Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras • Hacker News Board

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#531

Post by ABCLAW » Fri, Feb 27, 2026, 8:54 PM UTC

throwaway85825 wrote: post #509

ABCLAW wrote: post #487

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the skepticism warrants more work than that. Darwin's finches are an entry-level concept to learn when learning about biochemistry and genetics. Separate planets would act to separate groups into distinct genetic populations which would then have different selection pressures put upon them. Even without selection pressure, genetic drift in both populations would result in differences compounding over time. Hu…

Most genetic drift happens during 'bottleneck' periods where >80% of the population dies due to selective pressure.

No, most genetic drift that ends up being reflected in wildtype populations happens during those periods, because small errors taking up a sizable percentile of the allelic distribution is easier when there are less alleles.

When it comes to neutral mutations, we can literally see constant variance creation in plenty of non-coding areas of DNA over time.

Drift occurs at a fairly consistent rate that reflects the intrinsic error rate of the particular replication machinery that a given organism uses. You can measure the statistical error rate of different ribosomal complexes.

Different planets are going to have different selection pressures. They'll have different conflicts. Different crises. Different cultures. Different reproductive preferences. Imagining that these populations will converge on the same wildtype by sheer chance is lunacy.

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#532

Post by s3p » Fri, Feb 27, 2026, 9:28 PM UTC

drnick1 wrote: post #430

s3p wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here. I am driving a 25 Kia and have tried to little success to find that modem.

This may help: https://www.kianiroforum.com/threads/how-to-remove-head-unit...

Thank you for sending!! In the newest generation of Kias they have completely redesigned the head unit. So now it is a big touchscreen with hidden entry points. One day I will figure it out...

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#533

Post by majorchord » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 5:40 AM UTC

magicalist wrote: post #530

majorchord wrote: post #414

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most phones have a cellular modem in it, and as long as it is on and functioning normally, even without a valid SIM, it can still be tracked by any provider or person/group/government controlling that provider, even triangulated to a more precise location, 24/7.

> it can still be tracked by any provider or person/group/government controlling that provider, even triangulated to a more precise location, 24/7. Which as of 2018 requires a warrant to get access to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_v._United_States We want a government and law enforcement that can investigate wrongdoing, but we want that access to be checked and limited, and, most importantly, we want the g…

> requires a warrant

Only if it's the government wanting the data directly from the provider. The provider itself, any malicious actor within, or any companies they might be selling your data to, can still get the subscribers' location data. And the government can still legally purchase that info from a data broker without it being labeled a "search". And that's nothing to say of governments acting illegally, there are still ways they can access that data.

My point was that not having "facebook, X, or tiktok installed on my phone" does nothing to stop your carrier (or anyone else they might be working with) from tracking your exact location in much worse ways than any individual app normally would.

Re: Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#534

Post by ranger_danger » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 5:47 AM UTC

fc417fc802 wrote: post #258

steviedotboston wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

my point is people are freaking out about Flock but everyone has a tracking device in their pocket at all times, and people absolutely love Ring doorbell cameras (ok maybe not you, I get it). It seems incongruous to me that people are willing to recognize the benefits that these tools provide law enforcement at solving crimes but when it comes to Flock cameras somehow things are totally different. They're just camera…

A phone provides the individual with tangible benefits. It only tracks the individual. The individual is always free to opt out. A ring doorbell camera provides the individual with tangible benefits. It is installed by the individual on personal property. It does however typically capture some amount of public space which I think is problematic. Government run centralized surveillance does not provide the individual…

> Government run centralized surveillance does not provide the individual with tangible benefits

It certainly can if you're willing to see it from a different perspective.

Imagine a thief, stalker, abuser or anyone that commits a crime against you, but police normally would not be able to locate them after they run away. Having those cameras can absolutely help them locate them quickly in order to arrest them shortly after you report an incident.

I'm not trying to defend surveillance, I certainly don't want it, I'm just saying there can technically be non-obvious benefits.