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What I am wondering: Has that changed what you laugh about now? Like, what people warn about our future now? As far as I am concerned, this is exactly what I e

What I am wondering: Has that changed what you laugh about now? Like, what people warn about our future now? As far as I am concerned, this is exactly what I expected, and I am seriously surprised anyone could be surprised by it. Like, I was not necessarily thinking specifically about tractors 15 years ago, but I think it was just obvious that DRM would be used to gain control over devices that are run by software, and obviously pretty much all devices sooner or later would be run by software, and as such, of course, tractors would be, too, sooner or later.

ddingus 7y ago
Great question! For me, yes. I do think differently about these warnings. We are in an interesting time. How we resolve these basics are going to impact people and the planet for a very long time. It also impacts what I do. One thing is I am extremely reluctant to depend on things I cannot repair. Grew up rural, and repair was a basic skill in life. I am thankful for it. Has saved me so many times. Right to repair is a major issue, close to my heart.
freedomben 7y ago
Completely agree. I also wasn't thinking about tractors (or really vehicles for that matter), but in the mid-2000s I was helping build "tamper proof" devices for my employer. Listening to Richard Stallman talk I would think he was crazy. Then I saw how much we raked in providing "support" for the tamper-proof devices when they needed service. It became quickly apparent that the rest of the industry was just a little bit behind. We are headed to a crazy world. Cory Doctorow's message on the War on General Purpose Computing is more relevant than ever. For anyone that hasn't seen his Cory, he's got numerous videos on Youtube. Check out some of his talks at Google.
wccrawford 7y ago
When most non-farmers think of tractors, they think of something like a dumbed-down car with a lot of power. It's an engine that drags a tool through a field. The idea that something like that could be locked behind components that can't be fixed or replaced cheaply is astounding to them. I feel like it's the same as asking Henry Ford what he thinks about all the electronics in today's cars. It'd blow his mind.
- zAy0LfpBZLC8mAC 7y ago
  Well, yeah, sure, but I guess I was assuming people who knew what DRM is, not necessarily the general public--if you didn't even know what DRM is, it's not that surprising you probably wouldn't have an idea of how it would be used.

ddingus 7y ago

Great question! For me, yes. I do think differently about these warnings. We are in an interesting time. How we resolve these basics are going to impact people and the planet for a very long time. It also impacts what I do. One thing is I am extremely reluctant to depend on things I cannot repair. Grew up rural, and repair was a basic skill in life. I am thankful for it. Has saved me so many times. Right to repair is a major issue, close to my heart.

freedomben 7y ago

Completely agree. I also wasn't thinking about tractors (or really vehicles for that matter), but in the mid-2000s I was helping build "tamper proof" devices for my employer. Listening to Richard Stallman talk I would think he was crazy. Then I saw how much we raked in providing "support" for the tamper-proof devices when they needed service. It became quickly apparent that the rest of the industry was just a little bit behind. We are headed to a crazy world. Cory Doctorow's message on the War on General Purpose Computing is more relevant than ever. For anyone that hasn't seen his Cory, he's got numerous videos on Youtube. Check out some of his talks at Google.

wccrawford 7y ago

When most non-farmers think of tractors, they think of something like a dumbed-down car with a lot of power. It's an engine that drags a tool through a field. The idea that something like that could be locked behind components that can't be fixed or replaced cheaply is astounding to them. I feel like it's the same as asking Henry Ford what he thinks about all the electronics in today's cars. It'd blow his mind.

zAy0LfpBZLC8mAC 7y ago
Well, yeah, sure, but I guess I was assuming people who knew what DRM is, not necessarily the general public--if you didn't even know what DRM is, it's not that surprising you probably wouldn't have an idea of how it would be used.