23 JULY 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® The Right to Repair is Now Law by Britt Storkson Owner, P2FlowLLC According to QZ.com, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a “right to repair” bill on April 25, 2023, “ensuring the rights of farmers to fix their own tractors and combine harvesters. The law also mandates that manufacturers of farm equipment provide the necessary manuals, tools, parts, and software to their customers.” This makes Colorado the first state in the nation to legally address the issue of the “right to repair.” Just a few years ago, who would have imagined we would need formal legislation so one could simply fix their tractors? How times have changed! The same article also said similar legislation has been introduced in a dozen other states and the idea has expanded to cover other types of electronic equipment such as cell phones. There are a couple of issues here. On one side are the manufacturers who are using the technology to establish a monopoly on any repair that needs to be done as a means of increasing revenue and profits. They opposed the bill because they claimed it would force them to reveal trade secrets which in turn, they claim, will damage their business. On the other hand, the farmers just want their equipment to work. I spoke with a farmer who said they had to wait for several days for a “factory technician” to come out and press a “reset” button on the tractor before they could resume their harvest. This one trip by the technician also cost $1300. On a typical farm, any equipment breakdown during harvest can be very costly on a number of levels. My thoughts on this matter? I’m into making quality products; products which perform reliably under a variety of conditions. My definition of a quality product also extends to troubleshooting and repair or replacement. One should build the product in such a way that should the product fail to perform, the problem can be quickly identified and the product either replaced or repaired easily and inexpensively. Anything other than that, I don’t consider a quality product. You would be amazed at the number of products I’ve encountered over the years which make a very simple computer control function very complicated and expensive. Of course, the “expensive” part has to do with profits and there’s nothing ethically wrong with profit, but there is something ethically wrong with profits when they come as a result of deception or customer manipulation. I wish I could find the words to express just how simple in basic terms this microprocessor (computer) technology is. There just isn’t much to it. While it’s a very simple concept, it does work in ways which most of us find difficult to comprehend at first. But it really does work and, if properly developed, it works reliably and inexpensively for a long time. Often, companies will cite “trade secrets” to avoid releasing information about their product when most of the time what they’re doing isn’t unique or innovative and never was. The other piece of this puzzle is the “over application” of electronics just about everywhere. Not every function on every machine needs to be electronically monitored or controlled. Sometimes functions need to be controlled by the computer, but the information doesn’t need to be shared or made available to the end user. Most computer controls can be “distilled” down to a few common denominators the customers need to know and use. It is best to avoid the minutiae because it often ends up confusing instead of helping the user. Personally, I think the most negative aspect of this “right to repair” movement is it creates an adversarial, not cooperative, relationship with the customer. Why do you want the customer to become your enemy? I want my customers to be my friends, and the great majority of them are just that. I enjoy serving my customers and refuse to do anything that would drive a wedge into the relationship. That’s the way it should be. Britt Britt Storkson may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com 302-684-319 & Mfg., Inc. Atlantic Scree et om ducts 97 en E-mail: atlantic@ce.ne Atlantic-Screen.co Clear PVC Pipe j Inline Chemical Mixers j ell Rehabilitation Prod jW DE 142 Broadkill Rd Milton, ½” - 24 ranging fr Perforated of Slotted Manufactu Fax: 302-384-0643 more! MUCH And j Bailers Sampling j Locking Caps j Filter Sock j Bentonite j Manholes j Pipe Clear PVC 4” rom Pipe and urers E 19968
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