[phydaux42]

This is just something I want to make sure that I understand regarding the setting:

Evenyone has a SIN, unless they are SINless.  And everyone's SIN is entered in their Comlink, is that correct?  And the SIN and Comlink are all conected to their Credstick, right?

You walk around with your Comlink on and  your Augmented Reality goggles or whatever on, and the environment knows you're there.  So as you walk past, for example, a Subway you will see an Augmented Reality Jerod holding your favorite sub (based the last purchase that Credstick made) and he''s be all "Eat Fresh, extra mayo just how you like it!" at you.

Also Lonestar can drive down the street with a scanner, and anyone with an arrest warrent will pop up with a big red arow over their head.  Not to mention the hackers who will screw with your Comlink just because they can.

So if you didn't want all that you could just turn your Comlink off.  Two problems, though.  First a lot of gear has to go through your Comlink into the Matrix for you to get the maximum benifit.  Second, in a high law area walking around with your Comlink off is reasonable suspicion for you to be detained and searched.

Now to avoid hackers & getting IDed on the street, and still be able to be on the Matrix, is there a way to turn your Comlink's broadcast sigal off so you're active but others can't see you?  But that would still leave you open to being stoped & searched.

So could you but a second Comlink to use as a Honey Pot and load that bugger up with all kinds of anti-intrusion 'ware?

[Lysanderz]

I almost always do exactly that. In 4th my characters are infamous for having secondary commlinks that actively broadcast rather than their true commlink. So what happens when a hacker cracks that sucker open? Well usually, if my commlink detects them, it immediately reboots and they can suck on dumpshock (Thank you team hacker for designing this response for me). Should that fail, I usually let the team hacker use my commlink as a sort of workshop to build his nasties. In recent memory I've had viruses waiting for active users to log in, I've had custom built IC, I'm pretty sure I've even had a re-programmed ixculname once.

Point being, with a little bit of money and a hacker friend, you can turn that sucker into a nasty nasty bear trap. With absolutely no information about yourself on it.

[Dinendae]

As to purchase history, it's not so much that they access your credstick; it's more that they have detailed purchase histories for whatever ID you are using, based off of data gathered from various sources in the Matrix (similar to how purchase histories are compiled today, with companies sharing some information). You can run your commlink in hidden mode, allowing you to still access the matrix, but making hackers have to locate your node before they can attempt to hack it. You can have a disposable commlink (cheapest commlink and OS) running in those high sec areas, loaded with you fake SIN and such, thus keeping attention away from the fact that your real commlink is in hidden mode. Just remember to turn it off when doing a run, so that you don't blow your fake ID.

[CanRay]

And information on everything you've scanned and rejected for one reason or another.  And a heuristic algorithm to calculate the possible reasons for why you didn't want that item at that moment (Cost, taste, lactose intolerance...).

[Dinendae]

And information on everything you've scanned and rejected for one reason or another.  And a heuristic algorithm to calculate the possible reasons for why you didn't want that item at that moment (Cost, taste, lactose intolerance...).

Yeah, pretty much why I have to agree with Bill Hicks on this (*WARNING* Language not safe for work!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDW_Hj2K0wo