>To avoid the draconian locks that John Deere puts on the tractors they buy, farmers throughout America's heartland have started hacking their equipment with firmware that's cracked in Eastern Europe and traded on invite-only, paid online forums.
>Tractor hacking is growing increasingly popular because John Deere and other manufacturers have made it impossible to perform "unauthorized" repair on farm equipment, which farmers see as an attack on their sovereignty and quite possibly an existential threat to their livelihood if their tractor breaks at an inopportune time.
>The nightmare scenario, and a fear I heard expressed over and over again in talking with farmers, is that John Deere could remotely shut down a tractor and there wouldn't be anything a farmer could do about it.
>A license agreement John Deere required farmers to sign in October forbids nearly all repair and modification to farming equipment, and prevents farmers from suing for "crop loss, lost profits, loss of goodwill, loss of use of equipment … arising from the performance or non-performance of any aspect of the software." The agreement applies to anyone who turns the key or otherwise uses a John Deere tractor with embedded software. It means that only John Deere dealerships and "authorized" repair shops can work on newer tractors.
>Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of Repair.org, a trade organization fighting for right-to-repair legislation, noted that "some of our members have repeatedly attempted to buy the diagnostics that are referenced [from John Deere] and been rebuffed."
>be farmer >harvesting crops >tractor breaks down >cant repair because of non-free firmware botnet wants all of us to starve
Oliver Garcia
why do tractors have computers? what's wrong with analog tractors?
Caleb Ortiz
Why are farmers affraid of some proprietary firmware? Do they have something to hide?
Blake Hill
Yes and it was hijacked by Sup Forums right-wing retards who actually believe you don't have the right to repair your property: Reminder that those are the same people who claim to defend your private property rights.
Levi Wright
What is actually forbidden to repair on the tractor that this is allowed? Is it software or hardware parts that break?
Julian Flores
When a mechanical part breaks, like a transmission, a farmer can have it repaired by an independent shop. The issue arrises when the farmer tries to drive away, the tractor recognizes the new transmission as having unsigned firmware. It won't start until a JD tech is brought out to intialize the new transmission by loading signed firmware.
Justin Peterson
What's wrong is that analog tractors won't let manufacturers eliminate all competition and monopolize the repair business. Why do you hate all the progress capitalism is bringing for you so much, you luddite?
Gavin Clark
Wtf why would they do this makes, no sense to me if aN alternative repair shop can repair the tractors transmission why aren't they allowed to just load the software if the are already selling John Deer transmission.
Jackson Thomas
Fuel injected engines are more efficient at wider ranges of load compared to carbed ones. FI needs some kind of engine management.
Can be done with simple 80s electronics though, no need for draconian locks on servicing.
Jack Brooks
We're talking about 500 hp tractors with an enormous range of features and regulatory compliance measures. Less computerized tractors in this range exist, but they all have something to measure emissions and such. JD is just going full retard putting a micro in everything.
>Transmission is rough >Machine is lurching, destroying some yield >Drop the tran >Load aftermarket replacement >Tractor refuses to start because unauthorized component. I'm not sure about all the ways the machine detects tampering, but it's a big enough deal that people are getting stuck with autobricked machines.
>JD needs this "feature" to eliminate competition The owners of JD tractors ensure this themselves. No botnet required. Seriously they're 100x worse than Apple users.
Nathaniel Cooper
nonfree.crops
Eli Rodriguez
>clapakistan is this cucked by the botnet l m a o
Jaxson Hall
This is why we need to fight for our software freedoms.
Landon Russell
>oy vey the gentiles are revolting >flicks the remote killswitch to turn off any and all tractors and what not >no crops for you, goy! hahaha a bit creepy
they probably became a safe monopoly before pulling this shit
Thomas Peterson
When the tractor breaks down, you have to wait many days (meanwhile your crops are rotting, over ripening, or whatever) so some John Deere monkey can physically visit your tractor to put signed firmware in it.
Parker Taylor
fuck off kike.
Julian Richardson
Why don't farmers just buy from a different brand, there are plenty of different tractor manufacturers.
I agree that John Deere is doing is fucked up, but they won't change until they take a loss in their pocket.
