On: Ask HN: I’m an FCC Commissioner proposing regulation of IoT security updates

[eru]

Indeed. And that's good.

[chromoblob → eru]

It's good that consumers have much less power in context of forcing manufacturers to the described choice?

[eru → chromoblob]

What do you mean by less power? It's different.

One manufacturer can't force you to buy stuff you don't want, nor ban you from buying from a different manufacturer that does what you want.

(In contrast with the FCC, which has a lot of power over you, by banning you from buying what you want.)

[chromoblob → eru]

What if no or very few manufacturers produce a thing, yet the thing would be very beneficial to many owners?

Why would one want specifically to buy a product not conforming to the choice described in the first-level comment?

[eru → chromoblob]

> What if no or very few manufacturers produce a thing, yet the thing would be very beneficial to many owners?

If it's useful enough, and the existing manufacturers leave significant customer needs unfilled, competing suppliers can step in.

> Why would one want specifically to buy a product not conforming to the choice described in the first-level comment?

All kinds of reasons. It might be cheaper, for example.