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Why does the fact it being open source impact a product decision? Especially when that likely doesn't matter in practice, e.g., I doubt owners of the device are

Why does the fact it being open source impact a product decision? Especially when that likely doesn't matter in practice, e.g., I doubt owners of the device are contributing to the source frequently, if ever.

gogopuppygogo 6y ago
The more open source hardware we have the more innovation we can expect if the open source softens movement is any indicator. Financially supporting a nascent open source hardware movement seems like a good thing.
hlandau 6y ago
This relates to a preference for owner-controlled computing (as opposed to vendor-controlled hardware). See: https://libreboot.org/ https://libreboot.org/ https://coreboot.org/ https://coreboot.org/ https://boingboing.net/2012/01/10/lockdown.html https://boingboing.net/2012/01/10/lockdown.html
Brian_K_White 6y ago
The question has so much baked in assumption, ignorance, and disregard that it's unanswerable. The answer rests on fundamentals the question itself already discards. The asker has already decided what matters, what doesn't matter, and why. The answer "Because X matters." is as meaningless as the question "Why does X matter when X doesn't matter?". It's a thoughtless and effortless question that expects a thoughtful answer which is not effortless. The answer is these three assertions which you will have to just accept as given. Your question exposes that you have either never taken 5 minutes to think about things like this, or have, and arrived at some other conclusion, and so would not make these assertions yourself. That explains why open source doesn't impact your product decisions. You asked why it impacts anyone's.: 1 - One doesn't need to do a thing personally to benefit from, or value the fact that a thing is possible, nor to appreciate the difference between possible (however difficult) and not-possible, nor the difference between natural and artificial difficulty or impossibility. 2 - It matters who ultimately controls ones possessions, and through them ones life. 3 - Ideals matter.

gogopuppygogo 6y ago

The more open source hardware we have the more innovation we can expect if the open source softens movement is any indicator. Financially supporting a nascent open source hardware movement seems like a good thing.

hlandau 6y ago

This relates to a preference for owner-controlled computing (as opposed to vendor-controlled hardware). See: https://libreboot.org/ https://libreboot.org/ https://coreboot.org/ https://coreboot.org/ https://boingboing.net/2012/01/10/lockdown.html https://boingboing.net/2012/01/10/lockdown.html

Brian_K_White 6y ago

The question has so much baked in assumption, ignorance, and disregard that it's unanswerable. The answer rests on fundamentals the question itself already discards. The asker has already decided what matters, what doesn't matter, and why. The answer "Because X matters." is as meaningless as the question "Why does X matter when X doesn't matter?". It's a thoughtless and effortless question that expects a thoughtful answer which is not effortless. The answer is these three assertions which you will have to just accept as given. Your question exposes that you have either never taken 5 minutes to think about things like this, or have, and arrived at some other conclusion, and so would not make these assertions yourself. That explains why open source doesn't impact your product decisions. You asked why it impacts anyone's.: 1 - One doesn't need to do a thing personally to benefit from, or value the fact that a thing is possible, nor to appreciate the difference between possible (however difficult) and not-possible, nor the difference between natural and artificial difficulty or impossibility. 2 - It matters who ultimately controls ones possessions, and through them ones life. 3 - Ideals matter.