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That puck still costs money, where many existing services are free It won't be directly accessible over the internet without either router configuration change
by brundolf 4y ago
That puck still costs money, where many existing services are free
It won't be directly accessible over the internet without either router configuration changes, or some kind of cloud service to phone home to
If it were addressable over the internet- would the customer have to set up a custom domain? Or memorize an IP address? Or rely on a cloud service to redirect requests through?
And then on top of all that, it'll go offline if the customer's home power or internet goes out
There's some more gap to be closed, sure, and you already don't have to be a programmer to set that kind of thing up. But I don't see this kind of thing ever traversing beyond the realm of enthusiasts
- api 4y agoServices that are free invade your privacy, manipulate you with targeted ads, or use addiction to get you to spend money elsewhere.
- brundolf 4y agoYep, and even with today's increased awareness, most people are fine with that tradeoff
- ssss11 4y agoI’d argue most are ignorant of it, or don’t understand, or are simply too busy with other things to care about knowing details of their apps.
- Semaphor 4y agoWhen even on HN people think clearing your cookies makes your tracking consent meaningless, then I'd even say we are far, far away from people understanding what they give away.
- wrycoder 4y agoYou are talking about one month's cellular or cable bill. It will take effort to set up and run one of these - it's always easier to get corporations to do everything for you, but is that what you want out of life? Anyone could set up a small business supplying these with domain included, and even provide remote admin for a fee. Some people would like that, some would not. Hover will sell you a domain in five minutes. You put the puck and your router on an UPS, like any security system. If you have a power hit longer than an hour, does it really matter if your website is offline? How often does that happen? Maybe solar power it, just for giggles.
- brundolf 4y agoEverything you're saying is still from the perspective of an enthusiast/idealist; try to step out of the bubble. Most people don't think about their technology that way. They don't care that it follows abstract ideals, or that it sticks it to Big Tech. They probably don't want to spend an extra five dollars, or an extra five minutes, on those things. They want technology that makes their life tangibly better, that lets them do things they couldn't otherwise, and that just works. And most people won't understand the subtle difference between "self-hosted with remote-admin" and "not self-hosted" anyway. I'm not judging them. I want simple most of the time too. I make some different choices here and there, but I often pick the easy solution when it comes to consumer tech, because I have other things in my life I'd rather spend my energy on. I'm not sure self-hosting can ever get there, but if it does, it's still got a steep road to climb first.
- wrycoder 4y agoYeah, it’s like growing your own food or fixing your own car. Most people can’t, and don’t care. Remember Heinlein: A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.