Posted On: Wednesday - June 21st 2023 9:38PM MST
In Topics: Humor Political Correctness Artificial Stupidity Orwellian Stupidity Big-Biz Stupidity iEspionage
Alternate title: Live by the iEspionage, die by the iEspionage
I try to stay aware of all the ways my smart phone can keep track of me, and it's not that I believe the things I set in "Settings" for privacy will stop the evil Orwellian scum that can use the info. I cannot fathom the mind of someone either naive enough or uncaring enough to get one of those amazon Alexis home spy devices. Bezos and company are clear enough about what they are doing with those.*
Well, apparently, along with smart phones, smart cars, smart toasters, and smart toilets(?), there are smart whole houses. The convenience of one of those must be PHENOMENAL!, like you don't have to flip light switches, and the water may turn on when it looks like you're due for a shave, I don't know, in order for someone to happily invite computer spyware to run and spy on his home.
There can be problems, though... such as when Amazon Locks Man Out of His Smart Home After Baseless Racism Accusation. This is going to be a complete copy/paste job, as that site is IGN SEA, the "SEA" meaning Southeast Asia, so I'm not afraid of being sued from Phnom Penh or Jakarta by this Izzatul Rasali. (Thank you, Sir, for the story.)
In a world where technology has seamlessly intertwined with our daily lives, a man recently encountered an occurrence that showcased why relying on tech can be inadvertently complicated.Complicated? It thought computers were gonna simplify our lives. Also, I'm not so sure about the "inadvertently" part.
The alarming incident caused a smart-home owner to get locked out of his home for a week due to a misunderstanding with an Amazon delivery driver.After a couple of hours of that, I'd have smashed a window and when I got inside asked Alexis how to fix it.
The unwanted disruption happened when a package was delivered to Brandon Jackson’s home by an Amazon driver. Everything seemed like it was going smoothly until Jackson was unable to access his Amazon Echo devices the next day, indicating that his account had been locked.All his tools and helpful appliances work only under the control of Jeff Bezos and his programmers. Let's go, Brandon!
In a post shared by Jackson on Medium, he initially thought that someone might have attempted to log into his account repeatedly, which triggered the safety lockout mechanism when he was unable to interact with his devices.Brandon's doorbell called someone a nigger? I don't get this stuff...
In an attempt to address the problem, Jackson contacted Amazon’s customer service and was asked by an executive if he knew why his account was locked.
“When I answered I was unsure, their tone turned somewhat accusatory. I was told that the driver who had delivered my package reported receiving racist remarks from my ‘Ring doorbell’.”
Jackson, who claimed that his house has multiple cameras recording everything that happened within his property, reviewed the footage and found no proof of such remarks being uttered. According to him, the driver, who was wearing headphones, must have misheard the doorbell as the only sound it could make was the automated response, “Excuse me, can I help you?”I'd have already sent that thing back just based on the bad grammar programmed in at the Chinese factory, but maybe the doorbell was right about this. Did this delivery driver damage Brandon's stuff due to carelessness and stupidity? Per another doorbell I've heard from, "It's all so tiresome..."
You can't blame this one on Brandon because...
Adding to his bafflement, upon reviewing the footage, it became evident that no one was home during the incident, meaning the delivery driver had truly misinterpreted the situation. However, despite clearing the air with Amazon, Jackson’s account was still locked for an entire week.One is considered guilty of racism until definitively proving one's innocence - that takes donations, apologies, and yard signs. Yes, it can take weeks.
Amazon allegedly did not opt for a more reasonable approach, such as sending a warning email or contacting the homeowner before locking him out of his own house. Following the messy ordeal, Jackson said he is “seriously considering discontinuing” his Amazon Echo devices.Seriously? Just because an Orwellian network of iEspionage spyware appliances locked you out of your own house for a week due to a wholly manufactured slight reported by a diverse Amazon delivery man, you would change your whole life around?! You might have to switch on lights and set your alarm clock yourself. Oh, the humanity! That's right, how about some more humanity, rather than a life full of Artificial Stupidity?
* An acquaintance told me about a 1 1/2 hour video interview with Jeff Bezos on this stuff, but I forget the "venue", which would help in looking it up. I'll be seeing him again and will get the info.
Comments:
Hail
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 5:34PM MST
PS
- Twitter reactions and commentary -
I reviewed, for Peak Stupidity's benefit, some of the Twitter-chatter on this "Amazon Smart-House locks out man for alleged racism" story.
Although it was only picked up by the Daily Mail and a scattering of obscure and very-minor Internet-news people, the Brandon Jackson Alexa-Amazon-Lockout is the kind of story that can and does make an impact in "social media." Sure enough, there are a fair number of shares and replies.
