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It is the case that some people get so wrapped up in overcoming authority that it becomes the driving factor behind what they support and what choices they make. It's essentially the same thing you say you're disgusted with: it's not about figuring out how and why, it's wanting to be right and the authority to be wrong. The exact same behavior, just from the other side of the fence. Call this a strawman if you want, but I'm still asserting it's fact.
This is why I don't immediately see groups like four thieves vinegar as positive. I don't know if the stuff they're doing actually works or not. I suspect that you don't know this either. It might work. They assert that it's simple and just use their stuff and boom, daraprim (or whatever). But what happens if it doesn't? The result is not a failure to adapt some device to do something it wasn't intended to do, or get data from a device the manufacturer would rather sell, it's direct impact to your health.
Specific to their microlab, my immediate questions are around sanitizing or disinfecting it. I have skimmed the documentation and parts list. They recommend using 'water'. There's no discussion about distilled vs. deionized vs. tap water. There's nothing here about ensuring the mason jars and tubing are clean to any particular standard. I haven't seen any discussion yet about cleaning the reactor between batches, in terms of ensuring there is no residue from the prior batch. I sure hope I've just missed it, or this is called out as a 'human tasks' in each recipe. Contamination is ok (ish) with a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine at McDonald's. You can tolerate your Coke tasting like 8 other drinks. I don't think it's OK when making sofosbuvir.
I think you should be able to do just about whatever you want to with your own body. Please be careful. But I don't think you should be able to set yourself up as a counterculture medical authority and not have people ask questions about it, especially because a lot of people _won't_ ask questions.
you wrote
> Please be careful. But I don't think you should be able to set yourself up as a counterculture medical authority and not have people ask questions about it, especially because a lot of people _won't_ ask questions.
And I agree, following this as written is dangerous. But knowledge is dangerous, the core of the hacker ethos is that knowledge and information should still be free.
I take issue with the hand wringing, and the lack of curiosity. The closing of the top comment for the thread is
> This kind of arrogance and lack of respect for the discipline required in organic chemistry is going to result is someone getting hurt.
This could serve as a prime example the epitome of counter hacker-culture
It's fine to say, this is dangerous, and to roast the author for a badly written guide resulting in an apparent indifference for the safety of others... but to frame it as a lack of respect for the discipline (and expatations and rules) isn't hacker culture.