6 ms·

> When are we going to start demanding devices that are untethered from a mothership and run from home computers? When "we" understand the value of Free and Op

> When are we going to start demanding devices that are untethered from a mothership and run from home computers? When "we" understand the value of Free and Open Source Software. Some do, some don't, some don't yet, some never will.

Outdoorsman 11y ago
Not intended in any way as a rebuttal of your point, but considering both sides of an issue is generally worthwhile: There's the potential for DIY open source misuse, with negative consequences: Here, a poster's bad experience with a properly-installed OEM product prompts a "warning", directed at the open-source DIY community... https://community.particle.io/t/spark-powered-thermostats-burning-down-the-house-baby/2204 https://community.particle.io/t/spark-powered-thermostats-bu... The poster referenced this DIY... http://blog.particle.io/2014/01/17/open-source-thermostat/?redirected=true http://blog.particle.io/2014/01/17/open-source-thermostat/?r... I'm an open source fan, but realize it's not a panacea, in and of itself...great care and a full understanding of potential negative consequences is only prudent... Personally, I'm content with nursing along older appliances that were made well...but, I'm a bit of a handyman, and hate to give up on any machine until I'm convinced it's totally worn out, so IoT is unlikely to invade my home on a large scale any time soon...
- winfred 11y ago
  "One such story was from a couple who were out of town when their furnace went nuts and raised the temperature in the house high enough that it melted every piece of plastic in the entire home." There's just no way that a home furnace can generate enough heat to do that. Sounds like scaremongering to me.
  - nyan4 11y ago
    Indeed.
- ghaff 11y ago
  I'm inclined to agree that a home thermostat is probably not the best place to be hacking around--especially, but not only, in cold climates--although this is really a comment on DIY generally rather than open source. Heck, I'm not even inclined to trust a Nest over a more traditional thermostat. There are plenty of opportunities to fiddle around with sensors and other "smart home" gadgetry. But there are some areas where it makes sense to be very cautious.

Outdoorsman 11y ago

Not intended in any way as a rebuttal of your point, but considering both sides of an issue is generally worthwhile: There's the potential for DIY open source misuse, with negative consequences: Here, a poster's bad experience with a properly-installed OEM product prompts a "warning", directed at the open-source DIY community... https://community.particle.io/t/spark-powered-thermostats-burning-down-the-house-baby/2204 https://community.particle.io/t/spark-powered-thermostats-bu... The poster referenced this DIY... http://blog.particle.io/2014/01/17/open-source-thermostat/?redirected=true http://blog.particle.io/2014/01/17/open-source-thermostat/?r... I'm an open source fan, but realize it's not a panacea, in and of itself...great care and a full understanding of potential negative consequences is only prudent... Personally, I'm content with nursing along older appliances that were made well...but, I'm a bit of a handyman, and hate to give up on any machine until I'm convinced it's totally worn out, so IoT is unlikely to invade my home on a large scale any time soon...

winfred 11y ago
"One such story was from a couple who were out of town when their furnace went nuts and raised the temperature in the house high enough that it melted every piece of plastic in the entire home." There's just no way that a home furnace can generate enough heat to do that. Sounds like scaremongering to me.
- nyan4 11y ago
  Indeed.
ghaff 11y ago
I'm inclined to agree that a home thermostat is probably not the best place to be hacking around--especially, but not only, in cold climates--although this is really a comment on DIY generally rather than open source. Heck, I'm not even inclined to trust a Nest over a more traditional thermostat. There are plenty of opportunities to fiddle around with sensors and other "smart home" gadgetry. But there are some areas where it makes sense to be very cautious.