Or, Open Source as a marketing buzzword
Comjot is maliciously using “open source” to delude you into thinking their CJ-1 is open source.
They have API documentation for the radio stuff. That’s useful! The bar is low, here.
But it’s not open source in literally any sense. There’s no repo for building the rom. There’s no repo for building any apps. There’s no repo for the firmware for the radio firmware(s).
When this $700 piece of shit fails, they will say that hams don’t care about open source.
No. We just cared a lot more than you thought we would.
Here’s the copy:
Open Source Innovation
Click Here to View the Open Source API Docs
The Open Source Advantage
Unlock Endless Possibilities with the Open Source ComJoT CJ-1: Customize, Collaborate, and Stay Ahead!
Freedom
Make It Your Own - Open source means you can tweak the CJ-1 to fit your exact needs, like adding new features or changing the way it works.
Endless Possibilities
Unlock Your Creativity - You’re not limited to what comes out of the box. With open source, you can create new applications and tools for your radio.
Join a Community
Being open source means you're part of a global community where you can share ideas, solutions, and improvements.
Stay Updated
Continuous Improvements - Open source projects are constantly evolving. You get the benefit of regular updates and improvements made by others.
Cost-Effective
Save Money on Upgrades - With open source, you don’t have to pay for every new feature. You can add and upgrade features yourself, or benefit from others’ contributions for free.
Transparency
Know What’s Inside - You can see exactly how the CJ-1 works and trust that there are no hidden tricks or vulnerabilities.
Learning
Grow Your Skills - Working with open source helps you learn more about how your device works, giving you valuable tech skills.
Flexibility
Adapt to Any Situation - Because you can modify the CJ-1, it can adapt to any situation or need, making it incredibly versatile.
Future-Proof
Ready for What's Next - Open source ensures that your device can keep up with new technology and trends, keeping it relevant and useful longer.
This is blatant AI copy, and it’s not even good AI copy. But ignoring that -
This is 100% leading with open source as their primary draw - and the fucking button under “Open Source Innovation” which should link to source code and docs, leads to a PDF of the protocol to talk to the radio chip. Not the firmware for it. Not the app that talks to it already. Nothing else. Just an API doc.
And brother, an API doc is all I ever wanted on some of these other silly android phones with a radio. But don’t fucking lie to me and charge a premium for it.
So I resent the bullshit, and I resent the price because of the bullshit. If it was $700 for an actual open source-ish phone, I’d be ecstatic. If they released what they already have - rom repo, app repo, firmware for the radio chip if they have it - that’d be golden.
They’re not going to.
They haven’t actually released anything that supports any of this glowing list of the benefits of open source. It’s been out for a year, they’re not going to release a damn thing.
They can’t - they have the same problem almost everyone else has, which is that they didn’t move a single finger in making the silly thing. So they can’t. It’s not theirs.
If you want an open platform, you have to make it yourself.
If you want control you have to had made it.
And control is, ultimately, what open source is really about.