My new current model samsung washer lasted 2 years and couldn't be repaired for any cost because parts are on 'permanent backorder'.

We got one of their top of the line app-connected fancy front loaders ($1400) 2 years ago. The firmware is absolute crap, for example you can only use a 32 character WPA password (I had to set up another SSID, "Samsung Sucks", with a shorter password just for this thing). They value engineered the processor such that response on the touchscreen controls are laughably slow.

The connected features are 100% marketing fluff, you have to go to the machine and tell it to make a connection to your phone so you can see how long is left in the cycle (but of course you're standing there so you can just look at the machine at that point). As soon as you leave the app (or the phone goes to sleep) you then have to go back and re-authorize the connection on the front panel. 100% worthless as a feature.

The washing part did well until it broke with a cryptic error code that according to the service company means "main motor is toast". Samsung does not stock replacement parts (they are on "permanent backorder") so after 2 years we had to buy another washer. The factory authorized service tech told me there are no spare parts available because these can't be repaired reliably in the field even with the parts, something about how they are assembled in the factory is a one way process that is not reproducible in the field.

The matching dryer fails to boot every 2nd or 3rd time we turn it on so I'm guessing there will be a new one of those in our near term future as well.

Amazingly enough my review of this POS washer on their website was rejected as 'not meeting review guidlines' -- which meant not a 5 star review. That was really just done for a grin, I didn't expect a critical review to make it through their marketing dept interns.

tldr: Samsung sucks. A 2 year old machine is completely unrepairable and is now scrap metal due to lack of parts and value engineering, firmware is crap.

I don't really care if an online identity is provably linkable to a physical identity, just that its secure and when (for example) 'LadyBigMac' posts its trustable that its the same entity that posted with that identity (per service obviously) in the past. Having additional identity tie ins to help prevent identity theft seems good but shouldn't be required. You'll never know if something someone posted was posted under duress or not anyway, its as useful as security by obscurity when it comes to determining someone's motive/reasoning behind a given communication.