Read on Twitter
[thread]
Fuck this.
Fuck you.
A thread on QIUI, BDSM, technology, and my continuing problems with expletive variation due to overuse. https://twitter.com/QIUI13/status/1314165438842986496
Fuck this.
Fuck you.
A thread on QIUI, BDSM, technology, and my continuing problems with expletive variation due to overuse. https://twitter.com/QIUI13/status/1314165438842986496
I am about to waste my time on twitter.
I'm pretty sure that, at this point, there are few people without opinion that also read this account.
But I apparently cannot let a teaching moment pass, so here we are.
Again.
I'm pretty sure that, at this point, there are few people without opinion that also read this account.
But I apparently cannot let a teaching moment pass, so here we are.
Again.
First, the responses of the security team that found the issue on these devices: https://twitter.com/alexlomas/status/1314215189424742402
Now then, a story:
In 2008, I was invited to be on a panel on "BDSM and Web 2.0" at the Leather Leadership Conference.
Being in my 20s and an overconfident asshole, I strode into the room with TECH SOLUTIONS FOR EVERYONE.
Oops. https://www.metafetish.com/2008/04/09/qdot-on-panel-at-leather-leadership-conference-2008/
In 2008, I was invited to be on a panel on "BDSM and Web 2.0" at the Leather Leadership Conference.
Being in my 20s and an overconfident asshole, I strode into the room with TECH SOLUTIONS FOR EVERYONE.
Oops. https://www.metafetish.com/2008/04/09/qdot-on-panel-at-leather-leadership-conference-2008/
This was during the rise of wikis and the talk of information freedom, and the leather community (which I was not, and have never been, directly a part of) was in a panic about information spread and vetting in this new world.
It was 12 years ago, but from what I remember I just quietly repeated "WIKIS GOOD LOCKDOWN BAD" over and over while not getting the rage. I wasn't real good at listening.
Obviously, things have changed since then.
At least for me. The rest of tech?
Well, uh.
Obviously, things have changed since then.
At least for me. The rest of tech?
Well, uh.
I'm not going to re-run my "education problems" talk. I did it 2 days ago and you can read it here. This problem exists in regular sex tech, doubly so in BDSM.
Now we have a statement from QIUI, a bad actor in the area that really gets into this problem. https://twitter.com/buttplugio/status/1313523734100152320
Now we have a statement from QIUI, a bad actor in the area that really gets into this problem. https://twitter.com/buttplugio/status/1313523734100152320
So let's get to it.
Paragraph 1: Our Incredible Journey to Lock Your Cock.
Seriously, in an update email about a massive breach of security on almost every level, you open with "here's the history of my startup",
Jake, you fucking shitbag.
Paragraph 1: Our Incredible Journey to Lock Your Cock.
Seriously, in an update email about a massive breach of security on almost every level, you open with "here's the history of my startup",
Jake, you fucking shitbag.
And title used is "an entrepreneur". No talk of experience in sex tech, BDSM, or anything needed to build this technology for the human needs instead of the capital wants.
They talk about their investors before they talk about their users.
It's obviously all about them.
They talk about their investors before they talk about their users.
It's obviously all about them.
So, after the history of the startup, its hiring practices, its outside investors, development plans, and R&D work, a full 1.5 paragraphs into the fucking letter, we get to talk of the actual problem.
This is not addressing security.
This is a request for funding and media.
This is not addressing security.
This is a request for funding and media.
Blame shift happens up front here. It's not the company's lack of engineering resources or knowledge that are the problem here.
It's COVID-19.
The "flaring virus".
Once again, we see this company and CEO's complete lack of understand of how power exchange should work.
It's COVID-19.
The "flaring virus".
Once again, we see this company and CEO's complete lack of understand of how power exchange should work.
If you fuck up, you don't get to blame a virus, the equipment, or anything else. You blame your fucking lack of planning and negotiation with those involved in the power play.
Jake Guo, without understanding what he is doing, has become a bad Dom to every one of his customers.
Jake Guo, without understanding what he is doing, has become a bad Dom to every one of his customers.
And lest you think I'm running too far with my analogies here, he straight up fucking SAYS SO IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH.
The "rules of the game" are set not by the users, but by the company.
Whoever you put in power is not in charge of your cock or ass.
QIUI and Jake Guo are.
The "rules of the game" are set not by the users, but by the company.
Whoever you put in power is not in charge of your cock or ass.
QIUI and Jake Guo are.
Jake makes sure to let people know that "QIUI is much safer than a manual cage! Because you might lose the key!"
Once again, reaffirming the power of QIUI over you. If you lose the key, it's your fault. If whoever you've trusted with power loses the key, you trust them less.
Once again, reaffirming the power of QIUI over you. If you lose the key, it's your fault. If whoever you've trusted with power loses the key, you trust them less.
If one person loses one key, that trust needs to be fixed in that relationship.
With the hack this morning, QIUI and Jake Guo just lost 1000s of keys AT THE SAME FUCKING TIME.
Regardless of how the cage comes off, YOU LOST THE FUCKING KEYS, JAKE.
With the hack this morning, QIUI and Jake Guo just lost 1000s of keys AT THE SAME FUCKING TIME.
Regardless of how the cage comes off, YOU LOST THE FUCKING KEYS, JAKE.
And now, onto the "but you could drown in a glass of water" defense.
"All hardware is hackable!"
"When phones or consoles are hacked, people don't seem to stop using them"
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME AN XBOX ATE SOMEONES BALLS, JAKE
Jake Guo does not understand bodies or humans.
"All hardware is hackable!"
