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Personally I'd like it if I could hack my fridge. And my thermostat. And my dishwasher.

But those actually aren't as important as a computer because I don't use them to make things.

I don't dismiss the power of giving access to information consumption devices to the masses. But I would prefer if we could put the means of production into their hands as well. So I agree to some degree with the author.

As for censorship, everything you say is true. It doesn't make fears of censorship unfounded. The iPad has close to 100% marketshare for tablets. And Apple actively censors its sole means of app distribution. That's a lot of power for a private company to hold. Not illegal or immoral, but scary.

I think a future in which everyone chooses to live in Disneyland is kind of scary, even if I can continue to choose not to live there. And the way to fight it is to convince people that there are alternative visions of the future. And that's how I read this post.

But please stop whining. <- This sounds more like whining to me than the post did.



I like this a lot. Just one thing:

  Not illegal or immoral, but scary.
I would go further. Illegality and immorality are very different. I think people have a moral responsibility to use their power well, or at least not abuse it, regardless of what the law requires of them. Using the law to enforce this kind of morality is dangerous, but it still stands.


> Personally I'd like it if I could hack ... my thermostat.

http://www.radiothermostat.com/

http://central.isaroach.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Controllable with JSON. Expensive, but so awesome.




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