Luddite article ...

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  • chris_j_hunter
    Automated Home Legend
    • Dec 2007
    • 1713

    Luddite article ...

    HB&R magazine, just out, featured an article by Mark (Brinkley) advising against HA ...

    SWMBO here read it & got very incensed - she even started writing to them to dispute a lot of what he said ...

    many cars are reliably automated these days, in many many ways, so why not houses, too ...

    so - good to know, 'though our system is still being installed & is perhaps less than half set-up, it's already doing some things more than a little right !

    mostly, at the moment, that's the lights - fully automated with no reversion, and working well ...

    no reversion, so no switches to-hand when we enter a room - but there is provision for intervention, and so buttons near where people will be when living in the room, to adjust levels & distribution to match non-standard moods & particular task demands ...

    indeed, it's working so well, as we move about the house, day & night, we both get a little irritated when we visit places, with hands-full or whatever, that still operate traditionally ...

    heating & security are alright, too, but there's work still to do, so we're not really seeing the full benefits, yet ...
    Last edited by chris_j_hunter; 29 May 2013, 06:54 PM.
    Our self-build - going further with HA...
  • Paul_B
    Automated Home Legend
    • Jul 2006
    • 608

    #2
    Chris,

    I subscribe to the magazine and skim read the article. On the whole I agree with you, but I do think an interesting point is raised although I don't agree with the conclusion or recommendation. Home-Automation is still a specialist area requiring dedication from the owner unless you are willing to pay out a lot of money and get someone to design, install and maintain. Manufacturers don't want interoperability on the whole, they want to sell a single solution so it is supportable. Of course the enthusiasts on here can work around problems and realise the major synergy that can be achieved.

    Paul

    Comment

    • chris_j_hunter
      Automated Home Legend
      • Dec 2007
      • 1713

      #3
      yep, we too ... and, having now read the article myself, have to say it's well written & makes some good points (as always) ...

      there's no doubt the strive for effectiveness & efficiency has driven us into complex systems - distillations & simplifications & comings-together have been few & far between, with progress generally achieved in individual areas, digging deeper, refining understanding, tighter control ...

      mental gymnastics, determination, putting the effort in, willingness to learn from mistakes, have all been key ... with the corollary that those who don't take the trouble, don't speak the language, get left behind & don't see the benefit ...

      how many green initiatives in-reality are counter-productive - high-tech' & new-tech', ignorance & complexity difficult to tame, two steps forward & one step back, fettling to get it to work with rather than against everything else ...

      and, as we know, very well, automagic lighting needs something better than just a PIR, as do heating, and security, and ... and automation is not just a remote control ...

      still, it was SWMBO's response that was encouraging ...

      plus, yesterday, when we asked the guys, working on our house, how they found the lighting, they were all dumbfounded - why did we ask, it just works & they hadn't been giving it a moment's thought ...

      until, yesterday afternoon, when I inadvertently paused Cortex, and they all came running ...
      Last edited by chris_j_hunter; 30 May 2013, 10:35 AM.
      Our self-build - going further with HA...

      Comment

      • toscal
        Moderator
        • Oct 2005
        • 2061

        #4
        Well said Chris.
        IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
        Renovation Spain Blog

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