"When phones or consoles are hacked, people don't seem to stop using them"
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME AN XBOX ATE SOMEONES BALLS, JAKE
Jake Guo does not understand bodies or humans.
And then blame shift from COVID-19 to app stores.
"App stores are slow in reviewing our apps! We can't help it!"
Yes, because app stores being slow are a completely new thing.
And not some fucking dumbshit that decided to put app stores in the way of locking up bodyparts.
"App stores are slow in reviewing our apps! We can't help it!"
Yes, because app stores being slow are a completely new thing.
And not some fucking dumbshit that decided to put app stores in the way of locking up bodyparts.
Final paragraph, thanking users and online BDSM communities.
Online BDSM communities that have sprung up since I fucked up at that panel in 2008.
Online BDSM communities, with what little bumpers and guard rails of training they had removed, that think this kind of tech is ok.
Online BDSM communities that have sprung up since I fucked up at that panel in 2008.
Online BDSM communities, with what little bumpers and guard rails of training they had removed, that think this kind of tech is ok.
And that's it.
No mention of the data leaks.
No mention of the horrible design issues.
Just funding terminology, defensiveness, and a complete disregard for having done anything wrong.
No mention of the data leaks.
No mention of the horrible design issues.
Just funding terminology, defensiveness, and a complete disregard for having done anything wrong.
I'm very much willing to bet that QIUI's sales have increased due to this.
There have been many replies/threads of "Oh wow being permanently locked up is kinda hot".
Which I mean, fine. It's a fantasy, you live that shit inside your head all you fuckin' want, champ.
There have been many replies/threads of "Oh wow being permanently locked up is kinda hot".
Which I mean, fine. It's a fantasy, you live that shit inside your head all you fuckin' want, champ.
Problem is, sex tech easily makes that a reality, and it's up to the industry AND the customers to regulate that.
In this case, neither is, and it's extremely difficult to say how either should in a concrete way.
In this case, neither is, and it's extremely difficult to say how either should in a concrete way.
I'd love to be able to say "AND HERE'S THE THING WE SHOULD DO!".
All I've gained since displaying my own hubris on this topic at that panel in 2008 is that I had a shitton of hubris.
I've worked some of that out, but getting to real answers here is another sheer cliff to climb.
All I've gained since displaying my own hubris on this topic at that panel in 2008 is that I had a shitton of hubris.
I've worked some of that out, but getting to real answers here is another sheer cliff to climb.
The promise of QIUI, and BDSM Tech in general, is that, if you don't have a partner close to play with, you can use the tech to bridge that.
But within that, no work has been done to update the nature and ideas of BDSM to the capabilities that the technology presents.
But within that, no work has been done to update the nature and ideas of BDSM to the capabilities that the technology presents.
And there are people that don't have a partner close OR near for play, so they consider the computer as the one they're trusting with the power exchange.
If you duct tape a flogger to your Tandy 1000, it's still a Tandy 1000. Anthropomorphizing tech does not undo it being tech.
If you duct tape a flogger to your Tandy 1000, it's still a Tandy 1000. Anthropomorphizing tech does not undo it being tech.
This is the ethics of ownership of tech, where we get into trouble blaming "the algorithm" for things that are human faults.
For some, it's fairly obvious that face recognition skewing for skin color is a Problem.
For others, I guess it takes Insecure Nut Jails.
For some, it's fairly obvious that face recognition skewing for skin color is a Problem.
For others, I guess it takes Insecure Nut Jails.
Unfortunately, the only direction I have on this is a long, slow one of continued speaking out, continued education, and continued development of tech that tries to make intimacy safe, secure, and fun.
And don't mistake this for me saying I won't fuck it up too.
And don't mistake this for me saying I won't fuck it up too.
I have fucked up in the past, and I most certainly will again.
But trust here is human, not technological, so what I can do is say "I fucked up, here's how, here's how I can do better".
Intimate tech has to be a COMMUNICATION between the engineers and the user, not a product.
But trust here is human, not technological, so what I can do is say "I fucked up, here's how, here's how I can do better".
Intimate tech has to be a COMMUNICATION between the engineers and the user, not a product.
Communicating through tech means talking to your users as you build, listening to their needs, adjusting to their usages, guiding their experience some times, and getting the fuck out the way others.
Communication is complicated and is something QIUI doesn't want to do.
Communication is complicated and is something QIUI doesn't want to do.
But communication is the only way to build intimate tech correctly, and the only way to improve it.
Anyways, I'm fucking sick of talking about this.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled buttplugs, already in progress.
Anyways, I'm fucking sick of talking about this.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled buttplugs, already in progress.
And just to follow up on this, the ransom demands have begun.
Whether or not they’re real, who knows. People talked publicly about using these things, they’re easy targets to bluff.
But the customer info was out there for anyone to get anyways, so who knows. https://twitter.com/buttplugio/status/1314384343918280704
Whether or not they’re real, who knows. People talked publicly about using these things, they’re easy targets to bluff.
But the customer info was out there for anyone to get anyways, so who knows. https://twitter.com/buttplugio/status/1314384343918280704
QIUI deleted their tweet with their press release from their CEO, so my first comment in this thread references a tweet that's no longer there.
Good thing we keep receipts around here.
Good thing we keep receipts around here.
Curious about how we make all of this easier and safer?
Check out this thread, where I explain some of the issues that make that a complex problem, then basically curl up in the corner and weep quietly! https://twitter.com/buttplugio/status/1314622550194839552
Check out this thread, where I explain some of the issues that make that a complex problem, then basically curl up in the corner and weep quietly! https://twitter.com/buttplugio/status/1314622550194839552
