Technically untechnical

Shop Class as Soulcraft

Why working with your hands is soooo good.

True telephoto capacity

So.  You want to fix your phone.  You can’t cause it’s too small.   You’re DVD player just broke, but frankly, you don’t know how to fix the components, are worried about breaking it more, and realize that a new one is probably cheaper in the long run.  Our ability to understand the inner workings of our technology hasn’t kept up with our technology’s feature laden, circuit dependent, wireless needing, complicated, and ever decreasing component size.  We don’t care about how things work, just as long as they work.  If not, how fast we can replace it with something that does?

This needs to change.  Through the products we buy, we can begin to reverse this trend.  Instead of buying the cheapest – non fixable product out there, buy something with screws that can be taken apart.  Take an electronics for beginners class.  Learn to weld.  Build a tree house.  Start making things with your hands again.  You’ll fell great about it, I promise.  There is a confidence that springs from creation.  You did THAT!  You’re riding a bike that YOU BUILT!  You’re eating vegetables that YOU GREW!  Now, I’m not arguing for us all to join a militia and drop off the proverbial “grid”, but making things, truly making something from nothing is a powerful drug.

After you start, you won’t want to stop.  Then, who knows, maybe eventually you’ll tackle a cell phone or pounce on a DVD Player.  Check out this link:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/25/diy-cameraphone-macro-lens-requires-one-old-dvd-player-zero-tec/

These are some guys that are approaching technology with a sledge hammer and an eye on Frankenstein.  It’s brilliant, and of course, “ITS ALIVE!!!!!”

Or how about this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/books/29book.html

A prophet of the shop class soul.

Both links will get you started.  Then, once you’re going, who knows where you’ll stop.