8 ms·

New technology is eroding your right to tinker with things you own

83 points by js2 9y ago

moepstar 9y ago
Name and shame the companies that use those techniques, then vote with your wallets and never buy their products again. This is a problem that will mostly solve itself, given enough time... Oh and never get tired to tell this to others, less technical folks why they shouldn't buy X from brand Y because Z, even if they don't fully understand why - tell them to give you a call, if in doubt...
- raarts 9y ago
  Unfortunately this simplistic strategy doesn't work in many cases, that's why these victories in court are important. http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/08/17/432601480/diy-tractor-repair-runs-afoul-of-copyright-law http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/08/17/432...
  - candiodari 9y ago
    Exactly. The most irritating thing to me these days is Apple's policies regarding running your own code on my iPad, but it's not like any other company is much better about it (even Microsoft is getting back into that game with Win10S, despite the massive court loss it got them back then).
- teddyh 9y ago
  While this is a good thing to do, it will probably never be enough. The loss for companies from this is so small, and the potential profits so large, that no company is going to let this affect their behavior. What is ultimately necessary to make a dent in this is, sadly, regulation. Which must in turn come from a greater public awareness of these issues. So that’s what you should be spreading: awareness and advocacy on these issues.
- arvinsim 9y ago
  The number of comments about this article just show you how people just don't care.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- gear54rus 9y ago
  >This is a problem that will mostly solve itself, given enough time... It won't. In this sense it's just like openness in software. No matter how much crap and unacceptable 'features' MS pushes on people in win10 (as an example), its usage will not shrink and people will not boycott these power-hungry assholes. Same with this, the right to repair is fundamental and cannot be taken away. Yet, most just don't care and it will be taken away eventually. Educating our children and those who we love is probably the best shot at this but it's unlikely it will be enough.
  - type0 9y ago
    > Same with this, the right to repair is fundamental and cannot be taken away. Yet, most just don't care and it will be taken away eventually. Therefore what helps is to encourage civil disobedience, unfortunately even that is illegal in many places.
- type0 9y ago
  > Oh and never get tired to tell this to others, less technical folks why they shouldn't buy X from brand Y because Z, even if they don't fully understand why The thing is no one will listen and your non tech friends will call you a whining nerd
- falcolas 9y ago
  Ok: Tesla. Your vehicle runs at the sufference of Tesla, and that right can be revoked. Not that I think most people will care that Tesla owns the car they just bought.
  - gumby 9y ago
    > Not that I think most people will care that Tesla owns the car they just bought. I think you meant "paid for" not bought.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
edem 9y ago
How to get past the paywall?
- BluishLight 9y ago
  I don't see any paywall, maybe is location-related. Anyway, do a `curl termbin.com/olua | less` and read it freely (1 month lifetime).
- Digit-Al 9y ago
  Open the link in a Private Browser window. This will prevent the site from reading your cookies, so it will not know how many articles you have read. Either that or find and delete the relevant cookie.
- singularity2001 9y ago
  get the "self-destructing cookies" plugin. it is also one of the best mechanisms to protect your privacy
westmeal 9y ago
Wait does this mean I was committing a crime when fixing game consoles and laptops? No way...
- fenwick67 9y ago
  Depends on what you're doing. If you had to, for example, re-flash the firmware on a PS3, you probably broke the law. If you replaced the eject button, you didn't. You only violate DMCA if you break some form of "copyright protection" mechanism.
throwaway2016a 9y ago
Given the choice I always go with more open... - I have an Android because their app ecosystem is more open. - I have an Amazon Echo because you can write your own skills for it. - I have a Vera for home automation instead of those "Smart Hubs" because it runs Linux and I can SSH into it. - My Firewall is a homebuilt box running pfSense - etc But I have long given up on the idea of being able to open up any of my consumer electronics and hack away at them.
- gmiller123456 9y ago
  I have an Amazon Echo because you can write your own skills for it. Yea, I got Google Home as a gift. I'm totally baffled by how locked up it is. You're not listening to/interacting with anything by anyone who doesn't have some type of agreement with Google.

