Why do computers force updates on you at certain points? Like “screw whatever you’re doing it’s update time!” Kind of thing.
In: Technology
Most of the answers here are something to the effect of “Users are stupid and need the brilliant engineers to protect them from themselves.” Perhaps that answers the ELI5, but it’s worth asking “Is this a morally acceptable way computers and their creators to treat human beings?”
Why should I have to surrender control of my system to the whims of some other party who has decided their software update is more important than whatever I was doing? It’s oppressive. But I guess it’s fair game if it was in the EULA.
“Citizens are too stupid and irresponsible to be trusted with X, therefore we, their brilliant rulers, must restrict or eliminate their access to X.” Depending on what X is and how free the country is, most people find this idea offensive and would not voluntarily sign up for it. But that’s what you do when you use Windows or other non free (as in freedom) software. My Samsung phone just forced me to install an update, but I guess that’s on me for buying it.
I am a software engineer who uses and works on non free software, so I am not getting on a high horse here, but I think it would be great if everyone thought critically about these things instead of just blindly accepting that it’s automatically OK for computers and their designers to exert control over our lives.
And how “voluntary” is the relationship, really?
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