- cross-posted to:
- techtakes@awful.systems
- cross-posted to:
- techtakes@awful.systems
Axon has been inviting police departments to webinars about the new AI-based product, which will automatically generate police reports based on bodycam audio, according to emails obtained by 404 Media.
Click on article, see that I require a “free account”, leave site, block 404media.co on my DNS.
404media has done some of the best in-depth tech journalism there is lately, but I guess paying them for that is a bridge too far for most (or even making a free account…).
It’s literally a worker owned cooperative and your first response is to block them at the DNS level? Great research there, boyo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/404_Media
Sorry they’re trying to actually get paid for real journalism. I guess you’d prefer clickbait from corporate owned bullshit company that pays their writers squat and uses AI to write articles?
Finally, this is arguably a really important subject to be having journalists look at, but I guess clickbait is more appealing.
It is possible to respect their efforts, but refuse to sign up for things on principle.
And, if the account is “free”, then why did you need to give them an email in the first place? If they aren’t getting money from you, then needing a login that would require an email address is sketchy as hell on the surface, and there’s no explanation given.
Yeah, blocking the site in its entirety is kinda weird, seems like extra effort for no benefit at all when you can just not use the site. But objecting to what is a pointless “account” unless they’re monetizing the information makes plenty of sense. Worker owned is not a guarantee of good behavior. It certainly helps, and it’s the superior business model imo, but it isn’t inherently going to mean they aren’t doing dumb shit.
The link to the explanation is right beside the text saying you need an account.
https://www.404media.co/why-404-media-needs-your-email-address/
But that would require research, reading, and most importantly, actually giving a shit.
Far easier to just swallow AI generated swill, apparently.
Yeah, no need for a long term marketing relationship. It’s valid for people to reject being marketed to.