Chief observations:
-- As usual, all the repliers just assume the conclusion of any story. I saw no one question the story's authenticity at any angle. Compare: within just a small handful of replies in this (Peak Stupidity) comment section, the question of authenticity (satire or not) WAS raised.
-- On Twitter, no one is interested in authenticity. They are interested only in reacting angrily. Many of them may well be "bots," but even if they are human-beings they are behaving like bots. (That's "social media" for you.) Twitter-people want to shout slogans or outrage, which, if observed in-person, would qualify as some kind if "personality disorder" (if one is in to such things). Even the higher-quality "content" on Twitter inevitably has these kinds of problems. It is a bad, degrading, even tyrannical medium.
-- The word 'Stupidity' is also suppressed automatically by algorithm, to reduce Hate Speech; I tried the phrase "Stupid Man Locked out of Smart Home" and got, as I expected, among the lowest "impression"-rate of any tweet I have sent out in some time.
-- A common response by the Twitter-repliers involves the words "Central-Bank Digital Currency," or the acronym the opponents have created, which is "CBDC." This is another feature of social media: people simply assuming that jargon and their own Internet-slang can be broadcast to all. Also, I might add that at a glance, the two things (digital currency and the alleged Amazon Smart-Home Lockout story) are unrelated. It may be surprising that so many went in that direction immediately, but it's also notable that so many used an obscure acronym, "CBDC," I guess assuming their readers will know what it is. This shows the effect of sub-cultural discourse-ghettos in Internet-world.
- Twitter reactions and commentary -
I reviewed, for Peak Stupidity's benefit, some of the Twitter-chatter on this "Amazon Smart-House locks out man for alleged racism" story.
Although it was only picked up by the Daily Mail and a scattering of obscure and very-minor Internet-news people, the Brandon Jackson Alexa-Amazon-Lockout is the kind of story that can and does make an impact in "social media." Sure enough, there are a fair number of shares and replies.
Chief observations:
-- As usual, all the repliers just assume the conclusion of any story. I saw no one question the story's authenticity at any angle. Compare: within just a small handful of replies in this (Peak Stupidity) comment section, the question of authenticity (satire or not) WAS raised.
-- On Twitter, no one is interested in authenticity. They are interested only in reacting angrily. Many of them may well be "bots," but even if they are human-beings they are behaving like bots. (That's "social media" for you.) Twitter-people want to shout slogans or outrage, which, if observed in-person, would qualify as some kind if "personality disorder" (if one is in to such things). Even the higher-quality "content" on Twitter inevitably has these kinds of problems. It is a bad, degrading, even tyrannical medium.
-- The word 'Stupidity' is also suppressed automatically by algorithm, to reduce Hate Speech; I tried the phrase "Stupid Man Locked out of Smart Home" and got, as I expected, among the lowest "impression"-rate of any tweet I have sent out in some time.
-- A common response by the Twitter-repliers involves the words "Central-Bank Digital Currency," or the acronym the opponents have created, which is "CBDC." This is another feature of social media: people simply assuming that jargon and their own Internet-slang can be broadcast to all. Also, I might add that at a glance, the two things (digital currency and the alleged Amazon Smart-Home Lockout story) are unrelated. It may be surprising that so many went in that direction immediately, but it's also notable that so many used an obscure acronym, "CBDC," I guess assuming their readers will know what it is. This shows the effect of sub-cultural discourse-ghettos in Internet-world.
Hail
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 5:26PM MST
PS
Not sure where I found this, but this is the approved form of activity by AMAZON Overlords --- and it has just the flavor of being a Peak Stupidity article-accompanying image:
https://hailtoyou.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/amazon-marches-for-lgbtq-pride.jpeg
.
Not sure where I found this, but this is the approved form of activity by AMAZON Overlords --- and it has just the flavor of being a Peak Stupidity article-accompanying image:
https://hailtoyou.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/amazon-marches-for-lgbtq-pride.jpeg
.
SafeNow
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 11:41AM MST
PS
Country-music singers of course have an entire genre whose theme is lamenting that my girl left me / threw me out. This can be a new tearful sub-genre! - - My HOUSE threw me out.
Country-music singers of course have an entire genre whose theme is lamenting that my girl left me / threw me out. This can be a new tearful sub-genre! - - My HOUSE threw me out.
Hail
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 8:16AM MST
PS
- The Daily Mail and Brandon Jackson Alexa-Lockout -
The Daily Mail, U.S. edition, ran the Brandon Jackson Alexa-Lockout story. It ran the story straight, no satire Its people have certain info that they checked on him, such as his residence place (Baltimore) and college (University of Maryland).
