RE: Does the world.....

["Timothy Morris" <timothy.morris@xxxxxxx>]

I think perhaps that part of the problem comes from the fact that things
can be "over-automated". How many of us have replaced a perfectly
good
manual system with an automated one simply because we can.

I'm actually going from an under automated home, (four lights on LW10s
and three remote control curtains to one that is fully automated (it
looks like I'm going to have a Clipsal CBus system installed)

Because the vast majority of the Windows are North facing, I'm having a
lighting designer look at the place and put in concealed lighting all
linked to light sensors. During the day if the house is occupied the
concealed lights will be used to augment natural light to maintain a
given light level. That's what I consider to be a sensible use of
automation. It's a pretty dull day today, and I must have picked up the
Pronto at least half a dozen times today to adjust the light level.

One of the things that I have agreed with the installer though, is that
we will only set-up basic programming from day one. (All the Clipsal
switches can be reconfigured by the user - so although they are
installed they may not have a function to start off with) Until I've
lived in the house for a while I'm not going to know exactly how I want
the system to function.

I digress (again). I think it is a little bit like the PC analogy - in
order to gain mainstream acceptance HA has to be seem as a means rather
than the end in its own right.

Tim.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ian Lowe [mailto:ian@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 22 February 2002 15:20
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Does the world.....

Welcome to the front of the progress curve. :D These same people will
not
believe that homes didn't used to be automated in ten to twenty years
time.

People like us had electricity, fridges, phones, computers, internet
access
and home theatre (or in a non-technical field, en-suite bathrooms) when
everyone else was still thinking "why would *anyone* want that?"

Personally, I *LOVE* the fact that my friends think it's all a bit
strange,
right up until they see something uber-cool.

Ian.