You can opt out of both, but automated cold calling is straight up illegal in the UK (and it's a good thing it is).

Ok, then how about automated cold calling vs "live" cold calling?

In this context I meant that it was the same person doing a "normal" thing at such a scale that it becomes illegal. Scale absolutely is something that can turn something from legal to illegal.

Are you being paid to do research and publish it?

I'm in your same position and fully agree. An UBI would be way better... but until that exists it's not right that people make use of my work for their own profit.

For sure, if I've found my way here I'm sure loads of others will too.

I'm pretty much in the same boato but a lot of the communities just don't have critical mass on lemmy yet :/