A video doorbell sales dude tried giving me one for free. I said “I don’t want your company to spy on my neighbors so they can hand it off to the cops without my say-so” and he looked at me like I’m stupid.
Should have said ok and then destroyed it once it’s legally your posession
Another thing users are “agreeing” by default and have to opt-out?
Opt-out!? Sounds like some woke shit capitalist jesus wouldn’t agree on
Nevermind users, at least the can choose to get rid of those, what about random people passing by?
Stop buying these fucking things. All they do is give you a memento of whatever happens at your door. They don’t stop shit from happening, they just record it.
I mean I don’t like these things but I’m sure people buy them to see who is at the door before answering or to answer when not home. Don’t believe people are buying them as security cameras.
They don’t stop shit from happening
yes and no… Will a camera physically prevent someone from breaking into your house? no. However, having a camera conspicuously installed does act as a deterrent.
One very useful function that doorbell cameras have specifically, is that I can talk to the person at the door remotely. I’ve had a couple occasions where I was unable to get to the door at the moment a delivery person showed up, so I was able to use that feature to tell them to leave the package and I’d be out momentarily to get it.
It’s also useful to get a notification when my kids get home from school and I’m in the office.
That being said, you are correct in that people should not be buying these cloud-only devices, especially when there are plenty of self-hosted options that have become quite affordable lately.
It’s important to install them as accurately as possible, too. Use multiples, and if using fake ones, be sure to make the fake ones hard to reach. The more doubt you create, the less likely you’ll be worth the trouble. It’s the same as walking in parking lots or streets with your head on a swivel. If you aren’t likely to be caught off guard, you’re probably not worth attacking.
Not everyone can afford cctv
Yes you can, if you can afford a Ring+subscription you can afford to get NVR+4 cameras and install them. Reolink even has doorbell cams that you can add to the NVR.
Generic onvif/rtsp cams are a dime a dozen and work with any NVR program that supports open standards. We’re talking $30ish for stuff that’s weatherproof, wifi, some with backup batteries, pan tilt zoom, 2 way audio. Cheap indoor models are like $20. It all runs locally if you install one of the several free NVR programs on a computer on your LAN.
cctv can be free if you’re use free open source software like motion or linux.
Anyone know good open source alternatives or I guess no golem source too if need be
Maybe the pinecube from pine64
I use reolink cameras isolated to their own VLAN and strictly controlled. NVR is an Intel NUC with Coral running Frigate. It was the cheapest/best solution for me. Tough to find things that aren’t insanely expensive.
I found the Lorex brand of products that stores footage locally. Internet connection is not required either, as it is either hardwired or paired directly with the NVR wirelessly.
Every town around me have installed these fucking things, covering every major route. In order to get out of my local area without being tracked I have to drive on some serious hillbilly roads. It’s exhausting.
Do you have any hobbies that require that kind of caution?
Is not-liking-being-monitored-by-some-asshole-billionaire-ceo-who-is-selling-all-my-movements-and-habits-to-people-i-know-nothing-about-and-i-have-no-reason-to-trust-their-intentions a hobby?
I completely agree. These tools are bullshit dystopia incarnate.
Its not about what your doing its the fact, it indiscriminately tracks people.
What is fine and legal today could be illegal tomorrow.
Also there are so many examples of abuse and mistakes by flock that they are unredeemable
Shocked Pikachu who could have predicted
Wouldn’t be surprised if the outage was caused by Palantir getting a shit load of new data suddenly.
When these ring cameras came out I got into an argument with a friend, who got one immediately, that they were just advanced tools for state surveillance.
I think I said something like, sure you can’t put a CCTV camera on every civilian door in the U.S. (also pointed at their neighbors) but you can sure as hell sell them their own.
Key point: "Flock users can request that Ring doorbell users share footage to help with “evidence collection and investigative work.”
This is not any kind of live link. It is just another way to request a specific video recording be shared by the user. The user has full control. Ring already has the same system in place on their “neighborhood” platform.
Ring just implemented facial rec that cant be turned off by the user and Amazon is buddies with Palantir. If you really think the user has any choice when police come through for an investigation, youve got another thing coming
I appreciate the optimism…
