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Nakotadinzeo t1_j9xwmka wrote

The problem isn't products... It's money.

These corporations are legally required by their stockholders to show exponential growth forever. Think about that for a minute, exponential growth... forever.

There's not enough matter in the universe to make enough iPhones to meet the demand on Apple to sell exponentially more iPhones. There's only so many iPhones you can realistically use or buy.

On their end, this is a band-aid solution. Make the devices irreparable, and you can sell more of them. It's not going to keep working for many many reasons.

A lot of our world economy is based on the idea that exponential growth is attainable and forever. This is why we're in the situations we're in with housing (making smaller affordable houses aren't profitable), Cars (making a '95 commuter car with '23 safety wouldn't be profitable), and it's why the pool of available wealth is shrinking every day.

The solution is to legislate sustainable financial policy... but our politicians are playing the game, so that won't happen.

So, this will be the status quo until the world economy collapses, which will probably be soon.

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Surur t1_j9xwvdo wrote

It's easy to criticise from the outside, but if you think about where you work, does it work like that?

In my place of work costs go up because of increasing safety requirements, expectations and standards. What about yours?

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Nakotadinzeo t1_j9y3zpu wrote

I think that's irrelevant. Your industry sets those standards, and safety is a really stupid thing to complain about.

Although, I will say that all that is again caused by unrealistic expectations of growth. Liability is a force that has to be overcome, but it is every time.

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Surur t1_j9y50l0 wrote

> safety is a really stupid thing to complain about

I'm not complaining, I am explaining why things change over time, and why old things become obsolete, and not due to a conspiracy by company employees.

For example - current thinking is that anytime you hit your head while wearing a safety helmet (e.g. from a bike or motorbike) you should replace the helmet, as it's designed to collapse and withstand only one blow.

Is that a conspiracy or due to increased safety expectations?

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Nakotadinzeo t1_j9ygwu0 wrote

You've got me there, but with a lot of safety equipment regular inspection and repair is necessary anyway.

The helmet should still come apart, so that it can be properly recycled.

This doesn't apply to the vast majority of things we use ether.

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Surur t1_j9yhdog wrote

> This doesn't apply to the vast majority of things we use ether.

I would like to examine that idea. Which products do you believe there is a planned obsolescence conspiracy with?

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Nakotadinzeo t1_j9yknkh wrote

Technology products come to mind immediately. Products are becoming more and more deeply integrated with less serviceability. Phones are obvious, but more insidious are things like soldered on storage and ram in computers, the inability to replace failed storage in game consoles, known defective designs not being addressed, or taking a long time to be addressed (joycon drift, butterfly switches).

There's also software related things, like not being able to get the software or firmware to program a replacement part, even if you have access to it. Putting modules in parts that don't require them, just to flag them as "unauthorized repairs" (ask a farmer about John Deere) that are all put in place to use the digital millennium copyright act to circumvent the magnuson moss warranty act.

Even little things, like integrating the controllers for HVAC and lighting relays into the radio of a car, so that replacing it is more difficult or impossible stand out.

You also end up with fashion companies in the mix too, wanting these same laws to cover knock-offs of their products.

You also see this in the latest wave of appliances as well. A lot of proprietary parts, that do the same job as a generic part that has been standard in machines from the 60's to the mid 2000's. The lifespan of a refrigerator has shortened drastically as well.

I wouldn't say it's a conspiracy, so much as a mass market move. A device that has a long lifespan and is serviceable isn't profitable like a new machine, so make the machines less durable. As old machines are phased out for machines that are drastically better in efficiency and other metrics, those new machines won't last as long.

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Surur t1_j9ylmrt wrote

We should be grateful to the right to repair lobby. Their message is getting through to legislators around the world.

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shanoshamanizum OP t1_j9xwu3e wrote

>So, this will be the status quo until the world economy collapses, which will probably be soon.

I agree with you but while we wait we can ease our pain by pushing for even if temporary solutions. Think of it this way - with a warranty you have to prove a product is broken with this model the company needs to prove it's working each year before you make a recurring payment.

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Nakotadinzeo t1_j9y3bit wrote

Define "working"

Think of every sneaky slimy way that could be misused.

Your car's head gasket is mixing coolant and oil like a toxic vinaigrette, but the radio still plays music and the brake is holding the car firmly.

Also, your 200 feet past your oil change, so your contract is void.

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shanoshamanizum OP t1_j9y3l6m wrote

It's quite easy. They have functional lists with 100 points marked. You have to agree to it at time of purchase.

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