Topic: Yellow Dots

A long-time donor, Sir Anonymous of Dogpatch, sent a significant contribution along with a note regarding the "printer deep state," referring to the yellow tracking dots used by modern printers to identify serial numbers. The note also reflects on how the constant "safety net" of mobile phones has changed human decision-making and risk assessment. It argues that millennials take more foolish risks because they believe help is always a button-press away.

The arrest of NSA contractor Reality Winner for leaking classified documents to The Intercept is discussed. The hosts examine how the news outlet failed to protect its source, potentially through the use of "yellow dot" tracking codes on printed documents or Winner's use of a personal Gmail account.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has highlighted that most color laser printers embed nearly invisible yellow dots on every printed page. These dots encode the printer's serial number and a timestamp, a feature implemented at the government's request to track counterfeiters and authors of anonymous letters.