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Comment by moandcompany | Hacker News Reader

> EVERYTHING MUST FAIL NORMAL This is a solid principle.

Another rule I include with this is that the "Smart Home" should still be able to operate and be controlled like a non "Smart Home" by a regular person. (e.g. light switches, thermostat, door locks)

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Yep, I remember staying over at a friends's apartment that had just installed hue lightbulbs everywhere, and then put tape over their normal light switches. As he's putting the sheets on the pull-out couch, he says "if you get up in the middle of the night, you'll need this app to turn on the light..."

Such a horrible design.

I've got dumb bulbs and smart dimmers/switches so everything can be smart, and also can be used by normal people.

Thats not Hue’s fault though, your friend should be better at planning and implementing their Hue implementation. Hue bulbs default to “normal on” when power is restored, and also work with sensors, dimmers, and switches.

No, it's fundamentally impossible. He wants to be able to control his lights from his phone, and that's impossible if the lights have no power. The only way for his lights to have power at all times is for the light switch to be on, but I don't want that when I'm sleeping. Therefore, the switch must be on but the light off, so to turn the light on, I need an app.

Sorry, you are incorrect. I have a house full of Hue devices, for many years now. I also have many houseguests. Not once did I ask any of them (or my wife, for that matter) to use an app to do anything in my home. To turn the light on or off, everyone here either uses Hue switches, or just walk into the space, if it is a common space, where the motion sensors takes care of things.

I ask my guests to open a PR or github discussion if they want the smart door to toilet open. The config is right now hardcoded and it has worked very well to keep guests away from my home to give me focus time.

Whenever I install or (re)configure something involving "Smart Home" I think carefully about what will be returned when family/partner does a `git blame` ...

https://www.philips-hue.com/en-us/p/hue-dimmer-switch--lates...

He just wanted to save $28. I have these in my house. No app required.

No neutral smart switches exist. The nice ones use a capacitor behind the light fixture to trickle enough current for the switch.

There's actually no particular reason you couldn't do it the other way round I suspect but I've not heard of anyone implementing it.

Yes, this was the natural consequence of my rule. I have to travel on business from time to time and didn’t want a tech support call in the middle of the night when I’m halfway around the world because my family couldn’t turn the lights on :-)

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