5 ms·

While previous machines had those possibilities enabled to allow the user to do much more, it also means those possibilities were wide-open to any third-party s

While previous machines had those possibilities enabled to allow the user to do much more, it also means those possibilities were wide-open to any third-party software that was installed on the machine. It's not that modern machines can't do those tasks, but that they generally shouldn't do those tasks. It's not unreasonable for device manufacturers to sandbox and restrict access to functionality to protect the majority of their users. Even despite these attempts the app stores are full of malware, just imagine how much worse it could be if these apps could also compile their own variants and then abuse Bluetooth/Airdrop to spread it.

jrm4 3y ago
You don't have to "imagine," you're basically describing most of the history of viruses and Windows. So what? I'm entirely unconvinced by this sensationalist take; I'm quite certain we've lost more than we've gained from turning general purpose computers into nanny-state locked down devices.
- asdff 3y ago
  I work with undergraduates sometimes and its amazing what we can take for granted in terms of computer literacy these days. Some of these kids haven't touched a desktop OS until they get into college, at which point they are just using like google docs and sheets and the filesystem within those webapps. They don't really get what files are, what file types are, what folders are even, and look at me like I have two heads when I say copy and paste some text to a document, save it, send it over. You think they'd be hamstrung for life but honestly, there isn't much computer literacy in the workforce from what I've seen, either. They'd fit right in. It just sucks to think about all the kids who might have gone further with computing if more of it was exposed to them, instead of locked up basically until they get into college and demoralized by a crushing CS curriculum, since highschools and middle or elementary don't really teach this stuff either.
  - jrm4 3y ago
    Are you me? :) I teach IT at a university, undergrads and grads. All of this is exactly correct. The oddest thing is explaining to people my age (I'm 46) how many of my IT students are likely less knowledgable about those kinds of basics (despite having other, to me odd, skills, like fake instagram accounts and such)
noptd 3y ago
>It's not unreasonable for device manufacturers to sandbox and restrict access to functionality to protect the majority of their users. Hard disagree. It's absolutely unreasonable to infantilize users and lock them out from fully utilizing their purchased hardware.
asdff 3y ago
If apple was concerned about these protections they'd just put it behind some sort of toggle. Right now its kind of an extortion situation since they change you money for a developer license, and void your warranty for jailbreaking. If it was all for the users benefit then they'd offer to reset a jailbroken phone back to factory settings at the genus bar instead of refusing service.

jrm4 3y ago

You don't have to "imagine," you're basically describing most of the history of viruses and Windows. So what? I'm entirely unconvinced by this sensationalist take; I'm quite certain we've lost more than we've gained from turning general purpose computers into nanny-state locked down devices.

asdff 3y ago
I work with undergraduates sometimes and its amazing what we can take for granted in terms of computer literacy these days. Some of these kids haven't touched a desktop OS until they get into college, at which point they are just using like google docs and sheets and the filesystem within those webapps. They don't really get what files are, what file types are, what folders are even, and look at me like I have two heads when I say copy and paste some text to a document, save it, send it over. You think they'd be hamstrung for life but honestly, there isn't much computer literacy in the workforce from what I've seen, either. They'd fit right in. It just sucks to think about all the kids who might have gone further with computing if more of it was exposed to them, instead of locked up basically until they get into college and demoralized by a crushing CS curriculum, since highschools and middle or elementary don't really teach this stuff either.
- jrm4 3y ago
  Are you me? :) I teach IT at a university, undergrads and grads. All of this is exactly correct. The oddest thing is explaining to people my age (I'm 46) how many of my IT students are likely less knowledgable about those kinds of basics (despite having other, to me odd, skills, like fake instagram accounts and such)

noptd 3y ago

>It's not unreasonable for device manufacturers to sandbox and restrict access to functionality to protect the majority of their users. Hard disagree. It's absolutely unreasonable to infantilize users and lock them out from fully utilizing their purchased hardware.

asdff 3y ago

If apple was concerned about these protections they'd just put it behind some sort of toggle. Right now its kind of an extortion situation since they change you money for a developer license, and void your warranty for jailbreaking. If it was all for the users benefit then they'd offer to reset a jailbroken phone back to factory settings at the genus bar instead of refusing service.