Thread

1. apatheticonion · 1790574506 · focus · HN ↗

   I believe it is critical for regulators to force mega-corporations (and software vendors in general) to permit third party clients.

   I use services like YouTube every day, why can I get sued if I write my own YouTube client that's better than the one provided by Google? Why can I get sued if I create a chat client that aggregates the myriad of chat services I use?

   I'd argue that this even extends down the stack. Why is there only Android and iOS? It's because hardware drivers are practically impossible to write for undocumented hardware (which is virtually all hardware). Vendors should be compelled to document their hardware such that drives could be produced for them.

   Asahi Linux is a testament to a team attempting the impossible and making unbelievable progress - but it's still not competitive with first party drivers.

   I want a world where I can run Linux on my MacBook Pro and my phone. I want a world where I can flash a custom firmware to my TV that removes the bloat and spyware. I want a world where I can use the services I depend on in ways that are better than what the vendor can produce. I want a world where I can rebuild applications and games lost to time.

   I have the skills and desire to do these things.

   But nah. Not allowed.

   1. throwaway743950 · 1790578977 · focus · HN ↗

      Maybe I'm uneducated here, but wouldn't this just commoditize the products of companies? Would it disincentivize them from creating their products in the first place?

      1. Xywzel · 1790582165 · focus · HN ↗

         YouTube's product is the commercials it targets with the collected user data, not the web or phone client. So as long as the client doesn't get in the way of showing these advertisements and collecting that user data, it should not matter to them.

         In more general case, you don't pay for the client software (or web page), you pay for the service provided trough it, so it should not matter if you use the service trough different client.

         Of curse, many of these new clients do provide options for getting around the data collection or make it possible to block the advertisement, and that makes the companies so strict about who makes clients and how.

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