Another calamity in my opinion is the "cloudification" and SaaSification. Everything is some datacenter behind some (usually pretty bad) HTTP API, including your server.<p>On top of that subscriptions. You don't own anything anymore. And now it even hits things like cars and what not.<p>Nobody learns computers anymore, but some product, which is some HTTP API, that will be outdated in a a few months and replaced with the next big thing.<p>And what's worse is that the companies that (not with some evil intention, but by unintended incentives) brought all this are now in various forms anchored into law. Be it through payment services and how they kind of need to have their apps that only work on two platforms (iOS and Android, and not the community editions), or even stuff like having to use a telephone number, or app to show you are COVID tested, or do some verification by making a video of yourself.<p>There is still independent stuff of course, but I am starting get worried that hardware that is open not in the sense that RISC-V is but open in the sense that you buy it, connect it and use it like you want to, replace the OS, etc. will become more and more rare. So even if the hardware you buy you don't own anymore.<p>We are still not there, but even with RISC-V which sounds great, because it is open who says that there will be a time where it becomes normal to buy it at your local store, who says those devices will still not be silos in terms of what they connect with?<p>From game consoles to Apple devices and smart phones, from the lack of serious hosting providers and the shift to the cloud to NATed internet access the space for someone to get into the actual tech on a non-abstract or non-minimal (eg. hobbyist tools) setting is shrinking.<p>There is hope though. There is many interesting projects, softwre still gets replaced, RISC-V might help, heck there even people installing OpenBSD on Steam Deck.<p>Interesting times in which we live.