Angel Carter
> Kevin Kenney, another Nebraska farmer told Motherboard, “If a farmer bought the tractor, he should be able to do whatever he wants with it. You want to replace a transmission and you take it to an independent mechanic — he can put in the new transmission but the tractor can’t drive out of the shop. Deere charges $230, plus $130 an hour for a technician to drive out and plug a connector into their USB port to authorize the part.”
These assholes should be treated with the same contempt as Monsanto for exploiting farmers.
Carter Brown
That's exactly what this firmware replacement does.
JD has a strong hold over much of the country by being the only place to buy equipment and service. I'm sure their botnet isn't the only shitty tactic they've implemented. JD owners don't help either. Their brand is a religion and buying another brand will earn distain from neighbors.
John Campbell
>Don't be a nigger. fuck off kike.
Hunter Russell
>JD owners don't help either. Their brand is a religion and buying another brand will earn distain from neighbors.
Let them eat their own shit, while other farmer can use other brands like Challenger, Challenger tractors are made by Caterpiller Inc.
Austin Cruz
You will never meet any group of people more willing to break shit apart and figure out how to make it work better or cheaper than poor farmers.
Source: grew up on a farm and spent all my youth playing video games so my dad and grandpa hated me.
Joseph Morales
why would people support this turbo jew company?
Connor Ramirez
Stallman was right, again.
Eli Scott
But they're paying eastern yuros hundreds of dollars to do it for them.
Ryder Kelly
>artificial famine
No wonder then that the people fighting back are Ukrainians.
Hunter Thompson
I guarantee you a few guys throw in together to buy one and then figure out how to duplicate it.
Luis Martinez
>even farmers fall for brand loyalty meme wew
Asher Reed
So basically, we have DRM for crops (Monsanto) and DRM for equipment (John Deere)
I look forward to the corporatist tards who will flood this thread and say if you don't support John Deere it means you're afraid of SCIENCE and PROGRESS
Thomas Ramirez
Actually, I take that back. I've never met anyone who owned a tractor that was made in the last 20 years. Anyone who can afford these new lines of tractors has the money to shell out a few extra hundred bucks to allow them to fix their own shit.
Tyler Wright
>John Deere could remotely shut down a tractor >people starve because a farmer forgot to sign the agreement
Hudson Lopez
Serves them right for buying John Queer
A real farmer drives Massy
Cameron Bailey
>poor >farmers when will this meme die?
Hunter Ramirez
>The nightmare scenario, and a fear I heard expressed over and over again in talking with farmers, is that John Deere could remotely shut down a tractor and there wouldn't be anything a farmer could do about it.
If farmers realized this by themselved then how can't we redpill normies about intel and their ability to not only do this exact thing, but much more along with it?
Cooper Roberts
| |> | |x | |
Nathaniel Gomez
Eastern Euros are Godlike electrical engineers and computer scientists. Farmers are probably paying for access, not the service itself; the forums are invite only or very high cost, and instantly get you in touch with some of the heaviest hitters in the game. The West doesn't even put out people like these Russians, Poles, and Ukrainians.
They love tearing things apart, but reverse engineering software and hardware like this has been a lifetime of learning in the making. Even $10,000 for signed firmware is a killing for the Russians and chump change for the farmers. The Russians are getting paid relatively well and the farmers are getting a hell of a deal.
Josiah Gray
I thought automation was a viable alternative to human workforce and that human labor would be "outdated". Turns out all that automation scare was for nothing and I see nothing wrong with this trend.
Robert Bell
gah damn farmers are getting fucked on the regular
James Clark
I Would think it would be the repair shops shelling out for this. After all if a farmer is putting in an aftermarket transmission/etc. then they probably wouldn't have a problem with the repair shop loading aftermarket firmware to save the 300 bucks that JD would charge.
Hunter Jenkins
You would think maybe the repair should would become certified John Deere Techs, and cant work on the newer tractors.
Damn commies, when will they fucking die already and stop ripping me off
Justin Gonzalez
Thats what I am saying, there are plenty of other DRM free tractors are that just as good as John Deere.
Matthew Sanchez
most farmers are poor, you obtuse dumbfuck.
Connor Long
>No Belaz dealerships near me
Sad farmboy.
Nolan Fisher
/thread Use free software and normal hardware, is it hard? People could change this shit already, but those fuckers buying microsoft, google, facebook, apple products.
