No, R.L., I think you're worrying about right. This IS a serious issue. You took a restrained view of things and as noted deliberately held back a few important details, just like the books that describe the first atomic bombs leave out a couple of important features or gloss over some difficult step.

(and no, I won't tell you which of those steps I've worked out anyway - it isn't actually that difficult, as witness the number of states who have developed nuclear weapons of some sort, but there's no point in helping any more join the fold)

There are some people who would try anything. There are some with the motive to try the worst things. Unfortunately, many of them are educated enough to get a textbook or two on laser design and operation and a scientific supplies manual and build their own Dr. Evil Deathray.

So it's important that someone warns the rest of us how easy it might be and what we should look out for in order that civilisation can continue despite the worst efforts of sick and deluded minds.

I think the interesting thing we've learned with this incident - which was actually becoming clear in other incidents during the last year or so - is that a number of journalists and commentators source material from the HZ. They seem to view it as "general and unatributable information", which is sort of good and sort of bad. It's good because it stops us being mobbed by masses of the great unwashed whenever there's one of "our" stories in the news. It's good that they do read us and use the information. It's bad that they don't quote sources - bad in terms of attribution.

In the future, we should continue what we're doing, because it's fun and has value to us and others. But we should bear in mind that the Walls have ears and we should take care not to slip too many ITAR secrets in one post!