Let's face it, updates are now an integral part of our daily lives. There's almost no way to get through a given week without being faced with some kind of update notification. A new version of an app is available, security fixes have been released, your favorite software now has less bugs and more functionalities... what was once the subject of scrutiny by many in the tech world is now part of the routine for anyone owning anything boasting a screen.
In an age where all our devices are connected, every piece of software related in part or in full to another, online services and cloud storage considered to be the norm, being up-to-date sounds more important than ever. Refusing updates on certain devices seems equivalent to refusing everything the 21st century has to offer. Gone are the days when the internet was something we would turn on and off on a single computer, when networks only existed in corporate environments.
In short, the smarter our devices get, the dumber they really become by being partly or entirely dependent on an external data source. Nothing seems to escape this tendency: phones, TVs, cars, game consoles, cameras, even firearms. All these devices are setup to allow external updates which leaves you with a simple choice: stay connected, up-to-date and exposed to various kinds of issues, or be offline, feel outdated and look like a caveman at the next CES.
Read: From my cold dead hands: Living without updates
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