Queue up the "Somalia" thread here ...

Direct sales, when no franchise has been offered, is no business of the state to regulate. Great Job everyone on voting for idiots who like to control everything.

Vote Libertarian in two weeks.

So, you're okay with ID theft then as well. After all, opening up credit in your name didn't spend any of your money.

If you buy a Frod, thinking it is a Ford, you do. That is what happened here. Renault isn't counterfeiting Ford Cars or trucks.

Car analogy: If you bought a Frod, and took it to Ford Dealer and they put in a Motorcraft Oil Filer that damages your FROD because it isn't a Ford, is Ford Responsible because all you cared about was the Frod Car was cheaper on eBay?

It really doesn't matter. People lie.

Any sufficient level of incompetence is indistinguishable from malice.

So, you're complaining because you got exactly what you paid for, why? I realize that you don't care about the chips inside, which is why you went cheap, because Rodex Watch keeps time just like a Rolex, looks like a Rolex even. You can't get mad at Rolex when your cheap watch doesn't work when you upgrade it using Rolex technology.

And you got that. You got exactly what you paid for. A cheap counterfeit.

Yes they did. Buy buying a knockoff product (counterfeit) directly harms the maker of the real, and diminishes the value of the real. If you buy a Rodex watch, expecting it to be exactly like a Rolex watch, you have harmed Rolex. If you buy a Frod Car, instead of a Ford Car, you have harmed Ford.

And while bricking a device is harsh, I have no problem with an updated driver for FTDI chips harming faked FTDI chips. None at all.

For the idiots that don't comprehend because their rose tinted liberal glasses don't work, here is the relevant portion highlighted:

You see, you're deliberately changing the parameters to make fun of me. I get it, you're too stupid to have a valid argument against what I actually said, in context, so you change the context. The reality is, it makes you look stupid.

But okay, lets go with the hypothetical "cardiac arrest" mentioned below. Okay, you're cardiac arrest is because your shop is being overrun by a mob of thugs on a rampage, do you think that calling 911 for an ambulance is going to help you while they are rioting in the street outside your shop?

If you're going to change the parameters, so can I.

Why yes, making a more expensive, less useful product is always a good goal. If you don't want to run Play Services or use the Play Store, that is fine, get yourself an Android and install one of the good ROMs that don't use those products. It is faster, cheaper and likely to draw less attention from those you're paranoid about anyways.

The easiest way to blend into a crowd is by blending into a crowd, not by wearing Neon Colors in a sea of grey.

Have a gun. In a real emergency, the police are too busy to help everyone.

Additionally, do you trust the police to actually not shoot you?

Here is an example of what you're talking about.

In windows 3.1, there was no networking. Period. Windows since 95 have had built in networking stack. Now think about all the networking applications built into Windows now (not just the stack), file sharing, remote control, hell as crappy as IE is today, there was nothing like it (yes, still built into the OS).

I remember how much of an advance Windows 3.11 for was with its networking additions. In fact, looking back, 3.11 is what killed off DOS apps, because of the built in networking. No more sneaker net.

I'm feeling old. Thanks!

What makes you think our government gives a shit about anything other than grabbing more power? Besides, they'll just lose the email in an unfortunate chain of hard drive crashes, and the firing of the email archive company.

HWY 99 in Northern California. Speed Limit is 55-65, with red lights for crossing from Side street. Yes, it is a four lane highway.

Just because you've never seen it, doesn't mean they don't exist.

Try Watching.

Or complain about implied words in sentences.