Dev.SN ♥ developers
Sections
Dev.SN
posted by
Dopefish
on Monday February 24 2014, @05:00PM
from the don't-click-ok-to-accept-the-eula dept.
from the don't-click-ok-to-accept-the-eula dept.
andrew writes:
"Alternet.org reports recent updates to terms of conditions for Bank of Americas cell phone app and Capital Ones new credit card contract have given banks unsettling new abilities. These privileges include the authority to access to your phone microphone and camera or even showing up at your workplace and home unannounced at any time.
From the the article:
We're witnessing a new era of fascism, where corporations are creating intrusive and over-bearing terms and conditions that customers click to agree to without even reading.
As a result, corporations in America have acquired king-like power, while we're the poor serfs that must abide by their every rule or else."
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
Have Terms of Service Become Totalitarian Tools?
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 1000 moderator points
| 84 comments
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
I'm not a robot like you. I don't like having disks crammed into me... unless they're Oreos, and then only in the mouth.
-- Fry
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday February 24 2014, @06:53PM
I got the news a while back that I can no longer open a bank account. I speculate that this is due to a notebook computer being stolen from a mental health clinic, that contained the Social Security Numbers of all us patients. I had not known that the clinic had my SSN; there was no damn good reason for them to, but there it is.
Now there is a way I could clear this all up, but it would be a huge PITA. IMHO it should have been sufficient just to tell the bank about the stolen notebook, but no.
So I made the decision that I would just pay cash for everything.
My only real gripe is that I am a consultant, I often work remote, so I have to request that clients pay me either with a cashier's check, a money order or a check drawn on a national bank.
But otherwise I'm cool paying cash.
Yeah I'll never even apply for a mortgage ever again, but after quite a lot of reflection, I decided I was a lot happier just renting a place that was only as big as I needed. I used to, uh, "own" quite a nice house on some nice wooded land. I proceeded to underbid a contract, with the result that I came within five days of foreclosure. Never Again.
I'm handy with tools, I know about auto repair, so I know how to buy a used car that is just as good as a new car. If one pays about four grand, one can conceivably pay cash rather then getting an auto loan, then with proper maintenance that car will last as long as a new car would.
They might build a new toll bridge on Interstate 5 over the Columbia River via Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. If they do the plan is to use prepaid transponders for the toll. One would then need a bank account. One could pay cash but then the cash toll is planned to be almost twice as much as the prepaid transponder toll.
I have at times toyed with the idea of attending law school. I have successfully represented myself Pro Per in court - that is, as my own counsel, without anyone's assistance at all. The more common Pro Se, one acts as one's own counsel, but with the assistance of a legal adviser who is often but does not have to be a bar-admitted attorney.
So if I ever have to pay more in cash than someone else paid with a transponder, I would sue in federal court, over the bridge failing to honor the "legal tender for all debts public and private" that is written on all American banknotes.
I can be a real dickhead about that. I'd sue the bridge authority for two and a half bucks, then tie them up in court, what with all the interloculatory appeals, for decades.
I have a major product announcement [warplife.com] coming 5:01 PM 2014-03-21 EST.
(Score: 1) by Ezber Bozmak on Monday February 24 2014, @07:42PM
So if I ever have to pay more in cash than someone else paid with a transponder, I would sue in federal court, over the bridge failing to honor the "legal tender for all debts public and private" that is written on all American banknotes.
You'd lose. There is no reason they can't offer a discount for a particular form of payment - the debt is the whole amount. You aren't getting a surcharge for paying cash, they are getting a discount for paying with a transponder.
(Score: 1) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday February 24 2014, @09:39PM
You can appeal anything where the trial judge can be reasonably said to have made a mistake.
Just say "I object" to any damnfool thing. If the judge overrules your objection, then you can argue in your appeal that he should not have.
If I file an appeal, even if there is never a hearing, the bridge authority would still have to answer my complaint. Should they fail to do so I would win by default.
If the appeals court won't take my case, I'm not sure but maybe I could request an "En Banc" opinion, that is a hearing before all the judges of - in this case - the ninth circuit court of federal appeals in san francisco, and then the supreme court.
Now if I lose in the end, the court might require me to pay the bridge authority's legal fees. I'm OK with that. Google for "uncollectable".
I have a major product announcement [warplife.com] coming 5:01 PM 2014-03-21 EST.
(Score: 1) by gottabeme on Tuesday February 25 2014, @12:58PM
You can't ever open any bank account anywhere?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 27 2014, @05:34AM
I don't want to limit your use of cash but if you ever find you have too much to feel safe etc. feel free to open a bank account in Switzerland or Norway (I'd choose Norway, more of a squeaky clean feel). Choose something small like a cooperative bank, plenty of foreigners do it and at least in Norway you're 100% protected against the bank for up to about 500.000NOK (which is roughly 100.000USD) even if the EU gets their way (Norway is not an EU member) and at least twice as much (depending on exchange rates) if they don't.
Maybe something to explore.