83 points by js2 9y ago

Name and shame the companies that use those techniques, then vote with your wallets and never buy their products again. This is a problem that will mostly solve itself, given enough time... Oh and never get tired to tell this to others, less technical folks why they shouldn't buy X from brand Y because Z, even if they don't fully understand why - tell them to give you a call, if in doubt...

raarts 9y ago
Unfortunately this simplistic strategy doesn't work in many cases, that's why these victories in court are important. http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/08/17/432601480/diy-tractor-repair-runs-afoul-of-copyright-law http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/08/17/432...
- candiodari 9y ago
  Exactly. The most irritating thing to me these days is Apple's policies regarding running your own code on my iPad, but it's not like any other company is much better about it (even Microsoft is getting back into that game with Win10S, despite the massive court loss it got them back then).
teddyh 9y ago
While this is a good thing to do, it will probably never be enough. The loss for companies from this is so small, and the potential profits so large, that no company is going to let this affect their behavior. What is ultimately necessary to make a dent in this is, sadly, regulation. Which must in turn come from a greater public awareness of these issues. So that’s what you should be spreading: awareness and advocacy on these issues.
arvinsim 9y ago
The number of comments about this article just show you how people just don't care.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
gear54rus 9y ago
>This is a problem that will mostly solve itself, given enough time... It won't. In this sense it's just like openness in software. No matter how much crap and unacceptable 'features' MS pushes on people in win10 (as an example), its usage will not shrink and people will not boycott these power-hungry assholes. Same with this, the right to repair is fundamental and cannot be taken away. Yet, most just don't care and it will be taken away eventually. Educating our children and those who we love is probably the best shot at this but it's unlikely it will be enough.
- type0 9y ago
  > Same with this, the right to repair is fundamental and cannot be taken away. Yet, most just don't care and it will be taken away eventually. Therefore what helps is to encourage civil disobedience, unfortunately even that is illegal in many places.
type0 9y ago
> Oh and never get tired to tell this to others, less technical folks why they shouldn't buy X from brand Y because Z, even if they don't fully understand why The thing is no one will listen and your non tech friends will call you a whining nerd
falcolas 9y ago
Ok: Tesla. Your vehicle runs at the sufference of Tesla, and that right can be revoked. Not that I think most people will care that Tesla owns the car they just bought.
- gumby 9y ago
  > Not that I think most people will care that Tesla owns the car they just bought. I think you meant "paid for" not bought.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

edem 9y ago

How to get past the paywall?

BluishLight 9y ago
I don't see any paywall, maybe is location-related. Anyway, do a `curl termbin.com/olua | less` and read it freely (1 month lifetime).
Digit-Al 9y ago
Open the link in a Private Browser window. This will prevent the site from reading your cookies, so it will not know how many articles you have read. Either that or find and delete the relevant cookie.
singularity2001 9y ago
get the "self-destructing cookies" plugin. it is also one of the best mechanisms to protect your privacy

westmeal 9y ago

Wait does this mean I was committing a crime when fixing game consoles and laptops? No way...

fenwick67 9y ago
Depends on what you're doing. If you had to, for example, re-flash the firmware on a PS3, you probably broke the law. If you replaced the eject button, you didn't. You only violate DMCA if you break some form of "copyright protection" mechanism.

throwaway2016a 9y ago

Given the choice I always go with more open... - I have an Android because their app ecosystem is more open. - I have an Amazon Echo because you can write your own skills for it. - I have a Vera for home automation instead of those "Smart Hubs" because it runs Linux and I can SSH into it. - My Firewall is a homebuilt box running pfSense - etc But I have long given up on the idea of being able to open up any of my consumer electronics and hack away at them.

gmiller123456 9y ago
I have an Amazon Echo because you can write your own skills for it. Yea, I got Google Home as a gift. I'm totally baffled by how locked up it is. You're not listening to/interacting with anything by anyone who doesn't have some type of agreement with Google.