5 ms·

[flagged]

davidu 5mo ago
This has not happened with Flock, nor have they ever been credibly accused of this. And what a weak conspiracy style post to insinuate it has.
- kotaKat 5mo ago
  lol ok https://www.flocksafety.com/refer https://www.flocksafety.com/refer
- davidu 5mo ago
  [flagged]
  - kotaKat 5mo ago
    "Please don't comment about the voting on comments. It never does any good, and it makes boring reading." https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - arkadiytehgraet 5mo ago
    It's really telling how davidu, a GP at a16z, investor in Flock, author of https://a16z.com/announcement/investing-in-flock-safety/ https://a16z.com/announcement/investing-in-flock-safety/ is losing his mind about his investment being called out on corruption, which adds even more credulity to the accusation.
    - davidu 5mo ago
      How is it more telling or adding more credulity? Wouldn’t I be in a strong position to know? And how am I losing my mind?
- dogleash 5mo ago
  > nor have they ever been accused of this Sure they have. Just look at the accusation in the comment you're replying to.
  - davidu 5mo ago
    credibly accused.
- downrightmike 5mo ago
  Doubt, we just haven't figured out the shells
- blurri 5mo ago
  Because proposing legislation to ban all technology after your vote to keep Flock was not in the majority is a totally normal response?
dawnerd 5mo ago
The other day I half-jokingly said I was going to build a site to expose local council members for taking kickbacks and someone said "that isn't happening" It's literally happening and this story makes it really clear. I wish it was this easy to spot. It's usually Flock donating to some charity a council person is also a board member on
- gruez 5mo ago
  >It's literally happening and this story makes it really clear A council member "crashing out" (ie. proposing some satirical bills) is "really clear" evidence of kickbacks? Seems like a stretch. At the very least I'd want evidence of some transaction having occurred, rather than "wow you strongly support something I can't possibly imagine anyone would support? You must be getting kickbacks!"
  - Bender 5mo ago
    In my opinion that should be enough to get some investigative journalists and private investigators poking around. Assuming investigative journalists are still a thing.
    - gruez 5mo ago
      The problem is that this all hinges on what you think reasonable political positions are, and thanks to political polarization, everything on the other side is suspect. You support drilling for oil? You must be in the pocket of big oil! You support solar power? You must be in the pocket of chinese solar manufacturers. You support development? You must be in the pocket of luxury condo developers! You oppose development? You must be in the pocket of landlords!
      - Bender 5mo ago
        The problem is that this all hinges on what you think reasonable political positions are Well that's entirely up to the people. Anyone can be removed one way or another. This article is about a locality in Texas. Don't mess with Texans in a small town.
tptacek 5mo ago
No, the municipal policy ALPR debate generally does boil down to people who have a principles opposition to technology specialized for surveillance, and other people who believe it's no different from the cell towers that already track you. Nobody's bribing a councilmember in an 800-person rural township.
- bob001 5mo ago
  > Nobody's bribing a councilmember in an 800-person rural township. I suspect this happens a lot more often than people assume. It does not take much to bribe people to change their minds based on the publicly known international spy/espionage cases. People will sell out their country for like $5k.
  - tptacek 5mo ago
    First Law of Message Boards: bribery is fun to talk about, people just disagreeing about stuff and having little temper tantrums when they lose arguments is boring, ergo: bribery is everywhere.
    - johnnyanmac 5mo ago
      > The First Law: Every forum is always in a state of constant decline. > All forums start off good, enjoy a "honeymoon period" in which they continue to be good, and then steadily decline... from the point of view of each individual observer... https://fishbowl.pastiche.org/2005/11/20/charles_rules_of_online_forums https://fishbowl.pastiche.org/2005/11/20/charles_rules_of_on... I like this first law better.
      - YZF 5mo ago
        Is this also true for organizations? Startup -> large company?
    - bob001 5mo ago
      I guess you never dealt with enterprise sales, lobbying or any of the hundred of ways we legally allow bribes. Or do you only consider it bribery if its illegal and otherwise it's all fine? Just box office baseball tickets, just a $2k steak dinner with high end wine, just a phone call with the governor, just a gift card, just an advisor position with some equity, etc, etc, etc.

