That means Linux chose to stop updating those devices. If Linux somehow stopped you from being able to use your existing Linux version on you i486 chipset, the analogy would work. But your analogy in the real world just supports my point even further.
They are not required to “support” products in the form of updates. They are required, ethically, to support them continuing the functionality they were sold with for as long as the device is in use.
If they don’t want to continue operating a backend that’s necessary for it to work, they should put out a patch so the same functionality can be obtained through local-only behaviours. This is really no different from the “stop killing games” movement, except that it deals with actual hardware that is sold under the promise of certain behaviour, rather than a purely-software game.
That means Linux chose to stop updating those devices. If Linux somehow stopped you from being able to use your existing Linux version on you i486 chipset, the analogy would work. But your analogy in the real world just supports my point even further.
They are not required to “support” products in the form of updates. They are required, ethically, to support them continuing the functionality they were sold with for as long as the device is in use.
If they don’t want to continue operating a backend that’s necessary for it to work, they should put out a patch so the same functionality can be obtained through local-only behaviours. This is really no different from the “stop killing games” movement, except that it deals with actual hardware that is sold under the promise of certain behaviour, rather than a purely-software game.