Consumption Box

Chill Uncategorized

It is indeed a tragic loss. And the reason for it dying has absolutely nothing to do with “ease of use” or the latest bit of pedestrian hogwash, that hiding the file system is for “security.” The real reason is that removing access to the file system is yet another method to turn computing devices into locked-down vendor-controlled consumption boxes, devices where what is surfaced, what is capable of being found, is under someone’s else’s control. The algorithm and the search box will decide what you can find, what you can know — not you.

I’m constantly amazed by how easily people are hoodwinked and bamboozled by the appeals to “security” and the claim that something is being done for their own good, all when it directly and obviously harms them in very easy-to-see ways. How does that work? I think people want the wool pulled over their eyes in many cases. Far easier than thinking.

Large corporations hated that world and are desperately trying to take it away. They will eventually fully succeed. I’m surprised that general purpose computers just weren’t outright banned already, but due to a fortuitous turn of events, that couldn’t happen nearly as quickly as large corps would’ve liked.

We’re in the last few years now where we can still sort of make our computers do what we want. Even now, it’s difficult and getting harder every day. In a short while it won’t be possible at all. For “security,” of course. What they fail to mention, though, is that it’s not for your security.