swizzlestick

To add, see here for a continually updated litany of fail:

https://static.xtremeownage.com/blog/2022/reasons-to-avoid-cloud-based-automation-products/

Hardcore, I love it.

Insane. At the core it's no more than an extension lead with a shaped plug. Some basic brains for safety.

If I had to go that route, I'd wall it off from the main network/internet at large.

Sometimes they'll even remove these kinds of feature. See: ~Yeelink~ Yeelight removing LAN control from their bedside lamps, as a particularly egregious example.

The goal for me would be to not have to break out the programmer in the first place. The same way I have never felt the need to operate on my toaster, fridge, TV etc.

On a 'good' device, having that relatively easy to access is still a bonus though :)

If a device relies on any kind of external service to initially set up or function thereafter, do not buy. Regardless of brand.

Or accept that it has a finite lifespan that you cannot control. It's not a matter of if the rug will get pulled, but when.

There is a grey area for things that can be reflashed or rebrained, but I prefer to not rely on this. Local access methods like ZigBee, Z-Wave and 433Mhz are immune to this kind of enshittification by design. Even WiFi devices can fit in here, with appropriate restrictions in place.

An acceptable middle-ground would be for EOL devices to be offered (with a big disclaimer) a final update that removes the reliance on the service but retains the core function. That's a pipe dream though.

......Goddamnit.

Sorry, should have been clear. Lethal allergen tour = bad. Banning completely = also bad.

My main point was that there is a line between discomfort and danger. That line can move based on the situation, so it is awkward to abstract without getting down to specifics.

If say 5% of the population suddenly developed a tendency to go into anaphylactic shock on exposure to vanilla, then you could easily see it disappearing from fragrances altogether and becoming a non-problem in that regard. Yet it would still have culinary use and join many friends on the bolded ingredient lists on food.

There is a turnover point (that I cannot explicitly define) where the onus is on the afflicted to ensure their own safety, rather than the population at large going out of their way to ensure it.

I am fortunate to have no issues like this. In 5% Vanilla-Death-Land, the smell of the stuff would still give me pause, as I probably know someone who could well die from the idiot that just walked in the door honking of it.

If the same person instead just brought in a vanilla milkshake, I probably wouldn't bat an eye.

Eating an allergen loaded sandwich to yourself - A-OK.

Coating yourself in allergens and going on tour - No.

Banning an allergen because a small fraction of the population suffer - Also No.

For matters of personal preference, I would invite the offended to suck it up and deal with it. For anything with consequences beyond offense, each individual situation is nuanced and common sense should apply. Maybe don't eat that PB&J just before meeting a bunch of people for the first time.

Of course, they happen the most when you are expecting something.

Back in the day it was an SMS or a call. Then maybe also an email if you had a good feature phone or a BlackBerry.

Now everything has an app and they just love notifications...

See Derek of Vice Grip Garage on YouTube, picked it up from him :)