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Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

nest.com

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Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#171

Post by 542458 »

debacle wrote: post #154
bhhaskin wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another reminder to never buy a "smart" device. At the end of the day they are pretty dumb.

There are many wonderful devices from China that have hackable APIs that don't need to phone home to Google to work. They're also much cheaper and more OSS friendly.

I’m always worried about:

- security

- support

- safety

With those devices. Don’t get me wrong, I love AliExpress - but I’d be worried about anything running at mains voltage, especially when I’m away from home.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#172

Post by sanderjd »

ImprovedSilence wrote: post #129
kd0amg wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First they came for Google Wave, and I did not speak out—Because I never really understood what Wave was to begin with. Then they came for Google+, and I did not speak out—Because almost all the people I want life updates from are on Facebook. Then they came for Google Reader, and I did not speak out—Because I never actually heard of Reader until years after it was eliminated. Maybe Reader was actually first? Then th…

Damn I miss Reader.

Why? There are tons of perfectly good rss feed readers. I've never understood this one. I was a heavy Reader user, seamlessly switched to Feedly like the day after it was spun down, and never thought about it again.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#173

Post by tw04 »

Can't wait for them to tell me that Google Apps accounts aren't supported so I'll lose all access to my Nest devices... if that happens I'll be removing all of my Nest devices and selling my Google Home.

I'm SO SICK of them acting like there needs to be a firewall between google apps accounts and everything else.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#174

Post by tclancy »

teej wrote: post #127
electrograv wrote: post #38

I see Google API/ecosystem fans often defending or dismissing Google’s pattern of behavior here, using arguments like this: “Well, sure, they shut down that API I don’t use — big deal; all things come to an end eventually! But, they’d NEVER do that to this API I rely on — that would be so horrible, Google just would not do it!” I hope we all can acknowledge that this argument is on perpetually eroding ground, at the…

Maybe I spend too much time on HN, but I’ve literally never seen someone take Google’s side in these situations.

Are you waiting to?

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#176

Post by walterbell »

cortesoft wrote: post #136
DivisionSol wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been considering pasting this: https://killedbygoogle.com/ every time the argument comes up. Maybe Google proponents will make one for other companies notorious for killing services, but at least for now, the Google Graveyard grows.

I don't quite get what people expect... do they think that once google creates something, they are obligated to continue it indefinitely? That seems like an unreasonable expectation.

Some countries have laws which require devices to be fit-for-purposes that were advertised prior to sale. If consumers purchased a product based on claims made by Google, and those claims are not true, will regulators get involved?

US Federal Trade Commission, https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements... (1983)

> The basic question is whether the act or practice is likely to affect the consumer's conduct or decision with regard to a product or service. If so, the practice is material ... because consumers are likely to have chosen differently but for the deception ... the Commission will find deception if there is a representation, omission or practice that is likely to mislead the consumer acting reasonably in the circumstances, to the consumer's detriment.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#178

Post by mikeash »

cortesoft wrote: post #136
DivisionSol wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been considering pasting this: https://killedbygoogle.com/ every time the argument comes up. Maybe Google proponents will make one for other companies notorious for killing services, but at least for now, the Google Graveyard grows.

I don't quite get what people expect... do they think that once google creates something, they are obligated to continue it indefinitely? That seems like an unreasonable expectation.

We expect web services to go away eventually. We expect physical products to keep working until they physically break. The problem is when companies sell physical products with a web service as a fundamental part of the product. Companies want to treat the web service like any other web service, while their customers reasonably expect their physical product to act like any other physical product.

Edit: I want to add that this is a really easy problem to solve. Support or create an open standard for the communication between the device and the server. Allow the device to be reconfigured to communicate with other servers. Then you can shut down your service and owners can keep on going. Better yet, make it so that our device can communicate on the LAN without needing a server at all. These problems exist not because they’re some inevitable fact of life, but because these companies see more value in not fixing them.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#180

Post by PascLeRasc »

specialp wrote: post #20
tetrisgm wrote: post #7

What's the point of creating an ecosystem if you won't support it? Typical Google. I understand shutting down or refocusing services that don't work. But decisions like this or to shut down Inbox make no sense to me. It feels like complete disregard of the user base.

Google has done this again and again with their APIs and services other than their main search and advertising business. For me as a developer Google has a bad name now and I'd never invest my time developing something in their ecosystem or worse have my business depend on it. They do not care about their user base as is shown even when they shut down paid services. Which is why even with all their promises about Goo…

I've been a Google apologist for most of my HN career, but shutting down Inbox really changed my view. Regular old GMail sucks compared to Inbox, especially the mobile app. I miss the Inbox app and its layout and recognition of important emails so much that I don't feel like I can get attached to anything else they make.
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