
Why I Don’t Have a Smart Home - bozho
https://medium.com/@bozhobg/why-i-dont-have-a-smart-home-cb6abf424eb5
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NoPicklez
I disagree that in order to have a connected home it will be complex and that
it doesn't "just work". From having added a suite of products from Ubiquiti
and somewhat thought out the design of my home network I have less issues than
before. Yes I have more to tinker with but I don't, and now the household can
stream any media they like on any TV or device, and play games with low
latency at the same time. I don't even have what you would consider a hobbiest
setup.

Of course, in order to correctly manage IoT devices and the sort on the
network you need a bit of knowhow, but its not essential. And purely comes
with the nature of connecting these devices in your home.

Mentions privacy as a concern, but probably still use a mobile device? And you
mention you don't need a TV, but okay that's clearly what your projector is
used for.

Also the smart blinds comment, your issue with the smart blinds was to do with
blinds themselves not the smart component.

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gpapilion
I agree with almost all of these points, and de-smarted my home with the
exception of my cameras on the exterior, and even those I would consider
getting rid of.

There was no convince in most devices. Smart locks were slower than keys.
Smart lights were more problematic to use than a light switch. My life has
been better after I got rid of them.

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beatgammit
I've been thinking of designing my own smart devices, but they will need to
fall back to simpler devices. For example, I want to build a smart lock that
unlocks with a GPG key on my phone, but still has a key (bolt on motor to
existing lock).

I just don't understand these smart devices. At best they're marginally more
convenient, but they come with a lot of risks. I'm worried about software not
getting updated, data in the cloud being compromised, or simple loss of
function from not degrading gracefully.

My smart TV is nice because it has Netflix built in, but nothing else on the
market is interesting to me.

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bastawhiz
I agree with some of these points, but disagree vehemently with others.

> A smart thermostat could save a lot of money in a hotel. It would save
> pennies in a 2 bedroom apartment.

My smart thermostat has paid for itself multiple times over. Not to mention,
it's made my home significantly more comfortable (due mostly in part to the
ability to have a temperature sensor in my bedroom). Could it have been done
without being connected to my wifi? Probably. But it was fairly inexpensive,
it's saving me money, and it's doing its job. It's simply false to assert that
the devices mentioned serve no utility for _any_ consumers just because you
don't find them useful.

