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Freeshadow · 07-04-2010, 03:22 PM

@HarryT; Donnageddon; MovieBird
you exactly got my point.

I just wanted to additionally remark, that we even don't need to get as far back as a whole century:

As I know from my parents, in the time they got her drivers licenses there was:

a detailed technical manual for the car in the car.
the driver was expected to know how to master minor maintenance tasks, as replacing a fuse, spark plug, v-belt, or a light bulb

In the present times my ma hat to find out, she wasn't even able to replace a spark plug by herself as it was needed, and the exchange of a rear lightbulb was extremely tiresome without special tools.

(as a matter of fact the dificulties of the latter have been adressed by the EU demanding from the car-makers not to overcomplicate such simpliest maintenances like fuse ore light replacements, so this got better again in the last car models sold)

@ Maggie Leung
The fact is, that the builders general attitude towards a user of (you name it) moves more and more from "responsible user of a complex device" to "button pushing monkey"
they want the clueless users kept so and the knowing ones powerless.

If you don't believe it just compare a *DOS 5.0 manual (a book, thick about 1 inch no screenshots text only) with a present win manual, and ask yourself if the difference is because windows is less complex than DOS ever has been.

It's very kind of you to call the savvy ones "tinkers", since it shows acknowledgment and respect to knowledge and craftmanship. I've heard a bunch of less friendly names for that (references to bomb makers included).

As a "tinker" I'm among the lesser ones: I know very Little about programming, and am lousy enough with the soldering irom, to try more than to build myself a custom cable when needed.

And yet altough my personal "activity radius" is very limited I could name you several cases, for both, successfull attempts to help myself and/or others out of troubles or enhancing devices fumctionality, as well as failing to do both due to lack of information or physical access needed.

IMHO it is frightening, when somebody as small as I am in these matters already can reach out high enough, to feel the cage he is put inside...

07-04-2010, 03:22 PM	#38
Freeshadow temp. out of service Posts: 2,815 Karma: 24285242 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Duisburg (DE) Device: PB 623	@HarryT; Donnageddon; MovieBird you exactly got my point. I just wanted to additionally remark, that we even don't need to get as far back as a whole century: As I know from my parents, in the time they got her drivers licenses there was: a detailed technical manual for the car in the car. the driver was expected to know how to master minor maintenance tasks, as replacing a fuse, spark plug, v-belt, or a light bulb In the present times my ma hat to find out, she wasn't even able to replace a spark plug by herself as it was needed, and the exchange of a rear lightbulb was extremely tiresome without special tools. (as a matter of fact the dificulties of the latter have been adressed by the EU demanding from the car-makers not to overcomplicate such simpliest maintenances like fuse ore light replacements, so this got better again in the last car models sold) @ Maggie Leung The fact is, that the builders general attitude towards a user of (you name it) moves more and more from "responsible user of a complex device" to "button pushing monkey" they want the clueless users kept so and the knowing ones powerless. If you don't believe it just compare a DOS 5.0 manual (a book, thick about 1 inch no screenshots text only) with a present win manual, and ask yourself if the difference is because windows is less complex than DOS ever has been. It's very kind of you to call the savvy ones "tinkers", since it shows acknowledgment and respect to knowledge and craftmanship. I've heard a bunch of less friendly names for that (references to bomb makers included). As a "tinker" I'm among the lesser ones: I know very Little about programming, and am lousy enough with the soldering irom, to try more than to build myself a custom cable when needed. And yet altough my personal* "activity radius" is very limited I could name you several cases, for both, successfull attempts to help myself and/or others out of troubles or enhancing devices fumctionality, as well as failing to do both due to lack of information or physical access needed. IMHO it is frightening, when somebody as small as I am in these matters already can reach out high enough, to feel the cage he is put inside...