Actually, the internet of things is a brilliant idea, conceptually
The practice is hindered by short-term profits. It doesn't have to be this way, and a great many number of DIYers and hobbyists are trying to change that
I don't know if open source and secure projects will have feature parity with commercial Swiss cheese offerings, but we never will unless we try
@cypnk counterpoint: why the hell does your toaster need to be connected to the internet?