Dan, I accept that we, users/consumers, often get a raw deal. Especially given the new ground being broken in the information economy. I reject that we do not have a choice in all but a few exceptional cases. (I do not understand the insulin pump reference)
To take the iPod as an example; Top notch industrial design, good interface design, terrible DRM. The marketing of the device plays to our desires and blinds us to our needs. A little research clearly demonstrates the significant abuses Apple make on the consumer; You dont 'own' the music you purchase, you cant move your library, Apple encrypts unknown information in to your music, etc, etc. This is publicly available information and I suspect people would more readily consider alternatives if they did a little more than make impulse purchases of this trendy must-have device. The real issue, as I see it, is not one of nefarious design, delivery & support... the onus should be on end users to inform themselves about what they're buying or signing up for. You wouldn't buy a house or car without doing some homework - the value of your personal data is currently greatly underestimated. I expect that to change as the information economy/age continues to mature. I've taken your list of Articles and reframed it to an _actionable_ set of items that will enable users to make purchasing decisions in their interest, not what they were told in the advertising. Article 1: I have the right to do my own research and avoid bad products Article 2: I am the sole guardian of my own data. Article 3: My data is of value to others, I should regard it as personal property. Article 4: It is my responsibility to understand what a vendor plans to do with my information when I chose to give it to them Article 6: I have rights under common law for recourse against a vendor who abuses my http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_rights. Article 7: Based on Article 1, I should avoid products and services that aim to lock me in and make it difficult to move my data at a later date. Article 8: I should give preference to products and services that will help and support me after I purchase or subscribe. I agree on the problem and appreciate the motivation behind creating the list. However, is the model of a 60 year old document borne out of egregious abuses the right one in the information age? This a battle between end-users and Manufacturers/Providers trying to maximise profit with minimal delivery. Do we ask them to start playing nice or do we educate and support ourselves? I believe the latter is far more achievable and therefor the way forward. /pauric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=35669 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
