Let's face it. The point of technology is to make life better.
Of course, what qualifies as "better" varies for people, depending on what they need at any given moment. Still, technology has the unique ability to affect lives at many different stages. For some people, technology offers a relaxing afternoon of entertainment, while for others, it provides navigational assistance, improved health care, or more precise scientific research.
Interestingly, technology developed for one purpose is rarely divorced from technology used for another. For example, progress made in sports cameras so one person can record their snowboard ride down a ski slope also enables bodycams to help prevent human rights violations by police. Progress made in 3D printing so one person can prototype superhero action figures also makes it possible for volunteers to create oxygen ventilators for the infirm. Technology matters, and it affects us all.
It's part of the job of open source to ensure that technological advancements are available to everyone, regardless of ethnicity, gender, nationality, physical abilities, religion, or wealth. Sadly, there are companies out there that view technology as a tool to farm data about its customers (that's you and me!), even while those customers finance the research and development of that technology. That's not what open source is about, though. Open source protects its users.
Yes, home automation is a modern convenience. It's getting better every day. But it's your home. Open source home automation can make life a little easier, a little more like the future promised in all the sci-fi books and movies. But it can also improve the lives of those with different physical abilities than what an appliance manufacturer planned for. A simple Python script written as a minor convenience for one user can be a life-changer for someone else.
Home automation is an exciting and fun branch of tech. Start designing your home automation solutions today with the help of this ebook, and then share your innovation with others so everyone can benefit.
That's just what open source is really all about: taking care of each other.
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