I am guilty! What have I done?

Well said, Random.

The thing about theft is this: The more you do it without getting caught, you find yourself doing it all the time. When I'm in a store, I habitually look for cameras, examine clerk movements, and check for anti theft and security systems. I find myself recently doing so because in other situations where stealing was like taking candy from a baby, it spills into other situations where I could steal, when I don't need to, or can well afford to buy the item that I'm (only briefly) thinking of stealing.

So, you see, I quelled that urge before it became a problem, because I could see how I'd get more dependant on doing it, and perhaps I'd later lose the set of 'rules' that I'd done it by up until then.

By 'rules', I mean I never stole from a person, I never stole anything traceable, and I never stole anything that I couldn't easily get away with.

Stealing is really easy to get away with. I mean, it's not rocket science. But that means that it's easy to lose the distinction between when it's 'ok' to do it, and when it's unecessary, and/or utterly wrong to do so. I mean, sure, depending on what set of morals you base your life on, it's wrong to do it all of the time, but there are obvious situations where it's pretty undeniably terrible.

Of course if we hadn't already marked this situation as wrong, I'd offer two critiques

Rookie mistake #1: you talked to a clerk.
Rookie mistake #2, you gave him just cause to (upon ram turning up missing from a case you had open) assume you were the culprit. Thus, they had someone to look for on the security footage, which they only check when suspicions are raised, such as when ram turns up missing from a display computer.

Nonetheless, you did the right thing, and if I were in your place, if I made it out of the place in one piece, I can't say that I'd go back. In fact, I'm sure I wouldn't.


*Edit*
Um...lemme add that stealing ram isn't new.

...

that's all I'm gonna say about that

HAHA WHATTT!? Man i'd love to just snag a fat stick of ram like that.

Its a multimillion dollar company, their markup is so high that 1 lil stick of ram doesnt matter. Sure if its a poor person's computer then stealing it is rude. But man, why the hell not? lol

Stealing from companies that wont even notice its gone is wrogn i agree, but damn, why the hell not you only live once hehe

I kind of have to agree with you on that, just as far as the nature of the companies that produce ram. I mean, it's not like there are any Ma and Pop microchip production facilities. I mean, the companies that produce memory are far from being the type that run out of storefronts small town america.

That being said, I don't think the question of who is the victim is the key issue here, the moral issue is. Granted, aside from the material cost of some 5 to 10 dollars that it costs kensigton to make a stick of ram, then to add a few blocks of memory to the DIMM is likely a difference in price of some 50 cents. Then circuit city's retail markup is a whole other kind of criminal offense.

That's not the issue here. I think !mo0chan! said it best, if it makes you feel that bad, or as though you've done something that wrong, then don't do it again. Or under the best of circumstances, repay the transgression, or return the stolen item, which we already know he did.[quote=phennexion]why the hell not you only live once hehe[/quote]well, he did actually take the ram, and had obviously left without a problem. So in all fairness, this is one instance that he can chalk up to experience, and whether or not he took it back, the 'live a little' aspect had already been covered.

If it makes you feel any better about the whole 'live a little' thing, well, just keep in mind that you were actually succesful. So you can tell your kids the one and only time that you shoplifted, you got away scott free, but your own conscience caught up with you.

Stealing from companies that wont even notice its gone is wrogn i agree, but damn, why the hell not you only live once hehe

and that, ladies and gentlemen, is a great illustration of what's wrong in the world today.

sure, the company probably won't really notice it and it'll get sucked up in the "loss prevention" category and it wont make a big difference to them. of course, the guy sitting at a tech support desk somewhere who gets laid off later this year because the company had to increase their loss prevention budget because there are hundreds of people who did the exact same thing, he just might notice.

you're rarely, if ever, going to see the results of the little things you do. that doesn't mean they don't have results, either positive or negative. it'd be nice to see people who did the right thing simply because it's the right thing, not because it benefitted them.

for what its worth Jm12, you get major props from me for fessing up. that shows a huge amount of character and took a whole lot more guts then it did to take the thing in the first place.

chris

You should've been made to pay Circuit City's huge after-holiday restocking fees lol.

ROTFLMFAO. Finally someone brings a light side to this ominous thread.

[QUOTE=Fig]and that, ladies and gentlemen, is a great illustration of what's wrong in the world today.
[/QUOTE]

Your Personal Opinion.

[QUOTE=phennexion]
Stealing from companies that wont even notice its gone is wrogn i agree, but damn, why the hell not you only live once hehe[/QUOTE]

Hmm...so killing an inn[b][/b]ocent person is wrong, but it is justifiable because the mur[b][/b]derer only lives once?

Honor, integrity, character. To those of you who these words mean nothing, you will see no point to the story Jm12Mc2 shared. I say bravo. Without these things you will never achieve greatness. With them, you can accomplish anything.

You went on a great quest and slayed the demon-spawn! :: applause::

[QUOTE=phennexion]Your Personal Opinion.[/QUOTE]

you're right, the world would be a much better place if we all took things from other people. too bad i can't be so enlightened like you :rolleyes:

chris