maximilln's Journal: The degradation of society

My wireless router is a perfect example of what's wrong with society: Many people are bullied into conforming with and paying for a product or service only because it's convenient for others.

My roommate would have a brain meltdown if they were required to configure their own IP address for the home network. I, on the other hand, have no problem changing my IP address in /etc/hosts and with ifconfig. In order to ensure easy home networking, however, the wireless router is set up to use DHCP. On my wired router, with dhcp enabled, connections would still work if I eschewed dhclient and assigned the addresses manually. With the wireless router, however, unless DHCP has been used the wireless router refuses to allow network access even with the MAC address in the routers ACL.

There's the premise which sets the stage. People who don't want to learn find conveniences which allow them to remain happily ignorant. While I have no problem with that it does cause a problem for me if I need to saddle my systems with dhcp in order to allow for their shortcomings.

DHCP may not sound like much but the premise is easily extrapolated from there. Eventually government entities are asked to fund systems which are convenient for the influential segment of their district. Even those of us who don't need or want the convenience service are required to pay for it. Often the service of convenience becomes more financially attainable than the system of education and self-reliance. Prohibitive controls may even be placed on self-reliance to bully people into using the systems of convenience.

Eventually all of society is pushed into mediocrity for the benefit of the three or four entities which own controlling patents on the systems of convenience.

Maybe I'll install bootp or pump and see if that will work. I really don't like dhcp anymore.