[carpenter1]

C/P

Though this post is located in the Rules section, it's actually not a "rule" in the same way that guidelines on links, double posting, etc. are. You won't be banned for not following these guidelines, though you could find yourself on the wrong end of legal action.

The providers can and do collect information that you post. If you don't believe me, you might want to talk to people who were around during the HU days who found everything they ever posted sitting in a box in an attorney's office. Too many people post without considering the ramifications of their words. Follow these guidelines and you have a much smaller chance of finding yourself in the hot seat.

1. Do NOT admit that you hack television in the forums. That is Rule #1 if you don't want to raise questions. Don't ever say things like "I'm getting BEV on my Viewsat" or "I just loaded the keys and everything is working great!". Speak in broad generalities and only speak theoretically about how one would go about modifying their receivers-- just don't ever use language that says directly that you do it yourself.

Don't Say: I loaded the latest bin and waited for autoroll and now I'm watching TV!
Say: The latest autoroll bin can take a few minutes, but it does work.

Don't say: I'm watching Charlie with a Dish 500 and BEV with a 24" dish and Legacy LNB.
Say: Dish500 works for Charlie and a 24" dish and Legacy LNB will work for BEV.

Don't say: I turned on the TV and noticed all the PPV are missing. What's going on?
Say: Is there an issue with PPV channels? Somebody told me they went down.

Don't say: I want to get international channels on 121. What type of dish do I need?
Say: How would one go about pulling in international channels on 121? What type of dish is required?

Don't say: I have all the channels on 110 but I'm having trouble getting HBO. What should I do?
Say: With a dish pointed at 110 what would be the cause of HBO not appearing in a scan? What would be the proper way to resolve that?

If you write guides and FAQs, explain what you need to explain WITHOUT relating any personal experience. This is probably more important than any of the above because it's those guides that Charlie probably has filed away in his office.

If you post pictures of your dish farm, switches, receivers, or other equipment, don't say what you are watching with it, unless you are watching true FTA. If you post screen shots, DO NOT show pictures of illegally decrypted channels.

Stating how to do something illegal is not illegal. Saying that you do something illegal is a confession to a crime. Just be aware of that.

2. Along the same lines, be VERY careful how you thank contributors in the community. After an ECM fix is released, the first thing Charlie does is look at the "Thanks to the coders" threads. That's where folks are most tempted to give an "atta-boy" for their newly regained PPV and HBO. Don't do it! Instead, be sure to give the coders their well-deserved recognition by consistently recommending their work (without implicating yourself, of course).

3. Never call the authorities when it's possible they might need to come into your home. If you do, be sure to factory flash your receiver or have a non-hacked receiver to swap out as a backup. Crappy receivers like the Spacestar or the Ariza Xtreme work great for this purpose. This is much more of an issue in Canada than in the US, where local police don't care too much about enforcing satellite piracy.

4. Don't brag. Don't tell coworkers or people you don't know very well about your activities. Tempting as it is to tell people at the water cooler that you watched the De La Hoya fight the other night for free, don't do it.

5. Don't sell. One thing that may happen if you start telling friends, etc about what you do is that they might start to become interested. You may be tempted to earn a couple bucks by getting their receivers up and running. Not only is annoying whenever there is an ECM and your phone rings off the hook, should they do something stupid and end up in the hot seat, they may just point their finger at you to protect themselves.

5. Always remember first and foremost that it is a CRIME to modify your receiver to watch unauthorized pay TV. Many people forget this FACT. Treat your hacked FTA just as you would treat your stash of marijuana.

Finally, unless the providers can prove that your legal receiver is being used for anything illegal, there is nothing they can do. There is no such thing as a signal sniffer. You will not see vans driving through the neighborhood trying to detect unauthorized signals because the fact is that it is impossible. Fortunately, FTA receivers are legal to buy and sell (just as bongs are). It's what you do with it after the sale that makes it illegal (like putting pot in the bong instead of tobacco). The same is not true of cards, which is most likely what is being cracked down on. Card dealers have been busted left and right. FTA hackers have never been busted.