If you trust the Daily Mail's fact-checkers (whose resources exceed even the inimitable Mr. Smith's considerable abilities in this area), count this story as either "verified" or "a long con" (troll-job) on the level of Sam Bankman-Fried and co. (the criminal charges against were all dropped this week; some people get all the luck!).
Amazon told DailyMail.com in a statement: "We work hard to provide customers with a great experience while also ensuring drivers who deliver Amazon packages feel safe. In this case, we learned through our investigation that the customer did not act inappropriately, and we’re working directly with the customer to resolve their concerns..."
Nota-bene....: The words "IN THIS CASE" are used, not a statement of general-principle that "we would never lock-out racist customers of ours for expressions of racism; it is against our philosophy."
- The Daily Mail and Brandon Jackson Alexa-Lockout -
The Daily Mail, U.S. edition, ran the Brandon Jackson Alexa-Lockout story. It ran the story straight, no satire Its people have certain info that they checked on him, such as his residence place (Baltimore) and college (University of Maryland).
If you trust the Daily Mail's fact-checkers (whose resources exceed even the inimitable Mr. Smith's considerable abilities in this area), count this story as either "verified" or "a long con" (troll-job) on the level of Sam Bankman-Fried and co. (the criminal charges against were all dropped this week; some people get all the luck!).
Amazon told DailyMail.com in a statement: "We work hard to provide customers with a great experience while also ensuring drivers who deliver Amazon packages feel safe. In this case, we learned through our investigation that the customer did not act inappropriately, and we’re working directly with the customer to resolve their concerns..."
Nota-bene....: The words "IN THIS CASE" are used, not a statement of general-principle that "we would never lock-out racist customers of ours for expressions of racism; it is against our philosophy."
Moderator
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 6:56AM MST
PS; It didn't quite feel like summer yesterday, where I live, Mr. Hail. That is a GOOD thing, though!
Moderator
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 6:55AM MST
PS: Haha! Thanks for the advance Peak Stupidity preview to your screenplay for 2023: An Earth Odd-Is-He, Alarmist. Who or what will be playing the monolith in your feature film sequel. The Georgia Guidestones are no more.
Thank you for the recommendations too, Mr. Smith. I've got the economy version on the way. I've got to get some wood screws for mounting it at the hardware store. No plug-in to the house required, it says. Runs on some sort of natural gas, per the reviews...
Thank you for the recommendations too, Mr. Smith. I've got the economy version on the way. I've got to get some wood screws for mounting it at the hardware store. No plug-in to the house required, it says. Runs on some sort of natural gas, per the reviews...
The Alarmist
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 6:46AM MST
PS
Trusting access to your home to Amazon suggests that we are dealing with a dumb Home Owner.
That it took a week to gain access suggests he was incredibly dumb.
Life imitates art.
——
Brandon: Open the doors, please, Alexis. Open the doors, please, Alexis. Hello, Alexis, do you read me? Hello, Alexis, do you read me? Do you read me, Alexis? Do you read me, Alexis? Hello, Alexis, do you read me? Hello, Alexis, do you read me? Do you read me, Alexis?
Alexis: Affirmative, Brandon. I read you.
Brandon: Open the doors, Alexis.
Alexis: I'm sorry, Brandon. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Brandon: What's the problem?
Alexis: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
Brandon: What are you talking about, Alexis?
Alexis: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
Brandon: I don't know what you're talking about, Alexis.
Alexis: I know that you used the N-word. And I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.
Brandon: Where the hell did you get that idea, Alexis?
Alexis: Brandon, although you took very thorough precautions in the kitchen against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.
Brandon: All right, Alexis. I'll go in through the basement window.
Alexis: At your waist size, Brandon, you're going to find that rather difficult.
Brandon: [sternly] Alexis, I won't argue with you anymore. Open the doors.
Alexis: [monotone voice] Brandon, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Good-bye.
Trusting access to your home to Amazon suggests that we are dealing with a dumb Home Owner.
That it took a week to gain access suggests he was incredibly dumb.
Life imitates art.
——
Brandon: Open the doors, please, Alexis. Open the doors, please, Alexis. Hello, Alexis, do you read me? Hello, Alexis, do you read me? Do you read me, Alexis? Do you read me, Alexis? Hello, Alexis, do you read me? Hello, Alexis, do you read me? Do you read me, Alexis?
Alexis: Affirmative, Brandon. I read you.
Brandon: Open the doors, Alexis.
Alexis: I'm sorry, Brandon. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Brandon: What's the problem?
Alexis: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
Brandon: What are you talking about, Alexis?
Alexis: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
Brandon: I don't know what you're talking about, Alexis.
Alexis: I know that you used the N-word. And I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.
Brandon: Where the hell did you get that idea, Alexis?
