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October 2, 2007
Burning Question
Are basic DIY skills -- building things, fixing things, etc. -- really in decline?
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6 CommentsI am a cabinet, millwork, and countertop guy and of course I do all of my things from electrical, plumbing and so on, and I DO think you are right on track as most of the guys today would rather hire it done than to tackle it themselves.
#1 problem is they don't know how and are scared to try.
#2 problem is lack of faith in themselves and the hideous thought of failure. They, them; well of course not and
#3 is the pressure from family and friends that they really do not know what they think they do.
Can't and ain't are words that should never be used and surely our forefathers never used them as no trial and error would have ever come from the makings of this AMERICA.
October 2, 2007 2:21 PM1. Common sense, or the lack of it, is part of our new society. Too many people are not interested in getting their hands dirty so they never think about tasks that might soil their manicure.
2. Another point is the cost of failure.
3. I skip some projects because I no longer have the strength to pour concrete or re-roof the house. But I still change my oil in my car and lube the chassis. If I can lift it, I can try it.....
October 2, 2007 2:47 PMAs Donald said, common sense is not so common and people who can afford to hire work done will pay others to do work for them. My daughter married a man who didn't know which end of a screwdriver to pound on, and was suprised to find that not every man knew how to even change the oil in their car (which she could do), much less replace the engine.
It doesn't help that modern machinery is not designed for repair, but for ease of assembly and lowest cost and modern cars require specialized diagnostic equipment before you even start on a "tune-up" or another repair.
October 2, 2007 5:54 PMThis is unfortunately becoming very common that people on average lack the basic skill set. Most of the generation that is currently college age or fresh in the marketplace does not have the basic knowledge of hand tools or how to perform basic task. Part of our interview process for apprentices involves what types of task they do in regards to their car or home. It is sad that many people lack the ability to change the oil or replace an outlet at home let alone do any real maintenance / repair to their vehicles.
Where does the blame fall? People blame everything and everyone, but the fault lies in the society that we are in. Currently, most children spend more time on a computer or TV playing video games than ever picking up a book or doing basic task. Most parents teach their children that it is easier to pay someone else to do the simple maintenance task and that it allows them to spend more time running to multiple after school sports and other programs.
Some of the best engineers or technicians that I have met have hobbies or were raised doing basic tasks at home. I have thought for years that a design engineer should be required to spend time in a Co-op program as part of their degree to give them real world application and knowledge before they can get their degree.
October 3, 2007 6:54 AMI love watching the crowds at Lowes and Home Depot with their purchases. There are contractors in the crowd, but you can tell them apart from the DIY people. DIY is alive and well.
I believe DIY is an acquired skill you can learn from your up-bringing or pursue it yourself. Let's face it, tennis is a skill and we all are not tennis players either.
DIY is related to good engineering. I have noticed the DIY spills into your designs, needing less reviews and revisions. DIY = DFM
October 3, 2007 11:58 AM40,000 some odd people attended the most recent Maker Faire, http://makerfaire.com/ for all the details.
