# My first sting operation **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 13, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028 "2010-10-13T18:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/1 "2010-10-13T18:43:07Z")
Spent Sunday with the wife setting up our annual Halloween decorations in the front yard. Came home Monday after work around 5:30 to find them strewn around the lawn. Too many neighbor kids to place place blame. Set them back up. Got home Tuesday and the same thing happened. Tombstones knocked over, stakes pulled out of the ground, etc. etc. So today I found a program on my laptop that uses the webcam and will start recording when it detects motion. Set it up in the front window during lunch today. We’ll see what it catches. ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/2 "2010-10-13T19:22:14Z")
Hah… you’re too kind. I would’ve rigged a small explosive charge wrapped with a ziploc full of indelible ink or copier toner\*. Christmas crackers make excellent tripwire pull detonators. Jus kidd’in, mods, really… Keep us posted. \*_or some other foul substance. You don’t own a dog, by any chance?_ ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/3 "2010-10-13T20:32:56Z")
I hope you catch whoever did it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/4 "2010-10-13T21:34:36Z")
And post it to YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/5 "2010-10-13T21:55:52Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > And post it to YouTube. Dont do this - the culprits would probably just be proud. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/6 "2010-10-13T22:05:52Z")
Should be getting close to when you can view it - did you catch anyone? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/7 "2010-10-13T22:15:39Z")
> [@may\_be\_ignorant](#): > > > [@tdn](#): > > > > And post it to YouTube. > > Dont do this - the culprits would probably just be proud. Yeah, but we want to see it. Including the part where the cops and/or the parents bring them over to apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/8 "2010-10-14T03:07:18Z")
Got home today and… nothing. Nothing had been disturbed. I’ll probably set up the camera again tommorow just to be covered. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/9 "2010-10-14T03:24:28Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Got home today and… > nothing. > Nothing had been disturbed. I’ll probably set up the camera again tommorow just to be covered. BTW, can you tell me which program you downloaded? Thanks, hh ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/10 "2010-10-14T03:26:50Z")
Definitely do it tomorrow. And the day after. You’re setting the camera up inside and so nobody can see you doing it, right? Hope you catch the little shits. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/11 "2010-10-14T13:05:41Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > > [@Hampshire](#): > > > > Got home today and… > > nothing. > > Nothing had been disturbed. I’ll probably set up the camera again tommorow just to be covered. > > BTW, can you tell me which program you downloaded? > > Thanks, > hh I’m also curious. I’d like to keep see what my dogs do during the day. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/12 "2010-10-14T13:29:26Z")
The program came preloaded on my Sony VAIO laptop. It’s called ArcSoft WebCam Companion 3. Looks like it sells for $40 off their website. It’s pretty slick in that in only records when it detects motion. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/13 "2010-10-14T14:26:24Z")
All right, cool. I’ve been wanting to record my gay roommate but didn’t know what program to use. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/14 "2010-10-14T14:34:36Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > > [@handsomeharry](#): > > > > BTW, can you tell me which program you downloaded? > > > > Thanks, > > hh > > I’m also curious. I’d like to keep see what my dogs do during the day. I asked a question about webcam software here last year and got an answer of [ustream.tv](http://ustream.tv). I don’t think it does motion sensor type stuff, but we got to watch our dog all day to see what was upsetting him. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/15 "2010-10-14T14:37:19Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > The program came preloaded on my Sony VAIO laptop. It’s called ArcSoft WebCam Companion 3. Looks like it sells for $40 off their website. > It’s pretty slick in that in only records when it detects motion. But that implies that it’s _always watching…_ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/16 "2010-10-14T14:55:54Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > All right, cool. I’ve been wanting to record my gay roommate but didn’t know what program to use. Be sure to stream his suicide, too. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/17 "2010-10-14T15:00:57Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > All right, cool. I’ve been wanting to record my gay roommate but didn’t know what program to use. > > Be sure to stream his suicide, too. > > Regards, > Shodan Thanks for the idea! I’ll be sure to give you partial credit, don’t worry. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/18 "2010-10-14T16:11:54Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Should be getting close to when you can view it - did you catch anyone? [del]Not now that I know he’s recording.[/del] They probably moved on to the neighbors for some random reason. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/19 "2010-10-14T18:58:53Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > > [@Hampshire](#): > > > > The program came preloaded on my Sony VAIO laptop. It’s called ArcSoft WebCam Companion 3. Looks like it sells for $40 off their website. > > It’s pretty slick in that in only records when it detects motion. > > But that implies that it’s _always watching…_ :eek: Well yeah, it’s a camera outputting a video signal. Of course it’s always watching. 🙂 The software isn’t actually detecting motion, but rather a change in the video image - it would interpret a light turning on and off as “motion” even though nothing is physically moving. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/20 "2010-10-14T19:27:40Z")
Does it allow you to designate pixelated grid sections as active or inactive? You might check if you’re getting false positives from windblown branches, passing cars, etc. Sure cuts down on the review time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028.md?page=2)