[hashkb]

> as long as it fails to a usable state when the internet connection is interrupted

It depends on your definition of "usable".

For instance, if I want to tie 3 bulbs together (e.g. treat them as a single bulb for on/off/brightness/color) in SmartThings, that has to go to the cloud. That was when I stopped trying to make things work in SmartThings.

Comparing ST (which costs $$) to HA (which is free) is a no-brainer; HA will run Python scripts (or shell out) on hardware I own, on my LAN.

We, the users, should refuse to pay for anything that doesn't actually let us control our homes. The case for FOSS is stronger here than it's ever been.