Giving the ability to do system administration tasks on a device you own is not treating people like system administrators. It's giving someone the ability to work on, modify and learn about (and break (and fix)) their device if they so choose.
Well Google gives you the ability to root their phones, what more do you want? You don't have to hack it, rooting the phone is a standard procedure. Of course you should stick to the Nexus line. But if you are knowledgeable enough to be an admin, you probably already knew that.
Yikes, one would think that a site called Hacker News would be a bit nicer to someone talking about enabling people through learning about technology. No wonder I started my own version: http://kruhft.dyndns.org
I wouldn't say I was spamming but promoting an alternative place where people that think that having root on and having control over your own phone is a good thing and won't get down voted for it.
At least that was the point when I wrote the original, as you say spammy, comment.
Reply to untog: yes it's a plug for my site, deal with it. With all the meta-discussion lately about this site and how it's gone downhill, maybe I feel it's time to try and create a new one that lives a bit more up to the name Hacker.
No, the average user won't be a sysadmin, but what about their kids? (Oh god, did I just do a think of the children?)
hmm... i think by the timie my kids are old enough to start hacking in daddys lab, whenever that is, lets say thats 10 years from now, we will be able to build today,s iphone for fun, it will be old news. witness arduino, the cool rise of homebrewed gizmos out there.... software And hardware are out there to cheaply make all kinds of cool stuff. my kids should have no problem hacking away, probably on stuff i wont even understand at some point. if they end up interested, of course.
After that they will be users of a competing product.