So them you praise for holding out unless being payed, yet Particle is to blame if there are no integrations with whatever platform one can come up with. Doesn't sound too fair.
Alright, fair enough, makes sense. The manufacturer tells the salesman everything he can about his/her product, he documents it if you will. He can not, however, tell you how to use it. Some drive cars casually, others build them into hot rods, others go racing, or jumping some other cars. Is the manufacturer still responsible for making sure every scenario is planned for, or should he just provide adequate tools to be used?
There's only so much he can accommodate for, and though it's commendable if he ventures into ways for providing for multiple uses, that's not the main goal. So yes, they teach you everything there is about the product, but they shouldn't be expected to teach you how to use it. (Which is true for the car salesman as well. They tell you everything about the car, but learning how to drive is up to you).
Not sure about that. Without a doubt they should support the product they're selling and keep it up to the best of their abilities. I need to be realistic about what that entails though. I've been trying to 'automate' my room for the past couple of years, but it's nor working out just yet. Should I now 'blame' Particle for not providing a one click Home Automation integration? Is Particle a bad company because popular open-source home automation stacks haven't integrated Particle yet? Or should I be checking in with myself, either lacking skills, time, or perhaps willingness to pay someone else for their efforts?
Not sure how this is relevant, but I'm willing to say they offer more than most other solutions out there, five years ago, and now. It's not like they're grabbing the money and running away with it either. Development is ongoing, and improvement are made weekly. They're just not yet at the Microsoft level where they can buy a company to make them something. Takes a bit of time and effort.
Again, not quite sure how this is relevant. It's one of their customers, and what they do with the chips/services Particle provides is entirely up to them (kind of the point I'm trying to make). If saving the planet is the main goal, you might as well abandon all modern societies, since those produce more landfill waste than our caveman ancestors. Perhaps the key in reducing some of that waste lies in collecting data which I'm guessing is what they're doing. Then again, wasn't sure how this was relevant, so my comments might not be either.
All I was trying to say was that the company you buy something from is not responsible for how you use their product. The best they can do it tell you how it can (and perhaps should) be used, and then it's up to you. It's great if a such company is willing to go further and provide you with additional support and tools, but it shouldn't be an obligation.
Luckily Particle is going further and trying to build integrations, a process which takes time. Webhooks allow you to customize that in the mean time.