3 ms·

isn't that the promise of the web? if you have an account online somewhere you can log in from any device. the device itself is merely a machine to run the cod

by em-bee 3y ago

isn't that the promise of the web? if you have an account online somewhere you can log in from any device. the device itself is merely a machine to run the code downloaded from your online account. you could do everything though that account and treat the device like a dumb terminal. any specific device that provides special functions, like your car, could also connect to that account and upload its data there, so you can access it from anywhere else. technically this is already possible today.

skydhash 3y ago
AFAIK, the purposes of the web was sharing information, building a corpus of knowledge by everyone interacting with each other, and it was so for sometime until the advent of the algorithms and walled gardens. I started on the web a bit late, and it was because I wanted to learn how to draw and play the guitar. There was a lot of weird sites build on Wordpress sharing tutorials and multiple forums with people interacting just like this one. Soon after FB came and almost everyone switches to pages and groups, and some years after you can barely find anything on google. I wouldn't mind connected services, but when my data is held hostage and the one in control is a faceless company, it does not feel like technology anymore, something that would help you accomplish your task better. Take my smart tv, I would be glad to connect it to my network and not bother with the apple tv when I want to play a movie, but the last time I tried, it tried to forcefully upgrade itself and wouldn't let me skip some onboarding screen that tried to get me to create an account. I had to unplug it. Or when some headphones or mouse manufacturers want me to use bloated proprietary apps just to configure them. While what you describe is technically feasible, it never feel like this as tech companies always start a conflict with their (paying) users by taking their data hostage, enshitifying their platforms, and destroying any attempt of integration.
- em-bee 3y ago
  you are absolutely right. what i describe is what i'd wish we had, and what i think the web would have evolved into if walled gardens hadn't happened. it is still possible though as long we are able to retain the ability to host our own services and if we are working on making that easier for everyone. i don't know if my idea how to do this is to simple, but essentially, i think what is needed is the ability to connect all my devices into a virtual network, where some of these devices act as connection portals to allow me to interact with them from any other device. i think the hardest part is the security of these remote devices so they don't leak my credentials to others using the same device later.
  - skydhash 3y ago
    The easiest way to achieve this would be to document the protocols and let hackers and power uses take over building interfaces. The company can continue support their own apps and people who want more integration can create their own thing as they usually want specific solutions. But we are headed the other way, with more locked down platform.

by em-bee 3y ago

skydhash 3y ago

AFAIK, the purposes of the web was sharing information, building a corpus of knowledge by everyone interacting with each other, and it was so for sometime until the advent of the algorithms and walled gardens. I started on the web a bit late, and it was because I wanted to learn how to draw and play the guitar. There was a lot of weird sites build on Wordpress sharing tutorials and multiple forums with people interacting just like this one. Soon after FB came and almost everyone switches to pages and groups, and some years after you can barely find anything on google. I wouldn't mind connected services, but when my data is held hostage and the one in control is a faceless company, it does not feel like technology anymore, something that would help you accomplish your task better. Take my smart tv, I would be glad to connect it to my network and not bother with the apple tv when I want to play a movie, but the last time I tried, it tried to forcefully upgrade itself and wouldn't let me skip some onboarding screen that tried to get me to create an account. I had to unplug it. Or when some headphones or mouse manufacturers want me to use bloated proprietary apps just to configure them. While what you describe is technically feasible, it never feel like this as tech companies always start a conflict with their (paying) users by taking their data hostage, enshitifying their platforms, and destroying any attempt of integration.

em-bee 3y ago
you are absolutely right. what i describe is what i'd wish we had, and what i think the web would have evolved into if walled gardens hadn't happened. it is still possible though as long we are able to retain the ability to host our own services and if we are working on making that easier for everyone. i don't know if my idea how to do this is to simple, but essentially, i think what is needed is the ability to connect all my devices into a virtual network, where some of these devices act as connection portals to allow me to interact with them from any other device. i think the hardest part is the security of these remote devices so they don't leak my credentials to others using the same device later.
- skydhash 3y ago
  The easiest way to achieve this would be to document the protocols and let hackers and power uses take over building interfaces. The company can continue support their own apps and people who want more integration can create their own thing as they usually want specific solutions. But we are headed the other way, with more locked down platform.