Popular Mechanics Ramblings

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

As for the broader rant (), I'm not sure if "the kids today" are any less able than my generation. I think it's a complex question. Today fewer and fewer devices we own are designed with DIY in mind. Rather, they are purposely designed to dissuade DIY. From the computer or iThing, to the cars and motorcycles we buy, manufactures have purposely made it harder for buyers to look under the hood.

Is this cause, or effect? I can't say, but it is a reality. Heck, there's a whole social and legal movement afoot now trying to reclaim the right to repair our devices. So I don't think the whole problem can be laid at "the kids today."

But I agree, our societies are generally becoming more screen-oriented; less doers than voyeurs. I don't think this is confined to "the kids" generations though. I've observed that in a large multi-generational gathering, it is often the people of my generation who are more glued to their phones than the younger ones.

In some recent musings about DIY, I was reminded of a few things:

• the trades are considered lower-class, so fewer kids are inspired or steered into hands-on occupations
• fewer young people have parents who were hands-on types
• fewer people have homes with workshops or garages
• there's less need overall to have to make/fix things
• sailors are known cheapskates , and boats are unique and personal, so we as a group are a DIY anomaly.

As a consequence, fewer of the younger generation are exposed to being hands-on. DIY is more of a niche or "alternative" activity for young people today, with their own new handle ("makers").



Definitely, for us boomers with DIY tendancies, this is very much a great time to be hands-on.

[a64pilot]

While I will admit that some items are not made to be repaired, a TV for instance, I disagree completely that automobiles and other more complex devices are not DIY capable, I say they are way more DIY now than ever.
Where it used to take disassembly of a distributor and changing springs and weights to change advance curves or disassembly of a carburetor to change jets to change mixture ratio, and disassembly of a transmission valve body to install a shift kit, every one of those things is software now, done with a Laptop, often you don’t even have to shut down the car, and you can now get real time measurements of mixture ratio via the O2 sensor, where you used to have to guess using “plug chops” where you would remove and inspect a spark plug to guess at the mixture ratio.

While “hot rodding” is indeed different, things are possible and mainstream today that as a kid I didn’t even dream of.

Not all kids are sit on their butt and play video games types, look at what’s done with skateboards, and bicycles and motorcycles today, I was an avid motorcyclist as a kid, and what is done today is what I would have considered impossible.

However those kids are not mainstream


Today’s Society views mechanically inclined people and those that do their own work as a lower class. Your no longer supposed to do anything for yourself, from washing the car to changing it’s oil to even mowing the grass, your supposed to have all that done for you, and tell others your time is more important to waste doing menial tasks like mowing the grass.

Decades ago my then young Wife went out to eat with my Brother’s Wife and my Sister and a few friends etc., where she said they all complained about their maids and how hard it was to find good help.
She had noting to say as we aren’t the type to have a maid or not do all of our own work.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

...Today’s Society views mechanically inclined people and those that do their own work as a lower class. Your no longer supposed to do anything for yourself, from washing the car to changing it’s oil to even mowing the grass, your supposed to have all that done for you, and tell others your time is more important to waste doing menial tasks like mowing the grass.

That's my point -- we are actively dissuaded from DIY activities. Pop the hood of a new vehicle and compare it to one 20 years ago. These days you can't even see the engine most of the time. It's capped and covered. Of course it's always possible to get at it, but the point is, manufacturers actively dissuade users from doing so.

The reason is clear: it makes them more money by capturing the maintenance and repair tasks. It's a bit like how so much of ownership is now shifting to perpetual rents. From computer software to vehicles leases, the masters of the economy have learned they make far more profit by turning us all into renters.

The blue collar skill set equating to lower class is true, but it's been true from at least my generation on (I'm early Gen-X). I grew up very clear that the smart kids went to the academic high school, and then on to university. Whereas the dumb kids when to the technical high school, and then off to some factory job.

I sure wish I had been a "dumb kid." I'd have learned something useful .

[GILow]

An odd byproduct of all the DIY info available is that it can actually cause a DIY-paralysis due to all the differing opinions.

I watched friends get completely overwhelmed by all the boat fridge building opinions on line, trying to make them all agree is impossible.

[Fore and Aft]

Jmh2002 cooking is a good analogy for diy. I prepare the evening meal most nights and are always googling to see what ingredients I can substitute if I am missing something. Sometimes I think I am really going out on a limb like Greek yoghurt in mash potatoes. But google quickly shows be thousands of people have already done it before.
I still have a wall of books at home, but for up to date information you cannot beat the internet.
Cheers

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by GILow

An odd byproduct of all the DIY info available is that it can actually cause a DIY-paralysis due to all the differing opinions.

I watched friends get completely overwhelmed by all the boat fridge building opinions on line, trying to make them all agree is impossible.

The Internet is definitely a firehose when all you're seeking is a sip. However I find that with perseverence it's possible to weed through all the options to find the best fit.


E.g. in your friends' situation you will find a plethora of options and opinions, but that's just step one; getting the popular options. From there you can then start to zero in on the pros and cons of each of the top ideas, and you will either discover that one idea is dominant, or that you have enough information to make a confident choice.


The "internet" is a new skill, but it's a powerful one, and learning to work with it - how to search, review, etc - is very rewarding.

[oscar]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Today’s Society views mechanically inclined people and those that do their own work as a lower class.

Hmm, not in my circles. As a "tool guy" I am on the VIP invite list of several Zombie Apocalypse Survival Groups.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Jmh2002 cooking is a good analogy for diy. I prepare the evening meal most nights and are always googling to see what ingredients I can substitute if I am missing something. Sometimes I think I am really going out on a limb like Greek yoghurt in mash potatoes. But google quickly shows be thousands of people have already done it before.
I still have a wall of books at home, but for up to date information you cannot beat the internet.
Cheers