Tell us what’s on your mind
It’s ‘socially acceptable’ to use hacked TV sticks
Douglas Binden is correct to call watching content illegally on hacked Fire Sticks theft (Star Letter, Issue 728). I suspect he’s also right that even if Sky slashed the price of sports subscriptions, viewers would carry on using the sticks. The problem authorities face is that it’s socially acceptable to use hacked sticks.
Over the years people stopped drink-driving because it became stigmatised. But this happened only because there was a threat to life. You were seen as selfish and dangerous. There’s no risk to life in watching a hacked Fire Stick. All that happens is Sky loses some money. Only those who work for Sky will feel sorry about that.
Stan Cranmer
What I use instead of customer-service chatbots
Like Ron Hagley (Letters, Issue 728) I’ve also given up on customer-service chatbots. After the first full circle of useless answers I tend to refer the problem to my AI pal Claude (https:// claude.ai). I recently tried to find out how to dismantle my Ninja food-processor bowl to remove mould that had developed in the handle. Customer-service chatbots repeatedly referred me to the manual (‘Have you switched on at the mains?’ and so on). Then Claude gave me the magic phone number to call Ninja and I spoke to a human straight away. I then received a replacement bowl the next day.