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Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

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Re: Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

#71
post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do so many have that exact wording "honest and unbiased review"? So bizarre

I'm guessing it's lawyer-specified boilerplate that spreads in the same manner as the ALL CAPS type of language you see in software licenses.

What's the deal with ALL CAPS PARTS in certain legal documents, anyway? It can't possibly carry any legal weight...?

Re: Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

#72
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm guessing it's lawyer-specified boilerplate that spreads in the same manner as the ALL CAPS type of language you see in software licenses.

What's the deal with ALL CAPS PARTS in certain legal documents, anyway? It can't possibly carry any legal weight...?

I saw someone say once that it is done to fulfil a legal obligation to make certain clauses obvious and noticeable, or a similar phrasing in contract law.

Re: Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

#73
Clearly I've been very naive but I had no idea people made a living writing fake reviews: https://www.amazon.com/AuYou-Switch-Wireless-Electronics-Any... What is the point of this? I assume they're after the star rating since anyone who actually reads the review text will know it's bogus.

Wouldn't it be in Amazon's interest to shadowban these accounts?

Re: Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

#74
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, there's a cottage industry of review-for-discount sites that give people discounts/free items in exchange for reviews, but wink wink don't feel obligated to give it 5 stars.

No winking is necessary. Back when I was among the Top Amazon Reviewers, I'd regularly be asked to review products and (especially) books (primarily those that were self published). I rarely said yes, but when I did I treated them exactly the same as I would for a product I'd bought myself. That included 1- and 2-star reviews... though usually I tried to weed out the crap before saying Yes to such an offer. The cost…

One of the "good reasons" why publishing houses refuses books is because the author doesn't have an established fan base. So as a new author, you're in an uncomfortable double bind: it's really hard to get published if you don't have a fan base, and it's really go build a fan base if you're not published.

Sure, some authors build a fan base by themselves, go viral, and a publisher gets interested in them (see The Martian, or 50 Shades of Grey, etc). But as any viral phenomenon, quality is not necessarily the reason (see 50 Shades of Grey).

What if you're a good author but not a good marketer/salesman, or just not interested in that part?

I'm biased in all this. I have a full time job, I write as a hobby, publishers ignored my queries, so I self-published my novel. It's far from a masterpiece, but according to a majority of people who have read it, it's also far from crap. My main problem is how to get it in the hands of more people, but I don't have the time or the energy (nor the inclination, really) to also do marketing & sales. That's what publishers are supposed to do :(

Re: Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

#75
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they are revealing that they are actually fake and one-sided. It's like the last time I bought a car at a dealership I got the line "I'll be honest, I haven't sold a car all week and I'll really work with you if you buy one today." Immediate tip-off that he's lying through his teeth.

Completely agree. "I'll be honest" is right up there with "I'm not a racist, but..." in the list of phrases that always self-negate.

Unfortunately, someone who reads this might interact with someone who is claiming to be honest, and truly is being honest.

Never trust a salesman because they're salesman, not because you think you can read their speech and body language.

Re: Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

#76
post #43

Sounds like the classic excuses you get from chinese sellers, they say their boss will punish them if you've left a bad review, aliexpress will punish their store, company will close etc. It's no problem though, they can just keep sending out free review units to get their 4 and 5 star reviews. 2 verified purchases from 11 reviews, and one of those got it for free or heavily discounted "The AuYou Power Socket arrived…

As soon as I see that phrasing, I close the tab and move on to a different product. If you need to buy your reviews, I'm not buying your product. I see it a lot, which is making shopping on Amazon extremely unpleasant. I wish Amazon would crack down on these obviously paid-for reviews.

Re: Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

#77
"But if you're not home, your phone sends the command to a server in China,..."

Do any "smart" devices not try to connect to remote servers, automatically, without asking the user for permission?

Do users care that "smartphones" they carry or other devices they put in their home automatically connect to remote servers so various companies can collect data, ..., turn sockets on/off, etc.?

If we do not like this practice and we want to see change for the better, then maybe we should put our comments in Amazon reviews instead on HN, security blogs, etc.

Re: Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

#78
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm guessing it's lawyer-specified boilerplate that spreads in the same manner as the ALL CAPS type of language you see in software licenses.

What's the deal with ALL CAPS PARTS in certain legal documents, anyway? It can't possibly carry any legal weight...?

The Universal Commercial Code requires some terms be "conspicuous" in transactions, and says you can satisfy that requirement with all caps text of equal or greater size than the nearby text. There are some other options, like changing color or alternate fonts, but those are generally just more complicated.[0]

An example of a contract term that must be conspicuous is selling something "as is," ie, claiming no warranty that the thing even works at all.[1]

A note on Universal Codes - nonprofits, usually mostly made up of lawyers, will write model codes for state laws and then try to get them passed in each state so that state laws are predictable. Almost all states have adopted some provisions from the UCC, but several states have adopted modified versions or old revisions.[2]

[0] https://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/1/1-201

[1] https://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/2/article2

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Act

Re: Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

#79

"But if you're not home, your phone sends the command to a server in China,..." Do any "smart" devices not try to connect to remote servers, automatically, without asking the user for permission? Do users care that "smartphones" they carry or other devices they put in their home automatically connect to remote servers so various companies can collect data, ..., turn sockets on/off, etc.? If we do not like this practi…

> Do any "smart" devices not try to connect to remote servers, automatically, without asking the user for permission?

I believe this is the point of Apple Homekit. And probably whatever Google has in the works will follow the same path.

Your IoT devices only talk to your Apple TV, and the Apple TV talks to Apple which provides the cloud-connected app on your phone.

That way the million IoT vendors shouldn't have to worry about security as much, becuase their devices are behind your NAT and communicated with through Apple's security.

Re: Security researcher gets threats over Amazon review

#80
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, there's a cottage industry of review-for-discount sites that give people discounts/free items in exchange for reviews, but wink wink don't feel obligated to give it 5 stars.

No winking is necessary. Back when I was among the Top Amazon Reviewers, I'd regularly be asked to review products and (especially) books (primarily those that were self published). I rarely said yes, but when I did I treated them exactly the same as I would for a product I'd bought myself. That included 1- and 2-star reviews... though usually I tried to weed out the crap before saying Yes to such an offer. The cost…

You're always influenced. No one ever thinks they are, but it's impossible to be truly objective when someone else is doing you a favor. And even if you happen to be immune, you should just assume that you aren't.

Better yet, don't review free products. It's just spam that the rest of us don't want to sort through, and it buries the truly unbiased reviews.

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