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What does being open have to do with Motorola not updating one of their phones?

Being open means that someone technically proficient could then update it themselves. Gruber is arguing that most users aren't that proficient, so being open doesn't compensate well for a manufacturer, like Motorola, failing to update their phones themselves.

I agree with you but I think you miss part of the argument. Yes there's a very small number of users who are that proficient but even those who are would have spend a monstrous amount of time to update the phone and make sure it works. Time built creating something that people will discard a year from now when they buy a new phone.

I get that. But Motorola being incompetent doesn't mean being open is not advantageous - which is what the article seems to imply. Would you blame C++ if someone uses C++ incorrectly?

Take for example CyanogenMod - the guys involved in the project don't get paid by any of the manufacturers, but they are able to build ROMs that can run on a host of devices while providing a consistent stock-Android user experience. How is that for being open.

List of devices with nightly CM7 (Gingerbread) builds: http://mirror.teamdouche.net/?type=nightly

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