[ethan_smith]

I completely agree with both points and would add a third: design for offline use first (maybe treat every OTA update as - this might be the final version this device ever receives). Products should work perfectly fine without an internet connection, heck that's how they worked until 5-7 years ago. Core features should never depend on cloud services, and updates should be opt-in, not forced.

Offline first approach respects user autonomy and creates a natural safety net against bad updates. Plus, it means your product keeps working even when servers change or get shut down years later or a nuclear war happens. Sure, connectivity has benefits, but a speaker's main job is playing sound, not phoning home. Building offline-first also forces better engineering decisions about longevity and graceful degradation.

It's so hard to find any offline-first apps/devices nowawdays, which is sad to see in a world of algorithms and AI.

This whole situation reminds me of this: https://programmerhumor.io/linux-memes/thats-the-attitude-sa...

[the_snooze]

But you see, the problem with offline use is the manufacturer can't claw back value in the future. How will you keep shareholders happy if you can't arbitrarily push ads, hobble existing functionality, or impose a new subscription service?

[ethan_smith]

Exactly - that's the flaw in trying to extract infinite growth from finite products. We've turned durable goods into rental services without consent, all to please quarterly earnings reports.

The tragedy is that "respecting customer ownership" is now seen as leaving money on the table rather than building lasting brand loyalty through quality.