> absolute language

I agree, and have noticed it seems to be getting worse. Maybe I'm just noticing it more. Some guesses involve people trying to be more concise, like in texts, and the result is less clear communication. Maybe add in, for whatever reason, people being stronger in their beliefs, and then more emphatic. I dunno.

The Air India Preliminary report specifically states "01" seconds.

Yes. I downloaded their preliminary report. I just searched it for "switch". There's a good pic showing the switches, right below the main throttle levers. The switches have fairly large bat handles. The investigators will need to dig into maintenance records to see if that plane had been checked for proper locks on the switches, but the preliminary report indicates they were not checked, as it was only an "advisory not mandatory".

IMHO, looking at the picture, they're not well protected, however it would be fairly clumsy to switch both of them off accidentally.

Interestingly I can't find anything in the report regarding whether the investigators found the switch locks installed, and/or functional. They look pretty ugly, not sure if they're too damaged to analyze the locks.

No? I see it clearly. For example, a timestamp of 09:15:01 - you don't see where someone could copy-paste the "01"?

Again, as posted elsewhere in this discussion, there was and is an FAA bulletin regarding those (and other) switches, that the locking feature might not work correctly (or at all). Where I work we use similar switches that go into products. The lockout tabs are tiny and could easily wear away and/or be broken off.

As I posted above, IMHO it's (obviously) too easy to inadvertently cut off the engine fuel. It needs to be made more difficult, including spring-loaded covers over the switches.

They took the timing from the master event log that lists H:M:S.

Thanks. Yeah, I'd vote to move them. I agree that they might be needed in an emergency, but life and engineering is full of compromises, including ergonomics and the constant quest for safety, which often involves working around human idiosyncrasies. Pilots are surrounded by lights, gauges, switches, and other controls. There are many they need to access in emergencies.

As I mentioned, it's very easy to become accustomed to pulling up on a switch to move the bat handle. Pilots would be very used to doing this without thinking. I always hate to state the very obvious, but obviously one of the Air India pilots in fact did toggle the switches. Again, maybe the lock feature was broken. We use similar switches where I work, including in products we make and ship. Of course including the side guards.

I hope it's not suicide, and I kind of doubt it because they might not have died quickly at those speeds. We'll probably never know for sure.

Another post here mentions an FAA bulletin that says to inspect, and replace if necessary, the fuel switches. Not sure if investigators have been able to determine the condition of the switches, and if the toggle locks were working, but that might be telling.

That said, we humans develop "muscle memory", and if you're used to pulling on a toggle bat handle then flipping it, that motion becomes subconscious.

I'm not sure where they are on a 787, but maybe they need to be moved to a less accessible location, and spring-loaded hinged covers added (at the very least).

I hate online flame wars, but you've misunderstood me and missed my point.

Many people do what you did- dive into the details. My point is: most Android and iPhone users are totally unaware of the lack of privacy in their phones (and computers). Nobody I know knows or cares, and some think I'm "paranoid" because I do care, and try to take steps to limit my exposure to hoovering.

You mentioned iPhone privacy settings: what percentage of iPhone users even know about it?

In case I'm not being clear, my point is: consumers are not aware of the lack of privacy. I think if you could educate them, explaining how much of their personal data is being hoovered, especially phones, if you could get them to think, mull it over, I think they'd want much more privacy, and many would be shocked by how much of our personal stuff is being sent out from our phones.

I barely do anything personal on my Android phone. I'm on a quest to understand Android processes and process control. My phone came with a cleaner app that shows many background processes running. You can "clean" them, but they'll pop up again. Why is Samsung Notes sending stuff through the network? Many other processes pop up, accessing the data / network connection, when I turn on data connection. Why do they need this? Why are they sending stuff? Point is, it's happening, and I doubt most users are aware of it.

I'm generally not okay with this concept of passive agreement. These ToS are much too long, even if someone wants to read through one.

I'm not a criminal and I have nothing to hide. But how would you feel if someone was peering in your bathroom window? I could argue they're not hurting you in any way. But most sane people understand that there's something unacceptable about voyeurism.

I could go on but I fear this will be further misunderstood, and I have much higher priorities to deal with. Thanks.

Things would change if courts would award damages for time and effort wasted fixing the problems caused by all of this personal information gathering and correlating. Poster above mentions getting incorrect bills because someone used (or perhaps mistyped) his email address. If we could track our time spent fixing these things, then charge the offenders at lawyer's fees ($300/hr for example), maybe people would be much more careful with our personal information.

You state that as if it's a well-known fact. I don't think it is. Please elaborate and support your statement.

Thank you, makes sense. IMHO it should never be allowed. In my case I'll have to find another storage locker facility and move a lot of stuff. Maybe I can sue them for the costs of moving.

Seems like someone needs to set a legal precedent if lame Congress won't change contract laws.

It just occurred to me that I know a contract lawyer. I'll ask him.

Thanks!

Maybe more importantly: not distracted by the far too many distractions and interruptions of today's world.

^^^ This ^^^^

And the laws need to firmly prevent anyone ever putting in any TOS or contract that "by using this service you consent to ..."

It needs to be 100% illegal.

And even if you do give consent to someone to share your identity / data, it must never be allowed that there's any kind of automatic chain of inherited consent.

I have some things in a storage locker. They just sent out modifications to the contract, including that I now have given them consent to share / sell any and all information they have on me.

How is it a contract if they can change it at whim?

I will be talking to lawyers and congresscritters about this.

I absolutely agree with pretty much everyone here- I don't want my car transmitting anything. I'll keep my older cars. I do pretty much all the work on them so it's a no-brainer to keep them going.

IIRC I've read stories where cops have seized people's cars "because ongoing investigation", even when the cars are okay and perfectly drivable.

I'm pretty sure my cars don't have event recorders, but I'm not 100% sure.

I also have, and won't drive without, a dashcam. I also worry that cops might seize it.