Samuel Martin
Any american farmers here? Following this with some worry, we fabricate agricultural machinery at the factory I work at, curious to know if this extends to the hydraulics management. Pretty sure JD won't port this over to europe, but you never know.
Hudson Gray
I'm assuming that certified JD shops wouldn't be legally allowed to offer aftermarket parts that would be cheaper/better/on hand (remember the time sensitivity of farming) than JD's parts, or even if they did the firmware would lock it out regardless if the shop was JD certified.
Kayden Brown
When you buy from nvidia/intel,google shit you sell your ass to Inc and NSA, CIA, it's no longer your property.
Robert Reed
if you aren't a JD fanboy, buy from another brand if you are, buy an older JD without that crap
Christopher Ross
>>oy vey the gentiles are revolting ah, c'mon, they're not that bad!
This is a level 5 Gevoult! Agchem! Agchem! This is level 5 Gevoult! Garuganov! Garoganov!
Cooper Anderson
Doesn't John Deer have a competiter? Aren't there still Trust-Busting laws put into place on the telecoms industries? If I were verizon I would kick in my money into the bucket just out of spite, after that fucking "net-nuetrality" ball bust they received.
If you were in charge of Verizon and you started throwing away money out of "spite", you would quickly stop being in charge of Verizon
Connor Ross
Jhon Deer doesn't get fined for putting a lock on their tractors but fucking Apple has to pay a fine for jaillocking their phones from their idiotic consumers?
Levi Watson
Freedom
Adam Evans
Its part of our "Corporate Accountability" policy. We've been a member group and received special access to third world countries in financial crisis.
Ryder Baker
PRIVATE ARMIES FOR MICRONESIA!! GOOGLE ARMED SERVICES!!!
Brody Kelly
Leftists are prone to lying to further their SJW goals
Colton Cruz
because modern tractors are emmissions controlled and have the same black boxes that diesel cars do?
Easton James
FUCK OFF ELMINSTRE, YOU CORPORATE WHORE!!!
YOU CAN'T TRADEMARK 'PRETEND'!!!
Wyatt Lee
Good for them.
Luis Evans
FUCK YOU RUSSIA!! YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE!!!
You should see googles legal division. Never seen so many militant lesbians outside of the ACLU
William Sullivan
Because one farmer can remotely control more than one tractor.
Daniel Thompson
This is what happens when you run your business like a commune
Kayden Gonzalez
Did you even read?
Jonathan Peterson
>emmissions Ask Tesla or GeneralMotor to do electic tractor.
Jordan Bailey
Ha! They will be betraying each other in a week!
I hire one 200,000 dollar a year geek and I push all the other cornholers out in a month!
Liam Morales
Sir, i feel I should warn you that you are once again lapsing into cartoon supervilliany
Nolan Carter
Belarus is not Russia!
Christian Torres
no u. it's coming soon don't worry.
Owen Taylor
lol.
Bio-Diesel my ass! Riding this thing smells like farts!
Cameron Watson
Stop balkanizing, you Slav's!
Jayden James
that's old news.
John Lee
Why not?
Matthew Taylor
>thinking farmers make a living off of farming the ones that do barely live, most farmers make cash from sidejobs/projects
Christopher Campbell
We want freedoms! Fredoms to wear our tracksuits and ride our tractors, free from the man!
Asher Howard
Of course, food is not popular today, nobody buys it.
Mason Baker
John Deere tractors are overpriced garbage. Anyone who has spent anytime on a farm knows this. Furthermore Susan, farmers in the US are subsidized by the government.
Adrian Price
We want to play dice and wear gold watches! We want to drive stolen BMW's and participate in great american Kleptocracy!
We are strong! We are Slav's!
We can do anything American can do!
Ian Hill
they're overpriced, yes but not garbage. their reliability is on a par or better than their competitors.
Gabriel Cox
irish farmfag here. grew up poor af in the states, you dont know what youre talking about
Brandon Price
So you're saying we should let the free market fix it? Lose all our business to them? Waiting for a bit of that good 'ol american ingenuity, eh susan?
Angel Collins
You have no fucking idea how lucrative farming is if you're one of the biggest players. We have one south african client, one of the largest suppliers there and one of the few that buys from us directly, without going through resellers, the fields he owns are fucking massive.
