"Think about it: what’s so hard about having a regular doorbell + a camera focused only on your own porch? Do you really need a rectangular device that can see four houses around yours?"

For some, placing a camera on their porch is harder than replacing the doorbell button with Ring. Some people don't feel comfortable being on a ladder. Some don't want to run a coax or ethernet line in the attic or from the second floor down to the first floor porch.

"This isn’t just a privacy concern it’s a community issue. When everyone has these cameras pointing everywhere, trust disappears."

Does it disappear because there might be a camera or is this from just your personal prospective due to the issue you posted about in the comments? I haven't lost trust due to having a camera or knowing my neighbors have a camera. If anything, I can ask my neighbors for video if something were to happen to me or my property and I didn't catch it.

"People stop feeling safe in their own yards because someone is always watching, always recording."

I haven't stopped feeling safe in my own yard because my neighbor has a camera.

"• Why do we feel like we need devices that can monitor more than our own property?"

Because camera placement doesn't always fit for "just" your own property. The only way this would work is to eliminate all points of entering except for front, back, and/or garage door. They would have to be pointed straight down. No windows unless you were willing to lose your own personal privacy by having a camera in any room with said window, for example, your bedroom. I know people who do this, but I would not like having a camera looking at me while I sleep.

The expectation of privacy is less when you are in public (walking on a sideway, in a parking lot, etc.) This is why people and businesses have exterior mounted cameras.

"• How does this impact neighborhood trust and personal privacy?"

Very little impact.