of stolen N900s, and developers would start to put checking subroutines in their applications. When stolen IMEI is noticed, report it silently with SMS.

I at least know one IMEI of stolen N900, and I can in some degree prove it with documents.

I'd like Nokia to have a database of proven stolen IMEIs, so when firmware upgrade comes, it would report the IMSIs of stolen IMEIs. Of course the problem is, how to prove some IMEI is stolen one, so people just don't make DOS-attacks against each others by falsely reporting stolen IMEIs.

I wonder why Nokia chose so poor security policy to N900. Everyone has known for ages XXX is broken.

We would need to have Wiki how to use TrueCrypt to encrypt whole /home/user/MyDocs and if possible also /home.