Hector Martin

That has not been a CERTling. "some angel"s behaviour I cant't explain or justify. Maybe you want to talk to PL / Orga.

Seems the person who requested the takedown was HonkHase.

If HonkHase says it's a problem, it's probably a problem. The guys it usually pretty chill and only takes out the ban-hammer if it could really create some trouble (which includes legal). But: You don't mess with HonkHase.

It wasn't a problem every year prior, then suddenly all lasers disappeared on day 1 of 33c3. Whatever the problem was, it had nothing to do with individual lasers and everything to do with some kind of general decision, legal or otherwise.

Huh, actually on the 33c3 in the upper levels of the CCH there were a few high powered lasers, with a static beam configuration, also leaving the premises, which made me kind of nervous. If you can see a red laser beam without fog it's certainly beyond class-3a

Laser classes are useless. The danger posed by a laser is way more complicated than what class it is. Any useful scanner is going to be Class 4 (mine is), but there's a huge difference between a laser pointer (static beam) and a scanner at a minimum distance.

Class-3: Will cause eye damage. Class-4: Will set shit on fire. There are also subclasses. Most important for laser projectors: 3a vs 3b vs 3c. 3a is: Eye damage on direct exposure. 3b: Scattering off polished surfaces cause damage. 3c: Scattering off dull surfaces cause damage.

Class 3 and 4 and their subclasses are all but useless. The actual result depends way too much on the specific circumstances. Obviously my class 4 laser projector neither sets shit on fire nor is harmful when scattered off a dull surface.