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Tractor Hacking: The Farmers Breaking Big Tech's Repair Monopoly

Tractor Hacking: The Farmers Breaking Big Tech's Repair Monopoly on HackerTube: recommended by 3 Hacker News commenters across 2 separate months, 2018.

Motherboard

documentary · evergreen

Open on YouTube

A Motherboard documentary episode from Nebraska about farmers and mechanics fighting manufacturers like John Deere over access to the diagnostic software needed to repair modern tractors. It shows how software locks have taken away farmers' traditional self-reliance.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Offered as a concrete, human example in right-to-repair discussions of how software lock-in affects expensive equipment.

people recommended it
3
separate months
2
strong recommendations
0
discussed on HN
2018
“It's worth a look.”
— OrwellianChild, Mar 2018, in “California to Introduce 'Right to Repair' Bill”

What HN commenters said

4 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.

anfractuosityOct 2018Recommends

I thought this was quite interesting: Tractor Hacking: The Farmers Breaking Big Tech's Repair Monopoly - ▶ this video

in “Repair is as important as innovation” · View on HN

samcampbellMar 2018Recommends

Here's a relevant video in regards to farmers and their equipment that drove the impact of the ‘Right to Repair’ bill home for me. ▶ this video

in “California to Introduce 'Right to Repair' Bill” · View on HN

OrwellianChildMar 2018Recommends

I appreciate the dialogue. We may have to agree to disagree on the final point. I'm not convinced that there is always a competitive market filled with alternatives that meet customer preferences. For example: I have to choose between iMessage and a headphone jack for my cell phone. There are other phones , but I don't have a totally ala carte menu - there are always trade offs. This likely won't change your opinion either, but it's a good piece that adds color to this conversation about right-to-repair: Motherboard published a video about John Deere's tractor/maintenance lock-in that looks at the issue from the perspective of 6-figure industrial equipment. [1] It's worth a look. [1] ▶ this video

in “California to Introduce 'Right to Repair' Bill” · View on HN

ramy_dFeb 2018Cites it

what about software? I'm reminded of what farmers have to go through with John Deere tractors [ ▶ this video ]. Isn't that going to start happening with cars (I thought this was already happening). Are they going to reverse engineer that too?

in “A Company That Tears Cars Apart to Find Out How They're Built” · View on HN

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