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It's insane to me that technology that is very likely used for stalkerware or other dystopian purposes, like AirTags, Google Homes, Alexas, Ring Cameras, Boston

It's insane to me that technology that is very likely used for stalkerware or other dystopian purposes, like AirTags, Google Homes, Alexas, Ring Cameras, Boston Dynamics Spot and related models, and the like, have been embraced unquestioningly by the vast majority of people because of flimsy weak reasons of "convenience" or whatever. Maybe I've just been in our industry for too long....

notyourday 5y ago
Spare me the "embraced unquestioningly by the vast majority of people because of flimsy weak reasons" There were hundreds of engineers at Apple that worked on AirTags. Not a single one of them stood up and said "No". Not a single one of them went to the press and screamed about it before the launch. Not a single one said that Cook and his high up lackeys and their wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, whoever they have one night stands with, their children should be forced to be carrying publicly accessible airtags just to ensure that they still think they still think it is a great idea when then and their their wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, whoever they have one night stands with, their children are the targets. Oh no, the enlightened technorati prefers $$$ just like Joe who knows exactly nothing about what this can be used for.
- olliej 5y ago
  The “hundreds” of engineers who designed a “find my missing item” feature that people clearly want, and made it so that it could be: * accurate - to a few feet over arbitrary distance * private - no one other than the owner can track it * anti-stalker - despite the privacy it’s possible to know when you’re being stalked AirTags are useful, there was a market of similar, less private, devices before hand. And unlike the existing non-private solutions this one does actually warn people if they’re being stalked. If you think that’s “engineers not caring about misuse” I don’t know what to say?
cu6dvytfur 5y ago

notyourday 5y ago

Spare me the "embraced unquestioningly by the vast majority of people because of flimsy weak reasons" There were hundreds of engineers at Apple that worked on AirTags. Not a single one of them stood up and said "No". Not a single one of them went to the press and screamed about it before the launch. Not a single one said that Cook and his high up lackeys and their wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, whoever they have one night stands with, their children should be forced to be carrying publicly accessible airtags just to ensure that they still think they still think it is a great idea when then and their their wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, whoever they have one night stands with, their children are the targets. Oh no, the enlightened technorati prefers $$$ just like Joe who knows exactly nothing about what this can be used for.

olliej 5y ago
The “hundreds” of engineers who designed a “find my missing item” feature that people clearly want, and made it so that it could be: * accurate - to a few feet over arbitrary distance * private - no one other than the owner can track it * anti-stalker - despite the privacy it’s possible to know when you’re being stalked AirTags are useful, there was a market of similar, less private, devices before hand. And unlike the existing non-private solutions this one does actually warn people if they’re being stalked. If you think that’s “engineers not caring about misuse” I don’t know what to say?

cu6dvytfur 5y ago