“Smart” and “Cloud” also mean data gathering. I need to have a tangent, so pardon me while I run with this…
Here’s the thing: I’m a nerd. I want to be able to automate things in our home and to have usable data. So I want smart electrical plugs that allow me to have rules and show me what’s hooving up a ton of energy. That’s useful to me, but that’s not the bargain that tech companies are willing to strike with me, because they want to be able to gather data and sell it.
What’s annoying as hell is that every currently supported thing that does this wants to be a cloud-based application that requires me to install an app on my phone.
I. Do. Not. Want. This.
I want my plugs on a network so I can flip open a browser on my laptop or phone or tablet and access them that way. I do not want them on or touching the goddamned internet. I do not want an information-gathering-and-data-leaking-phone-app.
The one thing that I’ve found that semi-reliably does this is no longer supported by the manufacturer. Every other goddamned option requires me to have it be app-controlled and I can’t control the data gathering from the manufacturer.
In this case, I am DEFINITELY an old-coot yelling at THE cloud.
Honestly, same. This is one of the few things that I’m glad to be too poor to afford the cool toys on.
Same here. I don’t want my household appliances connected to the cloud. I don’t need my thermostat, fridge, or TV connected to the internet. I absolutely do not something like an Alexa.
“Smart” and “Cloud” also mean data gathering.“
I work(ed) in tech. I have a decent understanding of what sort of data can be harvested through those things. I’m not ready to go off-grid and become a witch that lives in the woods, but there are days when it’s a tempting idea.
