With regards to serial numbers, we make use of them on this site quite obviously, often to try to nail down a particular time of production or perhaps shipment… sometimes for newer examples we can use them to better identify a variation or engineering change. For these goals, placing x's for the last two or three digits does nothing negative to the goal of dating, identifying or classifying, but it surely does rattle the cages of different Fudds and yokels. They quickly trot out gems such as "paranoia" and "big brother."
ATF knocked on my door last night! - The Firing Line Forums
This is a discussion from 2009, and this is when I formed my own opinion of posting serial numbers on an open forum.
Certainly I understand that some long time posters here are actually former Government agents. I would like to think that they held themselves to a standard in their careers and I would hope the same for current Government agents who might be here as well.
From my view, I don't care to have any Government agents visiting my home for any reason. I felt that way back in 2009. I can say that I do not hold a higher opinion of Government agencies today in 2024 than I did 15 years ago, but perhaps some Fudds do. I can respect their position but I have precious little respect when they try to paint some of us as paranoid because it appears they don't respect our position on the same matter.
A regular working class stiff like me will NEVER truly know the inner workings of US Federal "alphabet" agencies but it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to imagine that their power and corruption are greater today than a decade and a half ago, especially when you consider the cabal of puppet masters that drive them from the top.