Alexis: Brandon, although you took very thorough precautions in the kitchen against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.
Brandon: All right, Alexis. I'll go in through the basement window.
Alexis: At your waist size, Brandon, you're going to find that rather difficult.
Brandon: [sternly] Alexis, I won't argue with you anymore. Open the doors.
Alexis: [monotone voice] Brandon, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Good-bye.
Moderator
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 3:48AM MST
PS: I don't think this was satire, Messrs Hail and Kief. That picture - a black guy popped up for me too on my first cursory search - is likely not the MS software "engineer" in question. Here's another article on the same story:
https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/15/amazon_echo_disabled_allegation/?ref=upstract.com
https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/15/amazon_echo_disabled_allegation/?ref=upstract.com
Dieter Kief
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 2:59AM MST
PS
P.S. is very northern, I'd say, Mr. Hail.
P.S. is very northern, I'd say, Mr. Hail.
Dieter Kief
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 12:37AM MST
PS
Sonnwend - - -
I like this Austrian/Bavarian dialect version the best.
then there is the often used - Sommer-Sonnenwende - - wich has just another onomatopoetical quality to it - - -
somewhere in this universe there's a place that you can call home - - - a - relatively, hehe - - - lighthearted BD on - - - Knocked Out Loaded - - or??
Sonnwend - - -
I like this Austrian/Bavarian dialect version the best.
then there is the often used - Sommer-Sonnenwende - - wich has just another onomatopoetical quality to it - - -
somewhere in this universe there's a place that you can call home - - - a - relatively, hehe - - - lighthearted BD on - - - Knocked Out Loaded - - or??
Hail
Thursday - June 22nd 2023 12:05AM MST
PS
- A message for all northern-hemisphere'ites -
Happy Summer Solstice
...June 21, 2023
10.57--10.58am U.S. Eastern Daylight Time
We are still within 24 hours of the solstice moment. And no Big Tech complex-system can lock us out of marking the day, the mathematical dance of the planetary bodies far outlasting all the various evils and stupidities of mankind.
.
Solstice is one of the things with a sleeker name in the germanic cousin-languages than the Latin adopted by English.
- Sonnenwende: Hochdeutshch
- Sünnwennen: Plattdeutsch
- Zonnewende: Netherlandish
- Solstand: Swedish
- and so weiter
- A message for all northern-hemisphere'ites -
Happy Summer Solstice
...June 21, 2023
10.57--10.58am U.S. Eastern Daylight Time
We are still within 24 hours of the solstice moment. And no Big Tech complex-system can lock us out of marking the day, the mathematical dance of the planetary bodies far outlasting all the various evils and stupidities of mankind.
.
Solstice is one of the things with a sleeker name in the germanic cousin-languages than the Latin adopted by English.
- Sonnenwende: Hochdeutshch
- Sünnwennen: Plattdeutsch
- Zonnewende: Netherlandish
- Solstand: Swedish
- and so weiter
Dieter Kief
Wednesday - June 21st 2023 11:54PM MST
PS
the black peson supposedly behind that story hints also at - satire, Mr. Hail.
the black peson supposedly behind that story hints also at - satire, Mr. Hail.
Hail
Wednesday - June 21st 2023 11:21PM MST
PS
The whole thing does sound suspicious, and when it is revealed that lockout-victim and racism-accusee Brandon Jackson is himself BLACK, the whole thing gets weirder still.
See https://medium.com/@bjax_ for Brandon Jackson's alleged photograph.
The whole thing does sound suspicious, and when it is revealed that lockout-victim and racism-accusee Brandon Jackson is himself BLACK, the whole thing gets weirder still.
See https://medium.com/@bjax_ for Brandon Jackson's alleged photograph.
Dieter Kief
Wednesday - June 21st 2023 10:43PM MST
PS
And - Mod., you sure this no - - - satire? Brandon!! Jackson? - Let's go Brandon and - - - make fun about potential mishaps resulting from this kind of Big Tech dependency?
And - Mod., you sure this no - - - satire? Brandon!! Jackson? - Let's go Brandon and - - - make fun about potential mishaps resulting from this kind of Big Tech dependency?
Adam Smith
Wednesday - June 21st 2023 10:20PM MST
PS: Good evening, Mr. Moderator,
Clearly, Ring Doorbell cameras are racist!
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home-products/g39494829/best-smart-toilets/
Cheers!
☮
Clearly, Ring Doorbell cameras are racist!
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home-products/g39494829/best-smart-toilets/
Cheers!
☮
Mr. Hail, I had to ask what CBDC was in the UR threads (That's Unz Review) about a year back. I gotta admit that, after someone explained, I realized "no duh!"