When the microcomputer first landed in homes some forty years ago, it came with a simple freedom—you could run whatever software you could get your hands on. Floppy disk from a friend? Pop it in. Shareware demo downloaded from a BBS? Go ahead! Dodgy code you wrote yourself at 2 AM? Absolutely. The computer you bought was yours. It would run whatever you told it to run, and ask no questions.
Today, that freedom is dying. What’s worse, is it’s happening so gradually that most people haven’t noticed we’re already halfway into the coffin.
The always on internet made way for this change. It provided the security excuses, and the path for progressive updates that you are compelled to install.
There is a valid reason for security if you have a device that’s online 24/7.
That said, updates for the sake of updates (changelog for every single update: “fixing bugs and making it better for you!!! Trust us!!!”) are unnecessary.