The Swamp

Fun fact about ring cameras, they definitely send your surveillance footage to not only law enforcement, but also give access to a company in Ukraine
as well.

https://gizmodo.com/amazon-faces-heat-f ... 1839965117

Shocked! Shocked I tell you.

What did people think was going to happen?

If they aren't careful they could be looking at a five (5) figure fine.

Its good to be uninteresting.

blundercrush wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:09 pm Fun fact about ring cameras, they definitely send your surveillance footage to not only law enforcement, but also give access to a company in Ukraine
as well.

https://gizmodo.com/amazon-faces-heat-f ... 1839965117

so you're saying I should go with simplisafe over ring even though ring looks to be cheaper?

Brontoburglar wrote: ↑Fri Feb 21, 2020 12:20 pm

blundercrush wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:09 pm Fun fact about ring cameras, they definitely send your surveillance footage to not only law enforcement, but also give access to a company in Ukraine
as well.

https://gizmodo.com/amazon-faces-heat-f ... 1839965117

so you're saying I should go with simplisafe over ring even though ring looks to be cheaper?

I wouldn't assume it's any better. It's worth doing some research on that. Ring got so much bad press recently that they've probably greatly improved things - and they have the resources to do so.

Either way, surely you're tech savvy enough to know to use a good password and 2FA on something like that, hopefully.

i live in a world of 2FA thankfully

(went with ring, it was cheaper both up front and per month)

We're deep in the weeds when we've been convinced we need to pay a monthly subscription to a doorbell.

BSF21 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 8:02 am We're deep in the weeds when we've been convinced we need to pay a monthly subscription to a doorbell.

Absolutely.

I feel the same way about Alexas and Google home devices as well.

x3

I think its a nice security half-measure but would never put an Alexa inside my house?

y'all I'm talking about the monitoring of the alarm system (I figured the simplisafe reference made that clear but I guess not) and not monitoring of a doorbell

we'd get an alarm system no matter what (I really don't care about the doorbell but I'm not the one making that decision) and the monitoring makes it worth it for financial reasons too because we end up paying $100 a year for it and saving $200 a year on our homeowner's insurance

Who do you use? We have USAA but were told self-installed systems, even with outside monitoring, didn't qualify for the reductions.

mister d wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:16 am Who do you use? We have USAA but were told self-installed systems, even with outside monitoring, didn't qualify for the reductions.

We have Allstate/Simplisafe and we get the discount. It isn't $200/year though.

Brontoburglar wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:09 am y'all I'm talking about the monitoring of the alarm system (I figured the simplisafe reference made that clear but I guess not) and not monitoring of a doorbell

we'd get an alarm system no matter what (I really don't care about the doorbell but I'm not the one making that decision) and the monitoring makes it worth it for financial reasons too because we end up paying $100 a year for it and saving $200 a year on our homeowner's insurance

If you'e saving money you're saving money. I just personally don't get the video doorbell craze. Not to say it's bad for everyone, I just look out the window to see who's there. Never had a security system outside of a shotgun.

BSF21 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:24 am

Brontoburglar wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:09 am y'all I'm talking about the monitoring of the alarm system (I figured the simplisafe reference made that clear but I guess not) and not monitoring of a doorbell

we'd get an alarm system no matter what (I really don't care about the doorbell but I'm not the one making that decision) and the monitoring makes it worth it for financial reasons too because we end up paying $100 a year for it and saving $200 a year on our homeowner's insurance

If you'e saving money you're saving money. I just personally don't get the video doorbell craze. Not to say it's bad for everyone, I just look out the window to see who's there. Never had a security system outside of a shotgun.

This is where our white maleness shines again. I also never think twice about opening the door. My wife however, will not answer the door unless she is expecting someone.

We live in a relatively high minor property theft area, lots of car "break-ins" and package stealing, so our primary intent was to prevent that. (Plus its just kind of fun to watch the videos.)

Nice to see who is there if you're not. I don't have one though. Might do it on the back door since it's a more likely entry point. Do have an alexa. I like it a lot. Anyone watching or listening would be terribly bored.

A_B wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:26 am

BSF21 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:24 am

Brontoburglar wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:09 am y'all I'm talking about the monitoring of the alarm system (I figured the simplisafe reference made that clear but I guess not) and not monitoring of a doorbell

we'd get an alarm system no matter what (I really don't care about the doorbell but I'm not the one making that decision) and the monitoring makes it worth it for financial reasons too because we end up paying $100 a year for it and saving $200 a year on our homeowner's insurance

If you'e saving money you're saving money. I just personally don't get the video doorbell craze. Not to say it's bad for everyone, I just look out the window to see who's there. Never had a security system outside of a shotgun.

This is where our white maleness shines again. I also never think twice about opening the door. My wife however, will not answer the door unless she is expecting someone.

Oh I agree. My wife doesn't answer the door when I'm not around. No reason to. If we're expecting people they'll let us know they're coming. We don't have unexpected visitors. My doorbell is actually broken right now and I like it that way. I have a 60lb and a 75lb pair of doorbells anyway when people drop by.

mister d wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:16 am Who do you use? We have USAA but were told self-installed systems, even with outside monitoring, didn't qualify for the reductions.

AAA

In my limited research of a few other companies last week we were still better off bundling our AAA car and homeowners than I was getting the Liberty Mutual discount through work. Liberty Mutual could have saved us a little money (we both have AAA for car and I had AAA for my old house) but we also would have been going with lesser insurance on our cars.

ETA: our homeowner's insurance is insanely cheap. we also bought down the limited PMI and the interest rate an eighth of a point and we're somehow paying less up front than we were expecting to entering this process and ending up with a mortgage payment $275 more than LA is paying right now in rent for her 750 sq ft apt

and we didn't buy a cheap or small house that needs work, either. the midwest rules

Well ... some guy just rang about 20 minutes ago, I answered, he asked for Mike, I am not, asked about the restaurant sink for sale ... He came from like 45 minutes away for the pickup, showed me the text from the guy giving my address, we both find it weird and annoying since there's no other street with my name close so you can't just fuck it up. As he's about to leave, a truck pulls up, the driver calls out his name, guy on the porch seems wary and asks me if I know him, I do not, I ask why he's using my address, he called it a meeting point and I didn't really have a response beyond "don't, that's fucking weird". Sadly, the Ring only does 30 second intervals so I have the truck pulling up but not my awkward response.

mister d wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 4:47 pm Well ... some guy just rang about 20 minutes ago, I answered, he asked for Mike, I am not, asked about the restaurant sink for sale ... He came from like 45 minutes away for the pickup, showed me the text from the guy giving my address, we both find it weird and annoying since there's no other street with my name close so you can't just fuck it up. As he's about to leave, a truck pulls up, the driver calls out his name, guy on the porch seems wary and asks me if I know him, I do not, I ask why he's using my address, he called it a meeting point and I didn't really have a response beyond "don't, that's fucking weird". Sadly, the Ring only does 30 second intervals so I have the truck pulling up but not my awkward response.

And now you regret setting up your house as a location in Foursquare called "House of D"

[heavy breathing voice] "Let me see those hands."