Office of Alien Affairs
Public Statement, May 8, 2440
Distribution of personal communications equipment to the V’ren population is proceeding faster than originally projected.
As of the close of operations May 7, more than 12,500 of the first 20,000 Samsung equipment packages had been issued. Additional distribution personnel are being trained, including V’ren personnel, so the system will expand without requiring a proportional increase in human staff.
The devices provide communications access, translation support, personal and family wallet access, social communications and access to the Amazon purchasing system. The previously announced 10,000 Fiat Dollar settlement balance is being associated with those accounts as they are activated.
Amazon considers access to communications and personal purchasing power basic settlement infrastructure. People who have lost nearly everything should not have to ask an administrator every time they need shoes, a coffee pot or something for their children.
No recipient is required to remain within Amazon’s commercial ecosystem after using the settlement grant.
Separately, V’ren employment, housing, education and local government arrangements being developed in Missouri remain matters for the appropriate V’ren and local authorities.
Matthew J. B. Marmaduke
Director of Alien Affairs
Amazon Earth Division
Curated Media
Communications packages and Amazon accounts expand
The Marshall Standard
Phones Before Paperwork
More than 12,500 V’ren now have functioning human communications equipment, and Amazon says additional V’ren are being trained to distribute and activate the systems themselves.
That last part is the important one.
The program is already moving away from humans doing things for the V’ren and toward giving them the tools to do those things themselves.
The devices provide communications, translation, wallet access and ordinary commercial services. In practical terms, that means a V’ren mother separated from relatives can call them, buy what her family needs and navigate an unfamiliar society without standing in line for permission.
Marmaduke’s office says Amazon considers communications and personal purchasing power basic settlement infrastructure.
That sounds less exciting than first contact.
It is probably much more useful.
Free Network Review
Amazon Just Put a Million Aliens Inside Its Data Ecosystem
Amazon’s Alien Affairs office would like everyone to admire the speed with which V’ren refugees are receiving phones, wallets, translation systems and Amazon purchasing access.
We should perhaps ask what Amazon is receiving in return.
For the first time in history, humanity has access to a completely alien population. Their language use, purchasing behavior, social networks, interests and adaptation patterns may be worth more than any conventional market dataset ever assembled.
Amazon is now positioned to see enormous portions of it.
Director Marmaduke says recipients are not required to remain inside Amazon’s commercial ecosystem.
Fine.
What has not been explained is what data Amazon retains while they are there.
Humanity should not discover six months from now that first contact also became the largest behavioral-data harvest in history.
Response to Free Network Review
“Amazon Just Put a Million Aliens Inside Its Data Ecosystem”
Office of Alien Affairs
Yes.
V’ren who establish Amazon accounts provide Amazon with the same customer information other Amazon customers provide.
They have not been enrolled in a special behavioral research program.
They are not required to maintain Amazon accounts.
They are not required to spend beyond the credit Amazon provided.
They may establish accounts with competing retailers, and competing retailers remain free to offer whatever incentives they believe appropriate.
This is a commercial account, not a scientific experiment.
If Google, Apple, Samsung-Hyundai, Sony-Toyota or anyone else would like to give the V’ren free money in exchange for becoming customers, I suspect they will find a receptive audience.
They are refugees.
They are not idiots.
They can comparison shop.
Matthew Johnathan Boone Marmaduke
Director of Alien Affairs
@VrenTrust
We understand that Amazon is a commercial enterprise.
We also understand what customer information is collected through the accounts being offered.
Participation is voluntary.
Other human companies are welcome to make competing offers.
