Donotpay's endgame: a trade union for consumers to push back against abusive corporations

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/10/28/parking-tickets-plus-plus.html

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Some people are just able to see things clearly. Separate bs from the facts and find a solutions to problems “infecting” this society. Try to even think about automating some of these things gives me a headache. He is finding solutions on a regular basis. Amazing.

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Sign me up for this collective bargaining action. Sounds like a great way to fight against crap like “right to repair” corporate shenanigans, among many other systemic issues not effectively resolved in the current dynamic between consumers and corporations.

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Finally! I have wished we consumers could unionize for like four decades, but I always figured there are too many self-satisfied “i got mine” dorks in the US for this to ever happen. However, the internet gets the idea out to those who agree, with the possibility to go international.

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I think if they provide a tool that will record people interactions with one of these systems, they can unleash AIs to learn and then replicate the successes. AI will help these people get more solutions to the people.

I like this part of Snowcrash

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I didn’t realise the guy who created this was the son of Bill Browder, who’s probably the biggest thorn in Putin’s side in the West. As if there weren’t already enough reasons to love this service.

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Just waiting for the lobbyists to cook up some legislation to ban any kind of automated consumer advocacy or mutual aid in the most general sense. :slight_smile:

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I’m not aware of any technical or legal hurdle. I was a member of the SF Tenants Union and a supporter of the Muni Riders Union when I lived there.

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I think it is sad that we probably have more collective power as consumers than as voting citizens.

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What do the VCs expect to get out of this? Maybe they’re paying just to be close to this potentially society-shaping force. Maybe they’re in it to be forces for good themselves, with ROI a distant concern. But if not that, then I’d be curious to see the privacy statement.

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We have plenty of power as voters. The problem is so many citizens don’t bother to use it (and only a miniscule fraction will volunteer to elect better candidates). In fact it’s the vote is the only thing the GOP and dark money groups fear and that’s why they spend so much effort on voter suppression.

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Leveling the power imbalance, I love it! Perhaps some sort of AI (yeah, problem, problem, problem), with fairness and effectiveness goals, could assist the members to come to a decision about which collective action to take.

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“If voting made any difference, they would never let us do it” - not Mark Twain

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You create an account by giving & verifying your mobile #, next step they want your real credit card, no explanation why. What?

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More of this thing PLEASE.

Yes, the privacy statement!

It does explain that it is to give you money. EDIT, after I entered it, the app asks for $3 a month. Kinda difficult to download an app called “DoNotPay” and the first priority is PAYING them and no option to continue without paying. Frowny face.

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