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X10

Why do I hate them?

I used to love X10’s products. They did a lot of nifty things.. basically, moved data over the power line. They had little remote control widgets that would turn things on and off. In general, the system just worked – except for their SCR light switches of the in wall variety, which for whatever reason would invariably burn out in a mode where they had trouble turning off. [Very annoying]

But then, they started the ads.

You know the ads.

You’ve seen the ads.

Buy a X10 and spy on [insert sexy female in your life here], any time you want, from anywhere in the world.

Yah.

That’s a fucking brilliant idea. Why didn’t I think of that?

Who cares about the morality, or lack therof, of the action. Who cares about the possible side effects, such as the idea that no where in the world will be not on live video.

Okay, so the nudity taboo will go. That will be nice.

It’ll do really interesting things to child-parent relations. Nothing I particularly want to think about. You’re supposed to be able to keep parts of your life secret from your parents as a child – otherwise, you could only do things your parents would approve of, and the species would never grow socially.

But wait a second. Do we really want to go here?

Then there’s the question – what do you do?

Well, you can click the ‘don’t ever fuck with me again’ link. I like that option.. but it’s not enough.

The problem is, I’m against censorship. I beleive that data wants to be free, and I beleive in open source. I beleive in a honest media, run by the people.

But do I believe you should be able to – probebly legally – run a concealed video camera anywhere you like?

How long, as Lee Hart points out, before the evidence of a camera like this is admissable in court?

Video cameras are already everywhere we go – look around you, you’ll be quite amazed at the security cams. Only a matter of time before people network them and put face recognition on them – within the realm of today’s technology. How far do we want to go? 1984? Ask yourself if you trust the government not to abuse this kind of technology?

Okay, back to my original point.

X10 is encouraging pedophiles to buy them.

Fucking brilliant.

How many people will be _made_ into pedophiles by repeated exposure to x10 ads? I mean, I probebly have fifty random bizarre fetishes ‘latent’ – show me the images enough, and they’ll develop. That’s how humans _work_. If the advertising agency didn’t know this, they wouldn’t be paying what they are for ads

Brilliant. Now we have to ask a few questions here.

First, what does this say about the companies that paid for the ads?

Second, what does this say about X10? The people who work there? When did we leave the world where companies tried to behave ethically?

Listening to Bill Hicks and Capitol Steps. Rolling on the floor laughing.

S.

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