Tractor Hacking: The Farmers Breaking Big Tech's Repair Monopoly
Why Hacker News recommends it
Offered as a concrete, human example in right-to-repair discussions of how software lock-in affects expensive equipment.
What it is
A Motherboard documentary episode from Nebraska about farmers and mechanics fighting manufacturers like John Deere over access to the diagnostic software needed to repair modern tractors. It shows how software locks have taken away farmers' traditional self-reliance.
Recommended by 3 HN commenters across 2 different months, 2018 to 2018.
What Hacker News said
Recommends samcampbell · 2018-03 · on “California to Introduce 'Right to Repair' Bill”
Here's a relevant video in regards to farmers and their equipment that drove the impact of the ‘Right to Repair’ bill home for me. [this video]
Recommends OrwellianChild · 2018-03 · on “California to Introduce 'Right to Repair' Bill”
I appreciate the dialogue. We may have to agree to disagree on the final point. I'm not convinced that there is always a competitive market filled with alternatives that meet customer preferences. For example: I have to choose between iMessage and a headphone jack for my cell phone. There are other phones , but I don't have a totally ala carte menu - there are always trade offs. This likely won't change your opinion either, but it's a good piece that adds color to this conversation about right-to-repair: Motherboard published a video about John Deere's tractor/maintenance lock-in that looks at the issue from the perspective of 6-figure industrial equipment. [1] It's worth a look. [1] [this video]
Recommends anfractuosity · 2018-10 · on “Repair is as important as innovation”
I thought this was quite interesting: Tractor Hacking: The Farmers Breaking Big Tech's Repair Monopoly - [this video]
Cites ramy_d · 2018-02 · on “A Company That Tears Cars Apart to Find Out How They're Built”
what about software? I'm reminded of what farmers have to go through with John Deere tractors [ [this video] ]. Isn't that going to start happening with cars (I thought this was already happening). Are they going to reverse engineer that too?