Re: FSF continuously harms Free Hardware

[Matt Ivie]

On January 25, 2022 5:18:17 AM PST, Leah Rowe via libreplanet-discuss 
<libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org> wrote:
>
>On Tue, 25 Jan 2022 13:03:20 +0000
>Leah Rowe <info@minifree.org> wrote:
>
>> It's only in the last 40 years that things have gone down-hill. In the
>> 70s, you could open up your electronics and there would be schematics
>> showing you how everything was put together. It's possible that
>> you could send in a device for repair, but you could do it yourself
>> too. Your neighbour Jimmy could do it for you. This is no longer the
>> case.
>
>By the way, this problem (lack of ability to repair) is not just with
>computers, but many other things aswell. Cars, appliances, you name it.
>Louis Rossman recently did a video on this about the hot water heater in
>his new home:
>
>https://vid.puffyan.us/watch?v=mgTlFaHTFrI
>
>Richard, I'm advising you to actually watch a bunch of Louis Rossman
>videos on the subject of Right to Repair. He may very well convince
>you. His channel:
>
>https://vid.puffyan.us/channel/UCl2mFZoRqjw_ELax4Yisf6w
>
>He does macbook repair. I know, Apple is evil right? The fact that he's
>fixing macbooks isn't important (it just pays his rent), but he is
>fighting to restore the repair culture that used to exist in the world.
>The idea that, when you purchase something, you own it.
>
>I think his Right to Repair movement is no different spiritually than
>Free Software. It's the same kind of mentality, and the same kinds of
>people. In fact, people from our movement often get involved in right
>to repair, and vice versa.
>
>The connection already exists. My priority is to strengthen that
>connection because, for reasons I previously explained, I think it's
>critical to software freedom.
>

Here is an interesting case where someone is fabricating processors themselves:

https://www.wired.com/story/22-year-old-builds-chips-parents-garage/

It's limited but improving with each iteration. Even then I don't know if he 
can scale this and did have to buy and repair old equipment that was at one 
time very expensive. 

How far should guidelines for hardware go? Can it go as far as saying it must 
be something you can build in a garage or can it be, designs available but must 
send to away for fabrication? There are varying degrees of freedom in one or 
the other.

Maybe we need a "Freedom in Hardware" foundation as a sister organization to 
the Free Software foundation.

--
Under the sky, there is but one family.
     --Bruce Lee.