C/I Owners and the Story of Stuff

RichardP said:

you learned how to figure things out, from who?

Actually my father was not really a mechanical type and passed away when I was 15 but he got me started in the right direction by buying me a boat when I was 12-- it needed a lot of work (wood boat) and he helped me rebuild it. Most of my friends got boats from their parents that didn't need any work so they didn't have to learn anything about fixing them.


growing up I used to tear stuff down to see how they worked - almost always got it back together again

Like you, I was always curious about how things worked and loved to be able to make something I wanted but couldn't afford--first major project was a go kart that was grossly underpowered with just a 1 1/2 hp engine but I learned how to gear it down and ended up with my first "tractor". Perhaps the best lesson I learned was how to seek out help and learn from people who knew what I wanted to know--local welders, mechanics, shop teachers, etc. I rarely asked anyone to do something for me--just explain to me how to do it. Sometimes it took more than one explanation but over the years I have accumulated a pretty good body of knowledge. I now realize the fulfillment that my mentors gained from helping me as I try to share my knowledge with others.

I can also do plumbing, wiring, and have done much of the work on renovating a 112 year old home.

I too have spent a good part of the last 30+ years renovating my 100 yr old house by myself using the knowledge I gained as a youth watching contractors working on my parent's home. There really isn't anything along these lines I can't do but once in awhile I'll hire out some of the really heavy unsatisfying work like demolition.


I agree with the first half of the statement; however, I disagree with the rationale, companies won't sell high end products because once you buy it, you don't need another - you stop contributing to the consumer cycle.

I hear it frequently that companies want things to self destruct so that they can sell more and I'm sure there are some who think that way but on a macro level I don't believe it enhances the standard of living or growth of the economy. If your car lasted longer then you could spend the money you would have spent on a car to purchase a boat or motorcycle or airplane or tractor. It doesn't enhance the productivity of society to keep making new copies of a product that breaks down. One of the big contributors to improved manufacturing productivity has been improved quality control. Years ago it was considered "normal" to have a certain percentage of parts that needed to be discarded or reworked but companies have finally figured out that the cumulative costs of this approach are quite high and now there is far less waste and, consequently, higher productivity. This shift in thinking would have happened far more quickly were it not for the union work rules that prevented companies from implementing many more advanced manufacturing techniques and, as we are now so painfully aware, have pushed the auto industry to the brink of collapse.

For some products, such as computers, the technology is advancing so quickly and the manufacturing costs are dropping so there is little value in "maintaining" the older designs.

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