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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 1st, 2023

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  • I’ve shifted to buying a lot of things used but I still can’t wrap my head around buying used clothing most of the time. There is an overwhelming selection of choices, and even if I sift through all of that to find the sort of stuff I need chances are it isn’t going to fit well.

    Poshmark helps for some things, but only if it’s like a discrete, easily categorized item that I can clearly for (like a specific brand of hat, or a specific line of pants from a specific brand that I already know fit). I’m appreciative of brands that have started carrying their own used clothing sections - even though it’s usually more expensive it’s so much easier to wrap my head around.

    Contrast that with things like electronics or household items which I go used for all day every day. I needed a rice cooker, bought a used Zojirushi off a local guy within a week, easy as pie.


  • Depending on what sorts of stuff you’re into there are situations where you can go over six without it being absurd. Like:

    • Everyday walkaround shoes
    • Running shoes
    • Hiking boots
    • Black dress shoes
    • Other color dress shoes
    • Sandals of some kind

    That’s already six pairs without even getting into other things that one may need like rain boots, snow boots, cleats, nonslips for work, etc.






  • If you’ve removed or disabled the telematics module and its antennas then your most sensitive data - your location - can’t be collected. GPS and mobile data technologies don’t work without hardware, antennas, and electricity.

    At that point even if there’s a back-up collection system the most a dealer could dump would be general driving and usage data. That’s a non factor for 99.99% of people, but if that is an issue in your threat model then you should avoid dealers and work only with trusted, independent mechanics. And frankly if your average speed or odometer reading is that sensitive you’re probably on the run and have bigger issues to worry about.

    I guess they could also dump your contacts or call data if you’ve synced those with your car, but you shouldn’t be doing that in the first place. Data collection isn’t magic. Don’t give the car data and it won’t have it.

    Shop for cars that work fine with their telematics modules & antennas disabled or removed, disable/remove them when you buy yours, and you’ll be fine.



  • No, that isn’t likely. People have fully disassembled these cars. There isn’t a secret second telematics module inside the seat cushions. If you disconnect power from the telematics module it can’t transmit data. If you want to be extra sure you can also wrap the module in faraday material, disconnect the antennas, or remove it completely. Data transmission isn’t magic; it requires hardware.

    At that point the most that could happen would be a mechanic dumping the data and uploading it to GM. Big corps are high resource, low motivation adversaries. They’re not going to spend tons of time and effort going after the <0.1% of people who physically disconnect telematics modules.