The general trend since the early 2000s has been to use any change in architecture, technology, or form factor to push customer-hostile changes: total device lo

The general trend since the early 2000s has been to use any change in architecture, technology, or form factor to push customer-hostile changes: total device lock-down, deep integration of surveillance, de-prioritization of creation use cases in favor of consumption use cases, use of DRM and DMCA-type restrictions to prohibit repair and customer modification, etc. I'm not optimistic here either. If recent history is any guide any architectural shift will bring lock-down. Edit: seems to resonate in with the general political trend. Since around 2001 or so the global trend has been toward various forms of authoritarianism. Tech trends reflect social trends.