Editing 1807: Listening

This comic depicts [[Cueball]] and [[Ponytail]] welcoming [[Black Hat]] and [[Danish]] to their house. Black Hat immediately talks to {{w|Amazon Alexa}} to order two tons of {{w|creamed corn}}. This would be quite expensive (around $10,000), and the hosts would be charged because it was ordered on their {{w|Amazon Echo}} device. It would also be a serious inconvenience. The purchase would be quite bulky and useless, not even likely to arrive until ''after'' the visitor has departed, with an average homeowner having very little use for two tons of creamed corn.{{Citation needed}}

The caption claims that this is an effort to find systems recording conversations, such as Alexa or {{w|Google Home}}, for the security of the ''guests'', so they aren't being monitored by an always-on listening device without their consent (at least not without any consequences). However, because Black Hat is the one coming up with this, it's more likely his motives are on the sadistic side, and it's more likely a warning for the hosts to turn off any voice-activated systems before having guests come over so that the guests don't take advantage of them. (It should also be noted that such purchasing services encourage the user to set up a PIN code to fend off such exploits.)

The title text says that this takes care of the "host gift thing", referring to the custom where house guests give a gift to the hosts. However, Black Hat is making the hosts pay for it, so it can be as expensive as he wants, thus making this yet another example of his being a [[classhole]]. For more examples of this, see the [[#Trivia|trivia]] below.

*Another comic about testing if someone is listening is [[525: I Know You're Listening]]. Just as Black Hat may just speak without knowing for sure that there is an active Alexa, Cueball in the old comic also just speaks out in case there is someone listening. In that case, it was addressed to real surveillance, but as can be seen in the entries below, Alexa may just end up being used like that later.

*Usually Cueball is paired with [[Megan]], but since Black Hat's girlfriend Danish looks like Megan but with longer hair, this makes it sensible to choose Ponytail as Cueball's partner here. They were also partnered in the next comic [[1808: Hacking]].

*Assuming a standard can of 14.75 oz (418 g) and Black Hat's order was in short tons the order would consist of 4339 cans. Consuming one per day it would last for approx. twelve years. But it's doubtful that the expiration date would be that long.