its trivial and happening way more than you’d think
people were doing this with human cashiers decades ago
i was just last week ranting about how horrible the denver airport is oh how i loathe it so much. plane travel is already terrible but to have to follow it up with navigating this demonic labyrinth makes me completely believe all the rumors about the airport being a shrine to Satan
business is all about who you know and who knows you. there are 50 plumbers in the area, and while most of them will certainly do a good job, i know josh the plumber, they were nice to me that one time, so i’m going to contract his company to do our plumbing work. it’s not more complicated than that.
it’s never been something i’ve enjoyed, but after years of being forced to engage for the sake of “advancing” my “career” i’ve managed to create a facade i employ while networking, where i play the role of what the average “doer of this specific thing” is in the eyes of the average person. and at least for my industry, it works way too well, as if the entire concept is just a joke and only a vessel for patronage and nepotism.
Not long ago I stumbled upon the RNode (I think on this website?) as a cheap, long range transmitter that should be able to easily retool for solar power. However a lot of the radio technology quickly gets out of my wheelhouse. May be showing my ass here, but wouldn’t you need a license to operate one of these?