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by problems 3214 days ago
> Do you think I will regret having an Echo one day?

Certainly some people have. A court case recently had Amazon turn over Echo recordings.

Similarly, your DNA could be used to place you in relation to a crime scene whether you committed that crime or not. I certainly don't want someone I bumped into earlier to have my DNA on them when their body is found if my DNA is trivially searchable. I'd much rather have them need to go through me and my lawyer before any of that is possible.
1 comments
criddell 3213 days ago
The likelihood of either of those scenarios is pretty tiny. The value of DNA sequencing and virtual assistants is real and substantial.

I don't like the better-safe-than-sorry argument when it comes to security. I think it leads to bad policy and bad decisions. I've been thinking about this after I read a story[1] about a family that has been told that they cannot let their young kids ride a city bus by themselves. It's a similar argument - the value of kids gaining independence is big and the risk of something atrocious happening is tiny.

[1]:https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/09/06/a-dad-in-bc-l...

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problems 3213 days ago
It's not "better-safe-than-sorry", but a simple cost-benefit analysis of the risks and stakes presented.

Depends on your lifestyle and how valuable you think these things are, but I find these things almost entirely valueless. I think virtual assistants are basically total trash - I can type my query on my damn phone faster and more accurately than the Echo or Google can get it - and I just see no value in DNA sequencing unless you're looking for a specific medical condition, the fluffy interest in stuff like racial makeup just seems like a shitty trade-off to me.

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Faark 3213 days ago
A bad policy can be undone, publishing data can not. So I understand people want to play it safe more so on the later one.

Also keep in mind that with DNA you are not just making the decision for yourself. Your relatives share significant parts of your DNA, thus the potential risks will affect your brothers kids /etc as well. Consider asking their opinion / getting their consent.

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criddell 3213 days ago
> the potential risks

I'm willing to tolerate a pretty high level of risk. I either drive my car or ride my bicycle to work 5 days a week. I've gone scuba diving before. I rode a motorcycle for 30 years (I just sold it). I occasionally eat fast food. Crazy, right?

For 23andMe, do you know of some ways that people have actually been harmed by their test results? I wonder what percentage of their customers regret signing up?

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