• AA5B@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    4 months ago

    A big problem is things tied unnecessarily to an internet service. We need to educate people that there may be alternatives and we need our purchasing decisions to support that. For example, most home automation stuff should NOT require or use any internet.

    The article calls it “software tethering”. If any support commitments encourage manufacturers to stop that, we’ll all be better off. Let’s start with requiring users be clearly notified of software tethering, so they know what they’re buying

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      4 months ago

      At least make it required to not brick at EOS if it’s a device that would otherwise run. Like a laundry machine.

      • AA5B@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        There’s no reason a laundry machine requires an internet connection

        • if an internet connection provides additional functionality such as notification, it easier to have the machine work normally without notifications
        • there’s no reason a machine requires an internet connection, especially with the release of the Matter/Thread standard to unify home automation local protocols

        When I got new machines about five years ago, I briefly considered connected machines. It would be really nice to get notifications on my phone but how can it possibly cost that much and why does the only option depend on a cloud service?

          • OnToTheFuture@thelemmy.club
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            Although I do this, I do also have a counterpoint to this. I will set my machine to go and it says 60 minutes. Cool, set a timer for that long. Come back in 60 minutes, and it still has 5 minutes left. I ended up figuring out the machine is somehow determining that at 60 minutes, the clothes/blankets/whatever is still too wet, so it’s adding time to the spin cycle to try and spin them more. Having it just ping me would be amazing, but also I do not want to have a machine that refuses to operate without WiFi or some crap.

    • aStonedSanta@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      4 months ago

      Let me own my fucking device so I can use it. Please. We are creating so much waste cause some program can’t run. It’s absurd.

    • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      4 months ago

      In October of last year my mom came home from the ICU, now unable to get out of bed. I replaced all the bulbs in the house with smart bulbs and put the fans on a little smart plug thing. It made me really like the idea of home smart home features, but I’m not techy. They’re just Alexa enabled for her to use with the fire stick, and I use google home on my phone for em.

      Can you offer any advice for ones that don’t require internet? Every time our power goes out (any time there’s a storm), I have to go around and reset them while they flash at me like the worst night club