I didn't necessarily get the same impression from the comment thread that you did, given that there are a range of responses. But I will say that the idea of intermingling the ethos of Right to Repair with the ethos of Self-ownership[1] is one of the most decidedly "hacker" novel ideas I've encountered on Hacker News and I don't have words for the joy I experienced browsing the submission.
Many hackers are now old enough to have reflected on dystopian science-fiction and come to the conclusion regulations are useful, sometimes. And many hackers realise most people are ignorant most of the time, us included, and do not trust amateurs to have all of sufficient knowledge, thoroughness, and benevolent intentions to manufacture powerful stuff you put inside you. I don't think curiosity is discouraged, just the impetus to turn it into action in this case.
I think there's a balance that some people don't appreciate. Hacking your health has some additional risk vs. some external system or process; your health is often irreplaceable, and you might not get a second chance if you screw it up. I think you should be a little more careful with DIY pharma than you would other things. And I think you should be very careful about evangelizing it to other people.
It is the case that some people get so wrapped up in overcoming authority that it becomes the driving factor behind what they support and what choices they make. It's essentially the same thing you say you're disgusted with: it's not about figuring out how and why, it's wanting to be right and the authority to be wrong. The exact same behavior, just from the other side of the fence. Call this a strawman if you want, but I'm still asserting it's fact.
This is why I don't immediately see groups like four thieves vinegar as positive. I don't know if the stuff they're doing actually works or not. I suspect that you don't know this either. It might work. They assert that it's simple and just use their stuff and boom, daraprim (or whatever). But what happens if it doesn't? The result is not a failure to adapt some device to do something it wasn't intended to do, or get data from a device the manufacturer would rather sell, it's direct impact to your health.
Specific to their microlab, my immediate questions are around sanitizing or disinfecting it. I have skimmed the documentation and parts list. They recommend using 'water'. There's no discussion about distilled vs. deionized vs. tap water. There's nothing here about ensuring the mason jars and tubing are clean to any particular standard. I haven't seen any discussion yet about cleaning the reactor between batches, in terms of ensuring there is no residue from the prior batch. I sure hope I've just missed it, or this is called out as a 'human tasks' in each recipe. Contamination is ok (ish) with a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine at McDonald's. You can tolerate your Coke tasting like 8 other drinks. I don't think it's OK when making sofosbuvir.
I think you should be able to do just about whatever you want to with your own body. Please be careful. But I don't think you should be able to set yourself up as a counterculture medical authority and not have people ask questions about it, especially because a lot of people _won't_ ask questions.
You've right to assert that, and I agree with you. there's not nearly enough information provided to be used safely as a tutorial. But that's the whole point of my disgust with the shift in tone away from hackers.
you wrote
> Please be careful. But I don't think you should be able to set yourself up as a counterculture medical authority and not have people ask questions about it, especially because a lot of people _won't_ ask questions.
And I agree, following this as written is dangerous. But knowledge is dangerous, the core of the hacker ethos is that knowledge and information should still be free.
I take issue with the hand wringing, and the lack of curiosity. The closing of the top comment for the thread is
> This kind of arrogance and lack of respect for the discipline required in organic chemistry is going to result is someone getting hurt.
This could serve as a prime example the epitome of counter hacker-culture
It's fine to say, this is dangerous, and to roast the author for a badly written guide resulting in an apparent indifference for the safety of others... but to frame it as a lack of respect for the discipline (and expatations and rules) isn't hacker culture.
