I often find reading these sort of descriptions amusing, for the strange mix of "hey, cool seeing someones DIY project" vs "I just don't understand why". I guess my personal value on hacking up your own stuff is just way higher than that on home automation...
To each his own is a good rule when it comes to hacking/geek projects.
I've so often been asked "but why are you doing this" or suggested that I go and buy the stuff that I'm making.
I find it very annoying. I find most people who ask so such questions won't "get it" even if I explain.
But I do understand that most often people are trying to be helpful. They can't imagine going through the ordeal that I'm going through for something of no value to them.
Oh I would never ask someone why; let a thousand flowers bloom.
I just find I get tickled by the ratio of my interest in how someone solved their problem to (my) lack of interest in the product in this particular genre at least.
"To each their own" is a good principle :)
I guess a different way of looking at it is this, I'm laughing at myself realizing that I would happily spend hours helping you figure out a hardware/software problem in your home automation setup, but I wouldn't spend minutes automating my own home. probably. maybe the right itch hasn't presented itself.
For me, most of the amusement was that my mind went in a very different direction upon seeing both "leak sensor" and "bed sensor" being mentioned.
Count me in the "I just don't understand why" group too --- I work with enough software in my day job that I really don't want more of it in my life beyond that.
