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Sure, I know that, but the average consumer doesn't. When an average consumer buys a thermostat for ten times what she paid for her last one she expects it to l
by causality0 5y ago
Sure, I know that, but the average consumer doesn't. When an average consumer buys a thermostat for ten times what she paid for her last one she expects it to last twenty years like her last one did. When a ten year old buys a videogame he expects it to be playable until he throws it away or sells it. "People shouldn't be so naive" is not the correct response to the precipitous decline in the quality of consumer goods.
- conductr 5y agoWhile I don't disagree with your example I would point out that caveat emptor is a core principle of commerce for quite some time. In times of rapid change/technology, the consumer doesn't know what they're buying. Before long, it will be common knowledge that "smart" everything has a cost that was not obvious to average Joe at purchase. But, Joe was also so impressed with the shiny object he didn't think about the consequences of things. Another point, in Texas, energy companies have been adjusting people's thermostats remotely when the grid is struggling. While I never thought of that specific thing, I have been anti-connecting-things-to-wifi because I know once you open it up, it's just a matter of time before someone else is mucking around with your devices. I'd totally expect it to be some script kiddies doing it for lolz instead of the electric company, but at that point, it doesn't really matter - you're not solely in control of your device.