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Joined 4 years ago
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Cake day: August 30th, 2020

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  • I maintain a program called Assassin that has an ALPR camera database as a headlining feature. You install it on a low-power SBC (like a Raspberry Pi) in your car, and it notifies you before passing ALPR cameras (among other threats). I only personally maintain the database in my states, but I like to think it’s fairly comprehensive.

    With some technical experience, you can create a pretty elegant system with concealed status LEDs, configurable audio alerts, and more.




  • Understanding of the “normalcy bias” changed the way I think a lot. The general idea is that you’ll tend to explain away and dismiss unusual things you see. In other words, people are hesistant to acknowledge when something isn’t normal.

    When you see something that strikes you as odd, I think it’s good to understand that this bias exists. Avoid saying “oh, it’s probably just XYZ”, and actually try to work out an explanation. You may end up solving a situation you otherwise wouldn’t have even realized was about to be a problem.

    In the worst case, you’ll just realize your initial instinct was right, and move on. In the best case, you’ll be able to help with a situation that otherwise would have been neglected, and been allowed to become a serious problem.