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If the idea of this makes you angry, consider joining and donating to https://www.repair.org https://www.repair.org - we're advocating for the opposite: laws re

by sinak 6y ago

If the idea of this makes you angry, consider joining and donating to https://www.repair.org https://www.repair.org - we're advocating for the opposite: laws requiring replacement parts, service manuals, and repair software to be made available for users and independent repair shops. We've succeeded in getting dozens of bills introduced in state legislatures, and are working on building the legislative support necessary to have Right to Repair codified in US law.

ddingus 6y ago
I am in. Thanks for the reference. Yes, this kind of thing does make me angry. It is profoundly wasteful, over exploitative, and an insult to people generally. I grew up in poverty. Not the whole time, but we went through a rough stretch. Fixing things happened without a thought. The only real question was whether it made sense now, or later. I could literally go barn and dumpster diving and score pretty amazing tech! By age 17, I had a home computer, specially tweaked and precision converged TV as monitor capable of 80 columns, transmitter, hi-fi, various media, vinyl, tapes, test gear, you name it. All had for a song and some work. Much of that work was not even particularly difficult. I used to do repair and flip old gear for date money. My computer came with full schematics and that info was available for basically anything I found too. The world is smaller and much more complex today. People throw devices away like they do paper and packaging. That has to add up. Repurposing? Could be happening big time. IMHO, the big one is simply needing to replace things regularly. So much is on a couple year cycle, or bundled into or with the need for some service, or just fail prone designs that happen to run great for a while... I get it on one level. The money is good, and the need for it to be ultra consistent drives away from products that have a long service life. Couple that with increasingly large numbers of people unable to afford better, and it is not hard to see the basics play out as they are today. Another part of this is rapid change. It is hard to plan for a longer service life right now. Of course, it is also hard to make money on lean, cost reduced products too. Flashy features seems to be how many increase their margins and compete. Often, those things go unused too. The service evaporates away, or requires an account, monthly payment, and on it goes. Where possible, buying something older, well made, serviceable is a much higher value. In my life, I am still using these purchases daily. Maybe it will take regulation of some sort to improve. Opening the increasingly closed repair door is a great start!

by sinak 6y ago

ddingus 6y ago

I am in. Thanks for the reference. Yes, this kind of thing does make me angry. It is profoundly wasteful, over exploitative, and an insult to people generally. I grew up in poverty. Not the whole time, but we went through a rough stretch. Fixing things happened without a thought. The only real question was whether it made sense now, or later. I could literally go barn and dumpster diving and score pretty amazing tech! By age 17, I had a home computer, specially tweaked and precision converged TV as monitor capable of 80 columns, transmitter, hi-fi, various media, vinyl, tapes, test gear, you name it. All had for a song and some work. Much of that work was not even particularly difficult. I used to do repair and flip old gear for date money. My computer came with full schematics and that info was available for basically anything I found too. The world is smaller and much more complex today. People throw devices away like they do paper and packaging. That has to add up. Repurposing? Could be happening big time. IMHO, the big one is simply needing to replace things regularly. So much is on a couple year cycle, or bundled into or with the need for some service, or just fail prone designs that happen to run great for a while... I get it on one level. The money is good, and the need for it to be ultra consistent drives away from products that have a long service life. Couple that with increasingly large numbers of people unable to afford better, and it is not hard to see the basics play out as they are today. Another part of this is rapid change. It is hard to plan for a longer service life right now. Of course, it is also hard to make money on lean, cost reduced products too. Flashy features seems to be how many increase their margins and compete. Often, those things go unused too. The service evaporates away, or requires an account, monthly payment, and on it goes. Where possible, buying something older, well made, serviceable is a much higher value. In my life, I am still using these purchases daily. Maybe it will take regulation of some sort to improve. Opening the increasingly closed repair door is a great start!