I've searched, but since PAN is to short to search for I haven't been having much luck.

I have a player that is now trying a technomancer. And I have some questions that don't seem to be quite answered in the Technomancer or Wireless World section (and for reference I've read both the SR and SR4a books).

I am assuming that any commlink upon entering a local area network (ie night club, workplace, megamall, etc.) that isn't active would get a prompt to link into the LAN of the location assuming that they're not in Hidden mode. Speaking of which, can comm links in Passive mode receive emails and phone calls?

Now are the Technomancer's organic commlinks automatically in Hidden mode so that a casual scan can't find them? Or are they just not able to be seen by regular networks?

And depending on the answer to the above question, how does a technomancer deal with AR spam?

Duh, I had limited the rest of the players to the BBB only for now (everyone except for me are new to SR) and I have gotten into the habit of not thinking of the other books unless I needed something for the setting. I just found the info I needed in the Unwired.

Yeah, TMs are always hidden and can't run active or passive. This is another good reason to grab a cover commlink for those places that expect to see a node attached to you.

Okay another question that came to me on the drive home.

Since Technomancer's are in hidden mode 24/7/365, that means that they don't get AR or VR spam, correct? They only see what is openly broadcasting in their local vicinity.

AR Spam and RFIDs are the two things I can't stand in SR4th.


It seems like you're playing WebFilter 4th edition. I mean come on, they even mention RFIDs in candy bars you eat. Makes you want to say, "My character got the EMP field option in his boxers, any RFIDs he comes in contact with are deactivated."

And any competant runner tends to Erase any RFID's they come into contact with with their Tag Eraser... who wants an RFID in their underwear giving them away in the coroproate Research areas?

Um.....let me see here. Maybe I am wrong, but I think I was commenting on being a walking Tag Eraser so I think the RFID in the boxers would be the first to go with an EM field.

Anyhow, case in point, the whole RFID thing is stupid, poorly thought out and detracts from a Cyberpunk feel.

Ever tried to pin down what Cyberpunk is?

RFIDs are perfectly fine. Most of the time you wouldn't be aware of them all around you 'till it's too late.
Dropping out of society starts with using a tag eraser on a regular basis.

RFIDs actually push a Cyberpunk feel as you really have to think about the "how to" of being one. a cyber punk.

You know, I could handle the idea of tags on clothes, I could handle them in things you buy. Its like going to a store and buying a DVD they have to run it over the magnet to get out. That I get. Tracking your buying habits, I get that too. No problem.

What ticks me off is the fragging candy bar. You need to run a eraser over your lunch too?

Hm, if PC buys anything, RFID on this object should become part of his/her PAN with provided access code, so PC is able to turn it off. Or just smash it wih a heel.

Ahhh progress, cheap and easy tech to make your life....errr I mean the corporations life easier.

Nope. RFID-Tags in your lunch ain't made to track your hygenical habits but rather identify the food to your household systems. Once you have entered a zone where the surveillance lacks coverage the RFID-tracking gets useless. And as a good cyber punk you live in such a zone don't you?

RFID-Tags can be just as small as a sand grain and won't send any information father than 3 feet. Why bother with it?

Or RFID-tags in food are made from materials which decompose in metahuman stomach? *Burp* - and the problem with little spy in your guts is gone.
Even if I'm wrong, next day you supposedly get rid of it.

Or RFID-tags in food are made from materials which decompose in metahuman stomach? *Burp* - and the problem with little spy in your guts is gone.
Even if I'm wrong, next day you supposedly get rid of it.

So without a commlink Techno's don't get the spam? Since the original question got lost in the AR spam hate.

Although I do agree, RFID's in food and such are a little much. I completely understand clothing, equipment (somewhat), and the food wrapping, but not IN the food. I have houseruled that it's only in the wrappers.

Right. You can't send stuff like that to a hidden node without prior permission, which I suppose some really annoying spam worms might try to establish by finding and hacking hidden nodes. But that wouldn't work on a TM anyway, so he's clear.