Right to Repair

[SuperCooling87]

Okay, so this article is super old but I saw it and got triggered, so I have a rant. First, here's the article:

 

https://mashable.com/2017/02/16/right-to-repair-is-ridiculous/#aeO3IZGWlkqz

 

 So first off, I don't see it as a necessity to get the parts from the original manufacturer, but it needs to be illegal to do what apple has done and make it impossible to do repairs on your own. However, after thinking about it a bit, being able to obtain OEM parts at a reasonable cost would be an incredible boost for the tech community. Imagine if you could replace your iPhone 7 screen and keep the IP67 rating. Currently, the only alternative is to buy aftermarket screens that run hot, and malfunction easily. This guy in the article drove me crazy, "Apple and Samsung aren't building these products to be repaired..." Are you serious? 1. They have replaceable parts, making them repairable. 2. They have technicians that are PAID to REPAIR them. How much more repairable  can you get. Now, it can be difficult to do some DIY repairs - I get that. But just because some people have trouble with it, doesn't mean everyone shouldn't have the freedom to do it IF they want. Could you imagine buying a car and being told that you can only fill the tank at authorized stations because there's a proprietary chip that will keep the car from starting if you use another nozzle? That would be absurd, but because of the lack of knowledge of the tech space, people are under the impression that it's more difficult than it actually is to do your own repairs.

 

Listen to this quote: "I think it’s a fair concern that Right-to-Repair laws could lead to an explosion of Radio Shack-like iPhone and Samsung electronics parts shops. Consumers will wander in with broken iPhone and Samsung Galaxy screens, and walk out with all the parts and tools they need to repair them. And they will fail, miserably." Yes, that would probably happen, and that should be the consumers right, just the same as it's your right to purchase a chainsaw and cut down a tree, when you could slip and cut off your leg. Aaannd my last quote: "Plus, what if a consumer's injured during a failed repair attempt? They slice open a finger on the cracked glass, or put it back together incorrectly, so the battery fails (and maybe even explodes). It’s the consumer’s fault, obviously, but they could also try to sue Apple or Samsung." I'd love to hear Jon from LMG on this. Using my analogy with the chainsaw, you can't sue the chainsaw manufacturer for your own mistake (or stupidity), so you couldn't sue apple for your failure of proper precautions.

 

Right to repair is an important movement, and it would be foolish to assume that because "some people aren't good at it, it should be illegal for everyone." Stupid people logic bothers me.

[DrMacintosh]

7 minutes ago, SuperCooling87 said:

but it needs to be illegal to do what apple has done and make it impossible to do repairs on your own.

Difficult is not the same as impossible. 

8 minutes ago, SuperCooling87 said:

Right to repair is an important movement, and it would be foolish to assume that because "some people aren't good at it, it should be illegal for everyone." Stupid people logic bothers me.

Yes it is, which is precisely why you must watch your rhetoric. This is the response I got from my congressman’s staff:

Quote

Thank you for reaching out to our office with this concern. I have conveyed your message to Congressman Lowenthal. We absolutely share your concerns about the risks posed by strict limits on outside repairs—consumers should be protected from high costs and planned obsolescence. Preserving competitive markets and supporting small businesses are equally important goals. At the same time, however, companies like Apple have a reasonable right to protect their intellectual property.

That^ is the stuff politicians are going to give pause over. If you want to advocate for right to repair, you need to make arguments that appeal to the relevant issues. 

[SuperCooling87]

8 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Difficult is not the same as impossible. 

Yes it is, which is precisely why you must watch your rhetoric. This is the response I got from my congressman’s staff:

That^ is the stuff politicians are going to give pause over. If you want to advocate for right to repair, you need to make arguments that appeal to the relevant issues. 

Fair point. My first quote from your response was referring to the T2 chip in apple's iMac Pro and MacBook Pro, which in fact makes it impossible to do some repairs on your own (also what I was getting to with the gas station analogy). This is on me, because I should have been much more specific. Thanks for sharing your personal experience with your congressperson. I'd like to see this movement keep growing.

[AngryBeaver]

23 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

That^ is the stuff politicians are going to give pause over. If you want to advocate for right to repair, you need to make arguments that appeal to the relevant issues. 

There is a big difference in protecting your intellectual property and then causing harm to consumers by putting strict limits on their availability to get their tech repaired. They just want to have ALL the control over it and in doing so it is hurting consumers. If it is damaged a certain way or you don't use their repair facility etc etc.

 

The other big problem is that these politicians are going to be pandering to companies like apple. Do you know how much money they donate to these campaigns to keep them on their side.

[Tristerin]

Rossmangroup

[TetraSky]

46 minutes ago, Tristerin said:

Rossmangroup

Rossmann*. With two N.

 

 

[DrMacintosh]

33 minutes ago, CUDAcores89 said:

If I cannot repair my device, then who owns the product?

You can currently make repairs to Apple devices. Perhaps not personally, but Apple products are serviceable with the correct knowledge and equipment. 

 

If they werent 3rd party repair shops would not exist. 

[wasab]

3 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

Difficult is not the same as impossible. 

Yes it is, which is precisely why you must watch your rhetoric. This is the response I got from my congressman’s staff:

That^ is the stuff politicians are going to give pause over. If you want to advocate for right to repair, you need to make arguments that appeal to the relevant issues. 

shhhh, the average apple users dont repair their own phones. Nobody repairs their phones anyways. if they are broke, they ARE broke. I dont know what black magic hackery you use to make that crack screen disappear but everyone else should just shell out a couple hundred for apple to repair it which guarantees to work 100%!!!

[Blademaster91]

5 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

You can currently make repairs to Apple devices. Perhaps not personally, but Apple products are serviceable with the correct knowledge and equipment. 

 

If they werent 3rd party repair shops would not exist. 

Like how 3rd party shops have been sued over replacement screens, or how Apple uses CBP to stop imports of replacement batteries?

The whole point of right to repair is being able to repair it yourself without the need for expensive proprietary tools.

[DrMacintosh]

5 minutes ago, Blademaster91 said:

Like how 3rd party shops have been sued over replacement screens, or how Apple uses ICE to stop imports of replacement batteries?

Which are all bad things. I though it was pretty obvious that I’m for right to repair......

 

the concerns of my congressman still stand. 

[wasab]

33 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Which are all bad things. I though it was pretty obvious that I’m for right to repair......

 

the concerns of my congressman still stand. 

Tell your congressman that no automobile manufactures ever complained of intellectual property when their vehicle owners take the vehicle to a repair shop, why should Apple complain about their phones. 

[Canada EH]

7 hours ago, SuperCooling87 said:

.

Tell that to Telsa, Right to Repair.

[Blademaster91]

On 10/18/2018 at 6:28 PM, DrMacintosh said:

Which are all bad things. I though it was pretty obvious that I’m for right to repair......

 

the concerns of my congressman still stand. 

I didn't say you weren't, but i'm not sure how such a defense for Apple can be made while still really being in favor of right to repair. Kinda like still buying JohnDeere equipment even though you have to download hacked software or have your tractor towed off to a dealer because you can't repair it yourself.

[Canada EH]

8 minutes ago, Blademaster91 said:

JohnDeere equipment even though you have to download hacked software or have your tractor towed off to a dealer because you can't repair it yourself.

That makes me want to puke.

 

Why is it that way?

What is so special about those products that makes anyone want to even consider for a micro second to buy one of those. Its kind of the same thing with newer vehicles, where you have to buy a $2000 set of stuff for a $200 part, like half shaft bearings.