Bauhausler
Rational Subjectivist
On DIY
This rant probably doesn't belong here, or maybe it belongs everywhere on this site. There are a number of people who are on the fence about this project and I want to put the act of Personal Speaker Creation in context for them.
DIY is the greatest invention of humanity. Arguably, Homo Sapiens was created BY DIY and not the other way around. The ability to use technology to alter and build things is the most basic human characteristic, defining our species all the way back to the first Paleolithic cave squatter who discovered that knocking two rocks together produces sharp flakes good for butchering animals.
But at that first moment of primitive manufacture I guarantee there was another cave man reclining against a rock and giving advice. "No, Ugh, you need a different rock" "Bang them together end to end" "That won't work" "Too much trouble" "I know a guy who tried that and he smashed his thumb". And my favorite "I was going to do that but sharp sticks are better so I'm going to do one of those some time".
If Ugh was smart, he stood up and applied one of the rocks to the cranium of the helpful narrator and got on with making his rock flakes in peace.
It's a long way from edged chips of flint to the Large Hadron Collider and Billy the Singing Bass on a plaque. Every step of the way there's been some wise soul stifling the project with negative advice. Some times that advice is good. If the Graf Zeppelin company had heeded a few warnings about flammable dope on their fabric airships we might still have lighter than air transport, which would be so cool. But you have to look at the source. Has the purveyor of free guidance ever made anything besides hot air? Do they have credentials and past accomplishments? Has their past advice been useful? Do other people think they're full of baloney?
The formation of communities for sharing projects has been a tremendous boon for us rock knockers who like to make stuff. It allows us to tap into the experience of vastly more people than we could otherwise meet. But there's a lot of noise in the information. More than ever you have to be discriminating about the source of the words and make careful judgments about credibility.
No project or product ever goes exactly as planned or meets every expectation. Sometimes they fail expensively, wasting time and resources. But you never learn anything by not trying. Improvement is the corollary to creation. Build, try, tweak, try and tweak some more. It takes time, money and effort, but if Ugh had listened to his helpful neighbor and given up on pounding stones we'd still be squatting in caves eating raw food whole.
So go DIY, and if someone tells you it's not worth the trouble hit him on the head with a rock.
This rant probably doesn't belong here, or maybe it belongs everywhere on this site. There are a number of people who are on the fence about this project and I want to put the act of Personal Speaker Creation in context for them.
DIY is the greatest invention of humanity. Arguably, Homo Sapiens was created BY DIY and not the other way around. The ability to use technology to alter and build things is the most basic human characteristic, defining our species all the way back to the first Paleolithic cave squatter who discovered that knocking two rocks together produces sharp flakes good for butchering animals.
But at that first moment of primitive manufacture I guarantee there was another cave man reclining against a rock and giving advice. "No, Ugh, you need a different rock" "Bang them together end to end" "That won't work" "Too much trouble" "I know a guy who tried that and he smashed his thumb". And my favorite "I was going to do that but sharp sticks are better so I'm going to do one of those some time".
If Ugh was smart, he stood up and applied one of the rocks to the cranium of the helpful narrator and got on with making his rock flakes in peace.
It's a long way from edged chips of flint to the Large Hadron Collider and Billy the Singing Bass on a plaque. Every step of the way there's been some wise soul stifling the project with negative advice. Some times that advice is good. If the Graf Zeppelin company had heeded a few warnings about flammable dope on their fabric airships we might still have lighter than air transport, which would be so cool. But you have to look at the source. Has the purveyor of free guidance ever made anything besides hot air? Do they have credentials and past accomplishments? Has their past advice been useful? Do other people think they're full of baloney?
The formation of communities for sharing projects has been a tremendous boon for us rock knockers who like to make stuff. It allows us to tap into the experience of vastly more people than we could otherwise meet. But there's a lot of noise in the information. More than ever you have to be discriminating about the source of the words and make careful judgments about credibility.
No project or product ever goes exactly as planned or meets every expectation. Sometimes they fail expensively, wasting time and resources. But you never learn anything by not trying. Improvement is the corollary to creation. Build, try, tweak, try and tweak some more. It takes time, money and effort, but if Ugh had listened to his helpful neighbor and given up on pounding stones we'd still be squatting in caves eating raw food whole.
So go DIY, and if someone tells you it's not worth the trouble hit him on the head with a rock.
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