"Right to Repair" - Potentially great news for DIY!

[The Ruttmeister]

Adam Smith was not a proponent of government intervention.

It is the highest impertinence and presumption… in kings and ministers, to pretend to watch over the economy of private people, and to restrain their expense... They are themselves always, and without any exception, the greatest spendthrifts in the society. Let them look well after their own expense, and they may safely trust private people with theirs. If their own extravagance does not ruin the state, that of their subjects never will.

Adam Smith was very much not a supporter of monopolies.
Right to repair, if it is anything, is a facet of anti-trust.

 

[greeniguana]

There should be no anti trust laws or any regulations.

Governments must regulate/interfere for the overall good of society.

Where the line is drawn is what is to be debated, not the existence of the line.

Yes. That's a great way to boil it down. Thanks.

 

[The Ruttmeister]

There should be no anti trust laws or any regulations.

Governments must regulate/interfere for the overall good of society.

Where the line is drawn is what is to be debated, not the existence of the line.

Now you are just trolling.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Now you are just trolling.

The first line was I thought clearly facetious as it contrasted the others. The other lines were not.

 

[SlugLife]

And less citing of youtube as a source of information.....

Unless it's skunk ape related.

Why? Anything from idiots to geniuses use YouTube. It's a platform, where people can independently publish content (I mean other than YT's censorship, but that's another topic).

I never let on to the fact that I'm a diesel mechanic when I board a dive boat. I've made that mistake a few times too many.

Same thing being a professional artist and software engineer. People want free art, or fix-my-computer, or help-me-with-my-computer all the time.

But Executive Orders can be quite powerful, like the one that created NOAA in 1970. NOAA does not have an organic act, so still exists under that original Order.

Obviously, they can be, but this executive order doesn't do anything. To give any of this teeth, the legislative branch has to take action.

 

[lowwall]

Obviously, they can be, but this executive order doesn't do anything. To give any of this teeth, the legislative branch has to take action.

Not quite. The President is asking the relevant section of the executive branch to come up with potential new rules or regulations under existing laws.

 

[greeniguana]

Not quite. The President is asking the relevant section of the executive branch to come up with potential new rules or regulations under existing laws.

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/do...g_the_fix_report_final_5521_630pm-508_002.pdf

To address unlawful repair restrictions, the FTC will pursue appropriate law enforcement
and regulatory options, as well as consumer education, consistent with our statutory authority.
The Commission also stands ready to work with legislators, either at the state or federal level, in
order to ensure that consumers have choices when they need to repair products that they
purchase and own.

Consumer education, and punt it to the states. FL had (Ag specific) right to repair house and senate bills this year, they died in Jan.

 

[Addison Snyder]

punt it to the states

Eventually that will probably be what happens. Massachusetts has already passed lots of vehicular right-to-repair legislation, and most auto manufacturers just release documents and whatnot there, which then transfer to other states, etc. A very positive thing about having it thrown around federally (whether through the FCC, or just people talking about it) is that risk-averse politicians no longer write it off as something that's never been tried or looked at. There's going to be some serious traction now.

 

[Addison Snyder]

Consumer education

So a random youtube weirdo talking into a studio mic in his basement is making it sound like everyone in America has a stereo microscope and an SMT rework station and is just clamoring to fix their android phone?

Pick one.

I've rooted an "easy-to-root" OnePlus. I'm a friggin' software developer. It ain't easy. There's tons of hurdles in doing the computer-equivalent of slapping a new OS on a new hard drive.

It isn't reasonable to expect average consumers to be subject matter experts in everything they buy (and spot every foot-gun the manufacturer may place), whether that's dive gear or smartphones or toilet paper. Life has gotten a whole lot more complicated since The Economist by Adam Smith.

 

[rsingler]

It isn't reasonable to expect average consumers to be subject matter experts in everything they buy, whether that's dive gear...

"It ain't rocket science."
It just requires an opposable thumb and some interest.
It's being told "you're not allowed" for a very simple device THAT I OWN that's particularly galling.