Who here actually owns a #meshtastic unit that you can argue is as "open source" as my MURS walkie talkie, or more?
What is there about your thing that makes you call it FOSS that most of these things (which you might call "proprietary") don't do better?
it's going to depend on how people define better I suspect.
OSS is not about software that doesn't cost money. OSS is free code that people can see and modify as they wish.
the 'difficulty' with proprietary software is that the code is a black box so we can't see what it is actually doing (in full).
i can make a list of contrasts between these 2 ways of distributing software but it's just a list of black/white dualisms in the end.
better and worse, depends on who's perspective... end user, software maker, intent, rationality, business model...
How do you know there are more of these "black boxes" in a given walkie talkie than a given meshtastic device though? What's the basis?
I can't know it for certain. But, in some cases it's obvious: Googl$ news feeds, etc.
Change perspective: I prefer to use OSS software because I like being able to look at the code if I want to, because it shares code freely and doesn't inhibit people making improvements, forks or profit. I prefer to use software that is open and make that choice as much as possible.
It will never be perfect and it's 100% personal choice however personal choices add up and get weighty when many people do the same thing and the general public (midwits) do nothing but copy others blindly and mistakenly assume a majority = good or truth. That adds up to a lot of blindly following. It does not follow that because everyone is doing something that it is harmless, does good, or is correct.
I'm honestly pretty sure most MURS walkie talkies are more open source than any meshtastic unit, except in meshtastic being labeled "open source" and the other not
I believe you. I don't know anything about the device. The important thing here isn't to make a hard line personal choice and make it permanent. Proceed in full awareness and be ready to pivot if the information warrants it.
If you trust a company, then go for it. If they turn out in 6 months to be lying then reevaluate. But don't fanboy it and pretend if you find out later that they are up to something.
No suspicion, just eyes wide open and not caught in good, bad, or previous decisions. Now. Now. Now I step forth fully aware and brand new and not stained be previous decisions.
