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Comment by pcunite | Hacker News Reader

My concern with Windows 10, and I expect it to get addressed, is having a platform underneath me keep changing. I don't want to get in my car one day and find out that the gas pedal has changed positions with the brake. I expect my OS to be just as consistent in this regard.

So, for me, I need a way to say, "I don't ever want to upgrade automatically. I'll upgrade when I'm ready".

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Despite the totality of his radical opinions, this to me seems like one of RMS's more valid arguments against non-Libre software. Especially when it comes to something fundamental like an OS, being at the mercy of a corporation is highly problematic.

On a tangent, how do you feel about Tesla doing OTA updates for core functionality on their cars? Stuff like "autopilot" and whatnot.

In this specific instance, it sounds like an "extra" and not a "change". So, I would be okay with that. However, I don't own a Tesla so I can't say for sure. For me personally, I don't want upgrades that throw away all my muscle memory in the name of "design". As more and more people enter the software development ecosystem, they're going to need to learn (the hard way) that sometimes "boring" is the right thing to do.

The update also apparently changed the dashboard and rearranged common things like your current speed.

The difference is that for their new features like autopilot, you actually pay for the upgrade like DLC.

On one hand, your wish prevents IT from advancing: Many companies are still stuck with... IE6. Chrome triggered leaps in the evolution of IT by using automatic upgrades.

On the other hand, auto-upgrading software gives the US diplomacy a lot of leverage over the rest of the world. A country in negotiation with US could have all GPS, mobiles and computers shut down at the flick of a switch.

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