Musician-turning-tech anarchist (?) Benn Jordan is making a very interesting series of videos about Flock cameras, their poor safety, and their gray-area interfacing with local governments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMIwNiwQewQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB0gr7Fh6lY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU1-uiUlHTo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9MwZkHiMQ

I recommend them.

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xracy an hour ago | parent | next [-]

I think his comment about "why dogs might provide actual neighborhood safety" is a good reminder that the thing that makes communities safe is "knowing your neighbors." You don't get safety by building a castle with a moat and a million cameras. You get safety by building a community with context that can respond without having to just "react" to the 6s version of "what happened".

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snerbles an hour ago | parent | next [-]

I'm reminded of prepper forum discussions. Where some do little more than hoard supplies, weapons and gadgets yet don't network and build communities. In an actual societal breakdown scenario these isolated individuals will become loot drops for others who actually band together.

	▲	IAmBroom 11 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		It's not that they'll be able to call on one another - you can't guarantee who else will be around after The Bad Event (whatever it is). It's that they don't have the basic strength of building alliances in the first place - something every kid is supposed to learn through the joys and pains of playing together. Bullies are not generally the popular ones, but neither are the loners. To put it another way: castles can't survive siege forever. They are a delaying tactic until outside help can arrive. "The Dauphin, whom of succors we entreated, Returns us that his powers are yet not ready To raise so great a siege. Therefore, great king, We yield our town and lives to thy soft mercy." -- Henry V, Act 3, scene 3

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Sharlin 12 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

Many may find it unintuitive, but one of the best things you can do for the actual security of a neighborhood is to design it for pedestrian and "loitering" friendliness.

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jkestner 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Benn's videos along with this one from a very chill middle-aged engineer/state rep made the difference in swaying our town to discontinue its Flock contract: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwbE5ks7dFg

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stronglikedan an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I'd also recommend Louis Rossman's videos on the topic, including how to get involved.

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seemaze 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Those were great to watch, thanks!

Also, I can't help but feel like I'm watching a young Dr. Emmett Brown.. Great Scott!!

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devin 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Benn is the best. His most recent video is about Ring cameras.

	▲	kgwxd 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		And Data center noise pollution before that. It's the only channel I subscribe to knowing full well every video is going to infuriate me.

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boriskourt 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Super worth a watch. Lots of technical tidbits also.

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boc an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Love the Flashbulb!

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AndrewKemendo 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Wow thank you for sharing this I had no idea this guy existed!

There’s more of us techno anarchists out there apparently!

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waNpyt-menrew 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

[flagged]

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ceejayoz 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/we-should-improve-society-som...

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mmcnickle 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> Fact of the matter is they’d like to personally profit off the same nonsense they complain about.

Benn Jordan's YouTube channel is a registered Nonprofit https://www.patreon.com/posts/nonprofit-has-82858569

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puppykito 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

???

It is very clearly because YouTube has a higher reach than any other platform in that space.

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komali2 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

During the KMT military dictatorship in Taiwan, the KMT used the radio to spread its anti-democratic propaganda and disparage pro-democracy activists. Activists meanwhile spread their messages via pirate radio.

	▲	pc86 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Cool, what does that have to do with anything?