ErgData does not work with OpenRowingMonitor #117
Description
OpenRowingMonitor can emulate a PM5 to connect to interesting apps like EXR, ErgZone, etc.. We can both receive workouts and send progress messages, and we try to be as close to the PM5 as necessary to allow apps like EXR and ErgZone to deliver as much value to users a s possible (like programming your workout, showing Force Curves and all other kinds of interesting metrics).
However, there are technical limits what we can do, and what we ethically think we should do when it comes to ErgData. Some elements, like the cryptographic hash that signs a workout, we simply can't create (nor should we). So there are technical limits what we can do.
From an ethical perspective, we decided not to support ErgData now or in the future. ErgData is Concept2's app, made to work with their machines, directly logging to their logbook. They use it as a platform to increase user engagement and keep people rowing, and they are quite successful at that. OpenRowingMonitor is designed to upgrade existing rowing machines to get decent metrics, giving them a good second life and hopefully getting people to row more. But inserting ourselves into Concept2's chain could allow cheating and spoil that great platform we also love, appreciate and admire. So ethically, there is a boundary we will not cross.
This is different consideration than for apps like EXR and ErgZone. These apps are vendor neutral, and there always has been a mix of trustworthy machines (like Concept2, RP3's and SmartRow) and a lot of knock-offs that produce unreliable metrics but implemented Bluetooth anyways to spread them. Yes, looking at someone row a 10K at 1:16/500m pace does make you wonder if you are witnessing a incredible world record in the making or just looking at a bad machine spoiling your great day. Here we actually help reduce the number of these untrustworthy machines by replacing the monitor, hopefully increasing everybody's enjoyment of our great sport. Although some might be disappointed that they can't pull 1:16's anymore...