

Why the iPhone could be bad news for Computer Science - vlad
http://www.silicon.com/technology/software/2010/04/23/why-the-iphone-could-be-bad-news-for-computer-science-39745730/

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rwl
This is the latest in a long series of similar articles. I am fully in
agreement with the premise: the movement toward closed, less-than-hackable
systems like the iPhone are bad for individuals, bad for computer science, and
ultimately bad for society because they stifle tinkering, creativity, and
learning via technological mechanisms and legal threats.

Isn't it time we move beyond this analysis?

In particular, I'm wondering:

1\. What has changed since the glory days of personal hacking (I assume this
was sometime in the 70s or 80s) that has made this shift toward closed devices
possible? Is it a change in the law, granting device manufacturers and
software companies more control over users? a change in the complexity of
technology? the result of once hacker-friendly companies becoming greedier,
larger, or more entrenched?

2\. Is the perceived shift towards closed devices really a _shift_? Are people
giving up hacker-friendly alternatives in order to have an iPhone or iPad? Or
are we simply seeing a _growth_ in the use of personal computing devices, with
new hacker movements still to come?

~~~
starkfist
There is no shift towards closed devices. There's one closed system that just
happens to be supremely popular.

The "glory days of personal hacking" are right now. There have never been more
open systems easily available to hack. Back in the day you could hack on your
C64, but these days you can design your own C64 with a low cost FPGA kit!

