Raspberry Pi security alarm – the basics
This is an excellent article, detailed and thoughtful. Thanks.<p>Got me thinking about some business things, and apologies if this goes
off topic....<p>50 years ago there were a wealth of books for electronic hobbyists to
build things like this - home automation, home security, plant
irrigation systems and suchlike.<p>Later an industry sprang up to make products for this market which was
initially niche and geeky. Small companies became big companies. Big
companies became shitty, extractive, exploitative monopoly companies
as the author describes.<p>Today we lament an apparent choice between "convenience" and "too much
work to do yourself". The cynics and naysayers are always keen to
point out just how few people can accomplish anything like this - and
that is indeed true.<p>But between the lonely hobbyist with soldering iron in hand, and the
big technology company was an era that seems almost dead today (for
many reasons like customer support and reliable sourcing). It was the
kit movement. Many of the early microcomputers were in fact kits.
Clive Sinclair first offered the ZX80 as a "solder it yourself" job.
Heathkit hifi and music synthesisers were a big thing for a while.<p>Many people who couldn't build a home system like this might be
interested in a DIY solution if they had a big helping hand up.  I
wonder what happened to the kit economy and why it doesn't work as a
business model any more.