[flagged]

This has not happened with Flock, nor have they ever been credibly accused of this. And what a weak conspiracy style post to insinuate it has.

kotaKat 5mo ago
lol ok https://www.flocksafety.com/refer https://www.flocksafety.com/refer
davidu 5mo ago
[flagged]
- kotaKat 5mo ago
  "Please don't comment about the voting on comments. It never does any good, and it makes boring reading." https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- arkadiytehgraet 5mo ago
  It's really telling how davidu, a GP at a16z, investor in Flock, author of https://a16z.com/announcement/investing-in-flock-safety/ https://a16z.com/announcement/investing-in-flock-safety/ is losing his mind about his investment being called out on corruption, which adds even more credulity to the accusation.
  - davidu 5mo ago
    How is it more telling or adding more credulity? Wouldn’t I be in a strong position to know? And how am I losing my mind?
dogleash 5mo ago
> nor have they ever been accused of this Sure they have. Just look at the accusation in the comment you're replying to.
- davidu 5mo ago
  credibly accused.
downrightmike 5mo ago
Doubt, we just haven't figured out the shells
blurri 5mo ago
Because proposing legislation to ban all technology after your vote to keep Flock was not in the majority is a totally normal response?

dawnerd 5mo ago

The other day I half-jokingly said I was going to build a site to expose local council members for taking kickbacks and someone said "that isn't happening" It's literally happening and this story makes it really clear. I wish it was this easy to spot. It's usually Flock donating to some charity a council person is also a board member on

gruez 5mo ago
>It's literally happening and this story makes it really clear A council member "crashing out" (ie. proposing some satirical bills) is "really clear" evidence of kickbacks? Seems like a stretch. At the very least I'd want evidence of some transaction having occurred, rather than "wow you strongly support something I can't possibly imagine anyone would support? You must be getting kickbacks!"
- Bender 5mo ago
  In my opinion that should be enough to get some investigative journalists and private investigators poking around. Assuming investigative journalists are still a thing.
  - gruez 5mo ago
    The problem is that this all hinges on what you think reasonable political positions are, and thanks to political polarization, everything on the other side is suspect. You support drilling for oil? You must be in the pocket of big oil! You support solar power? You must be in the pocket of chinese solar manufacturers. You support development? You must be in the pocket of luxury condo developers! You oppose development? You must be in the pocket of landlords!
    - Bender 5mo ago
      The problem is that this all hinges on what you think reasonable political positions are Well that's entirely up to the people. Anyone can be removed one way or another. This article is about a locality in Texas. Don't mess with Texans in a small town.

tptacek 5mo ago

No, the municipal policy ALPR debate generally does boil down to people who have a principles opposition to technology specialized for surveillance, and other people who believe it's no different from the cell towers that already track you. Nobody's bribing a councilmember in an 800-person rural township.

bob001 5mo ago
> Nobody's bribing a councilmember in an 800-person rural township. I suspect this happens a lot more often than people assume. It does not take much to bribe people to change their minds based on the publicly known international spy/espionage cases. People will sell out their country for like $5k.
- tptacek 5mo ago
  First Law of Message Boards: bribery is fun to talk about, people just disagreeing about stuff and having little temper tantrums when they lose arguments is boring, ergo: bribery is everywhere.
  - johnnyanmac 5mo ago
    > The First Law: Every forum is always in a state of constant decline. > All forums start off good, enjoy a "honeymoon period" in which they continue to be good, and then steadily decline... from the point of view of each individual observer... https://fishbowl.pastiche.org/2005/11/20/charles_rules_of_online_forums https://fishbowl.pastiche.org/2005/11/20/charles_rules_of_on... I like this first law better.
    - YZF 5mo ago
      Is this also true for organizations? Startup -> large company?
  - bob001 5mo ago
    I guess you never dealt with enterprise sales, lobbying or any of the hundred of ways we legally allow bribes. Or do you only consider it bribery if its illegal and otherwise it's all fine? Just box office baseball tickets, just a $2k steak dinner with high end wine, just a phone call with the governor, just a gift card, just an advisor position with some equity, etc, etc, etc.