> (I have no skin in this game --- my vacuum is as dumb as they come, and can be fixed with basic machine shop tools.)

The real question is, is that still an option? If it is, then for how long? Sadly, there are several other product lines that have entirely crossed that line a while ago.

If the day ever comes where this is not an option anymore, then I will just clean my house with a broom. Same thing goes for washing machines. If I can't buy one without internet, then I will clean my clothes by hand.

Smart things are the worst shit ever. They make everything take longer, given the debugging/upgrading overhead. Not buying into that. What would be smart, would be a washing machine that cleans, dries, sorts and folds my clothes. Without talking to facebook. I would buy into that, but I don't need to share my washing machine status on instagram

> If the day ever comes where this is not an option anymore, then I will just clean my house with a broom. Same thing goes for washing machines. If I can't buy one without internet, then I will clean my clothes by hand.

Perfect! I wish a large enough section of the population took this principled stance. Those greedy corpos wouldn't be abusing their customers so much if the latter were united in denying them the market and the opportunity. Those 'smart devices' really need and deserve a lobotomy.

There's a reason the vintage appliance community exists, and is growing. Replacement parts are still available for my decades-old vacuum cleaner, and even if they weren't, they're basic electromechanical parts that I could make or substitute easily.