Comment on Belkin is killing off parts of the Wemo Line
swizzlestick@lemmy.zip 7 hours ago
If a device relies on any kind of external service to initially set up or function thereafter, do not buy. Regardless of brand.
Or accept that it has a finite lifespan that you cannot control. It’s not a matter of if the rug will get pulled, but when.
There is a grey area for things that can be reflashed or rebrained, but I prefer to not rely on this. Local access methods like ZigBee, Z-Wave and 433Mhz are immune to this kind of enshittification by design. Even WiFi devices can fit in here, with appropriate restrictions in place.
An acceptable middle-ground would be for EOL devices to be offered (with a big disclaimer) a final update that removes the reliance on the service but retains the core function. That’s a pipe dream though.
If a device relies on any kind of external service to initially set up or function thereafter, do not buy. Regardless of brand.
This is what I strive for. When I was looking for a wall charger for my EV I was shocked at how there was only one option that wasn’t “cloud” based. And those aren’t cheap.
Insane. At the core it’s no more than an extension lead with a shaped plug. Some basic brains for safety.
If I had to go that route, I’d wall it off from the main network/internet at large.
There is a grey area for things that can be reflashed or rebrained
No, this should be the goal!
The goal for me would be to not have to break out the programmer in the first place. The same way I have never felt the need to operate on my toaster, fridge, TV etc.
On a ‘good’ device, having that relatively easy to access is still a bonus though :)
Yeah, if you can reflash it you are completely in control. This is the optimal state.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 6 hours ago
Yeah, unfortunately most people don’t understand what that is, and buy devices thinking they’ll be supported long term. Us here know better (I bought Wemo early on and stopped years and years ago now because I knew this was coming, but I know I’m not the majority).
swizzlestick@lemmy.zip 44 minutes ago
Sometimes they’ll even remove these kinds of feature. See: Yeelink removing LAN control from their bedside lamps, as a particularly egregious example.