Alfred Charles Hobbs

@alfredchobbs

Posting 🌶🌶🌶 takes on responsible disclosure from my 1853 book, "The Construction of Locks". Just got back from the Great Exhibition.

Hyde Park, London
Joined December 2019

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  1. Pinned Tweet

    It cannot be too earnestly urged, that an acquaintance with real facts will, in the end, he better for all parties.

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  2. "The Pick Lock Question", From The Times, 2 July 1851. "We have no doubt that the taste for lock-picking - which is already quite common enough - will extend among a class where perfection in the operation is not at all to be desired." The American Gentleman mentioned was Hobbs.

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  3. If a room be necessarily shielded from intrusion, it becomes no less necessary that the shield should be really worthy of its name, trusty and reliable.

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  4. The discussion, truthfully conducted, must lead to public advantage: the discussion stimulates curiosity, and the curiosity stimulates invention.

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  5. The grumbling with which the first part of this proposition was received would alone have sufficed to lead to a suspicion of its truth, if the large number of new locks that have actually appeared had not confirmed it.

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  6. It was no doubt annoying to be told, on good authority, that the machines on which we so much prided ourselves were wrong in principle; and that our locks, in order to afford the degree of security which are expected of such contrivances, must be re-constructed.

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  7. Nothing but a partial and limited view of the question could lead to the opinion that harm can result: if there be harm, it will be much more than counterbalanced by good.

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  8. Professor Cowper expressed his strong conviction that by exposing the defects, the cause as well as the public in general, would be benefited; [..], inventors would be stimulated to supply the defects, and the art [..] would be raised accordingly.

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  9. The dishonest are tolerably certain to be the first to apply the knowledge practically; and the spread of the knowledge is necessary to give fair play to those who might suffer by ignorance.

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  10. Many well-meaning persons suppose that the discussion respecting the means for baffling the supposed safety of locks offers a premium for dishonesty, by showing others how to be dishonest. This is a fallacy.

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  11. A commercial, and in some respects a social, doubt has been started within the last year or two, whether or not it is right to discuss so openly the security or insecurity of locks.

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  12. Let us then learn the art of opening locked doors, in order that we may acquire that of securing them in such a way as to leave little or nothing to be feared on account of their security.

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  13. But is there not this danger, that at the same time we shall be giving lessons to the thieves? It is not very probable that they will seek instruction of us, or that they have any need of it; they are greater masters in the art of opening doors than we can pretend to be.

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  14. We employ these stray expressions concerning adulteration, debasement, roguery, and so forth, simply as a mode of illustrating a principle—the advantage of publicity.

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  15. The unscrupulous have the command of much of this kind of knowledge without our aid; and there is moral and commercial justice in placing on their guard those who might possibly suffer therefrom.

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  16. Much more good than harm is effected by stating candidly and scientifically the various methods by which such debasement has been, or can be produced.

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  17. So likewise in respect to bread, sugar, coffee, tea, wine, beer, spirits, vinegar, cheap silks, cheap woollens—all such articles as are susceptible of debasement by admixture with cheaper substances.

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  18. A vain fear—milkmen knew all about it before, whether they practised it or not; and the exposure only taught purchasers the necessity of a little scrutiny and caution, leaving them to obey this necessity or not, as they pleased.

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  19. Some time ago, when the reading public was alarmed at being told how London milk is adulterated, timid persons deprecated the exposure, on the plea that it would give instructions in the art of adulterating milk.

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