OK, I'm done with **opaque gadgets** handling **proprietary formats** via **closed protocols**.
I've always defended #OpenStandards and #FLOSS, and opted for interoperable devices when possible — but too often ended up buying the popular, less free product, out of (alleged) convenience.
Lately I've grown tired of fighting with stubborn gadgets and their stupid limitations.
🧵
👉 **Old #Polar hear-rate monitor, USB interface**: I want all my workouts as [GPX](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS_Exchange_Format) files, thank you — no Polar account needed, no drivers or desktop software to install, no need to manually convert formats. I want to mount the drive over USB, and simply copy all files.
👉 **Newer #Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro, Bluetooth interface**: ditto. Give me all my freaking training files, I don't need a stupid Samsung Health account, nor installing a whole set of Android apps requiring a ton of permissions (SMS!? contacts!?) and special privileges to surreptitiously download and install other apps in turn.
Also: to send audio files from my phone to the device (for playing during workouts), I'm presented with a mysterious list of MP3 files supposedly living on the phone. That includes old 5″-long WhatsApp audio messages and other garbage… but none of the podcasts I'm actually interested in transferring. What directories are scanned, what's the criteria, how can I find or refresh? No clue. Again: give me a damn removable drive, and let me move files at will!
👉 **#Amazon Kindle (both an old one and a newer Paperwhite); wi-fi, USB and Whispersync interfaces**: sigh. Where to start?
No #EPUB, of course; only stupid #MOBI. I have to use #Calibre to convert stuff (doesn't always works well), then I can send to the Kindle via its special e-mail address, or copy over USB. Also: #AZW3, supposed to be an improved format, better for Amazon devices… _but not allowed as a format to be sent over e-mail_; only USB in that case. Why??
I want to classify my documents in directories, thank you. Copy, move, delete at will. But there's just one gigantic `Documents` directory, and everything thrown in there.
Notes and highlights: I can only share them (export, send by e-mail) for certain types of docs, but not others (format? DRM? bought on Amazon?).
…not to mention the whole opaque and annoying #DRM thing and the “you are not buying books, just borrowing them temporarily from Amazon” thing. Switching from one #Kindle to another, trying to share a document with friends, registering or deregistering an owner… those are all miserable experiences.
Codas:
#DocumentFreedomDay coming up on March 30!
https://www.documentfreedom.org/
Also: advice about alternative devices appreciated (e-book reader, fitness band, etc). Boost if interested!