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I'd liken it to car repair. I don't work on my car or fabricate replacement parts, but I can take it to any repair shop I want and the manufacturer can't stop m

by duped 3y ago

I'd liken it to car repair. I don't work on my car or fabricate replacement parts, but I can take it to any repair shop I want and the manufacturer can't stop me. And if my car was designed in such a way that I had to take it to the dealer for routine service and repairs, I wouldn't have bought it. None of that is because me, the consumer, knows the ins and outs of car part supply, regulations, or car maintenance. I just take it for granted that I can buy something and expect it to work for awhile and get it fixed when it breaks. The analog for that in software is open source. The public doesn't need to care. If it's open, anyone can go fix it when the developer stops. Those people aren't average consumers, they're the 3rd party car mechanics.

godelski 3y ago
This is a very similar analogy I use for boomers and it sticks. They are often complaining about how no one fixes things anymore and so when you relate the abstracted software to hardware they actually understand. When they get it, they care too.
nox101 3y ago
But it also fits the op's pov that most people don't care. Most people don't care that you have to take Apple device to an Apple authorized service center. We had to get governments to pass laws to deal with that. I suspect we'll have to do it with lots more things as it gets easier and easier to cryptographically lock them down. As an example, I recently bought some smart light bulbs. They were "Matter compatible" so I thought they'd just work. Turns out, AFAICT, the manufacture ships them in a barely working state, this is so they can force you to download their app, register, and then they'll update something in the bulb that makes it work at full brightness.
- ta1243 3y ago
  I've had an iphone for nearly 15 years, I've never had to take it to a service centre. Local shops are dotted around towns that would replace screens if I broke one, which I guess is the most common problem. I daresay that's the norm. People don't care that they would theoretically have to take their phone to the apple store because they don't have to. A car however does need servicing and generally fixing -- you can get a puncture 5 miles after leaving the lot if nothing else, so people are more aware.
CatWChainsaw 3y ago
Plus, society takes all kinds. If everyone is required to have the expertise of a software developer in order to enjoy the "right" not to be screwed over by closed-source software, other areas will suffer lack of personnel. Healthcare definitely comes to mind.

by duped 3y ago

godelski 3y ago

This is a very similar analogy I use for boomers and it sticks. They are often complaining about how no one fixes things anymore and so when you relate the abstracted software to hardware they actually understand. When they get it, they care too.

nox101 3y ago

But it also fits the op's pov that most people don't care. Most people don't care that you have to take Apple device to an Apple authorized service center. We had to get governments to pass laws to deal with that. I suspect we'll have to do it with lots more things as it gets easier and easier to cryptographically lock them down. As an example, I recently bought some smart light bulbs. They were "Matter compatible" so I thought they'd just work. Turns out, AFAICT, the manufacture ships them in a barely working state, this is so they can force you to download their app, register, and then they'll update something in the bulb that makes it work at full brightness.

ta1243 3y ago
I've had an iphone for nearly 15 years, I've never had to take it to a service centre. Local shops are dotted around towns that would replace screens if I broke one, which I guess is the most common problem. I daresay that's the norm. People don't care that they would theoretically have to take their phone to the apple store because they don't have to. A car however does need servicing and generally fixing -- you can get a puncture 5 miles after leaving the lot if nothing else, so people are more aware.

CatWChainsaw 3y ago

Plus, society takes all kinds. If everyone is required to have the expertise of a software developer in order to enjoy the "right" not to be screwed over by closed-source software, other areas will suffer lack of personnel. Healthcare definitely comes to mind.