@dalias @sam "computer programs either work or they don't"(firmware is software) is a weird statement because it's never that black and white. it's really just like any other program, albeit in a more limited context..

the primary motivations of big manufacturers might not be good(we both agree there) but anyone working on their own devices also flashes new firmware all the time to microcontrollers as they find a deficiency/bug in it over time or whatever. controlling e-bike motors/batteries is not exactly that easy, and there's also the display etc stuff.. all of it is "updatable firmware".

nobody complains about this stuff when it's "open hardware" projects creating it (i.e. i have a keyboard with a flashable chip that has firmware if i want to remap the keys or make it do anything else, there's even a display), but for some reason we complain when it's on something even more complicated?

it's better than the case of it being non-updatable, and locked to a set of bugs forever. the issue is manufacturers abuse it, drm it, ... not that these interfaces to hardware have a way for you to update it somehow, or that they even /do/ get updated.