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Comment by hourislate | Hacker News Reader

>By Friday evening, more than 540,000 people from around the world had signed up to attend the joke Facebook event: “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us”

I'm curious how many of these folks are now on a US Government List. How will this affect any travel plans to the USA? How will this affect any additional scrutiny directed at US Citizens on that list.

I think the organizers forgot that the US Government doesn't joke or care for humor.

Just stating the unintended consequences in this day and age of participating in social media events.

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I feel like folks on Hacker News constantly underestimate how much you have to do to end up being someone the government is seriously interested in.

I’ve been commenting on HN in a saucy and flagrant way about the US government for years. And let’s not be coy: I’d gladly sign up to storm Area 51 with these bozos and take home my own alien trophy.

Here’s the kicker: Tomorrow I’m flying from Dublin to Philadelphia. I’ll reply to this comment if I make it through security in America. If I don’t reply within 24 hours, I beseech everyone to downvote me to oblivion for my painful naïveté and baseless arrogance.

hello are you still alive

The downvote option goes away after a few hours, so you're not going to lose any Karma even if you are in detention.

Forgot to update at the 24 hour mark, but nope, no problems at all.

This is not a list worthy event.

Now the people who actually showed up..

They should move Burning Man to Area 51.

I imagine there is some low level soldier tasked with reading the posts in the group to ascertain the actual threat, I wonder if they’re amused or annoyed. Occasionally someone in the group asks if people are serious, the usual reply is ‘nice try FBI.’

If everyone is on the list, then no one is on the list.

I wonder how many people (i.e. what percentage of the US or world population) would have to be on the list for it to reach this inflection point.

Probably approaching 50%, so essentially a random coin toss of being on the list, would be that inflection point.

If 1% of America was on the list, I imagine that alone would make it difficult to manage.

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