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diff --git a/src/blog/dont-fall-for-fear-propaganda.html b/src/blog/dont-fall-for-fear-propaganda.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..422fc99 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/blog/dont-fall-for-fear-propaganda.html @@ -0,0 +1,67 @@ +title: Don't Fall For Fear Propaganda +date: August 27, 2021 01:08 +--- +<p> +I was recently traveling from a busy US airport. If you've been to a larger +American airport in recent years, you may have noticed, near the security line, +a bunch of booths from this company called Clear. They essentially allow you to +exchange your personal information, including a biometric scan of your iris, in +exchange for quicker processing through TSA security. (and they also take a +monthly subscription fee, billed annually, so you pay even for months you're not +traveling in) +</p> + +<p> +When I got to the airport, I was a little annoyed because the line through the +security check looked really long. I had lots of spare time arriving at the +airport, so I wasn't worried about missing my flight, but standing in an airport +line is never fun. +</p> + +<p> +What annoyed me more, however, were Clear employees shouting as loud as they +could, for everyone in the security line to hear, that "you're going to miss +your flight!", "you're going to have to wait through this entire security +line!", unless you enroll with Clear (which is quick, easy, and <i>only</i> +requires you to give away a scan of your personally identifiable biometric data +to some new, overfunded tech company). +</p> + +<p> +I was initially annoyed by this just because I'm not sympathetic to either +marketing or privacy violating technologies. But I got really mad when I +realized that + +<ol> + <li> the line was actually moving really fast; </li> + <li> + the spacer tape appeared to deliberately be set up in a way that made + the line visually appear as long as possible. + </li> +</ol> + +What I mean by the second point is that there was an entire row of unutilized +space that the line could have been directed to, but that row was the one +<i>furthest away</i> from the spot you enter the security line from. This made +it seem like there was an entire additional long bend to the line. Was this +collusion between Clear and airport staff? I don't know. But Clear definitely +capitalized on this illusion. +</p> + +<p> +Like I said, the line was moving quickly, there were many TSA lines open +processing a lot of people at a time. The Clear employees, standing by the line +for hours at a time, would have known this, but of course they're going to use +the scary looking queue as a fear tactics marketing opportunity. I got through +the line in about 30 minutes, which is a perfectly reasonable amount of safety +margin time any air traveler will include in their schedule. +</p> + +<h3> Moral of the story </h3> +<p> +When you're being marketed something on the basis of fear (or on any basis, +really, but especially when your emotional instincts might be exploited), take +the time to really consider whether the bogeyman you're supposed to fear +actually exists and is that scary. I'm sure you'll find other situations where +similar logic applies. +</p> |