Back in 2021, my building's management made the amazing self-own of replacing our existing 90s-vintage RFID key-fob system with this ButterflyMX security-and-privacy panopticon malware thing. I've mostly been able to ignore it by simply never installing their app or creating an account, and my fob just continued working.

Welp. About a month ago, the whole thing system shit the bed and apparently nobody knows how to fix it. So the building management has been hiring 24 hour security to have some dude stand next to the open garage door and ask people "do you have a fob?" (The secret password to get in is "yes", he doesn't check.)

Today they mailed out an update saying that they had "met with representatives from ButterflyMX, who are preparing a proposal to replace the legacy system with a more modern solution".

More modern than the legacy system that was installed in [checks notes] 2021 by [checks notes] ButterflyMX.

Apparently they aren't expecting this to be resolved any time soon, because they're also about to distribute new actual keys to the building front door to everyone. It's a big building, that's a lot of keys. Those keys will cost us almost as much as... half a week's salary for the rent-a-cops.

I wrote, "I would like some assurance that I will still be able to get into my building using a key-fob without signing up with ButterflyMX or installing their app on any of my devices."

"I will pass your comments on to the board."

The only thing worse than the Mastodon HOA is an actual HOA.

Previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously.