I started this as a reply to a thread about making a natural gas line connection, but felt it might be a thread in itself. Its about drawing the line when something should be considered DIY or not and the requestors abilities and the one answering the questions understanding of the subject.
The title is Are the days of DIY numbered? meaning if we follow the direction of protecting ourselves from ourselves where will it end?
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I do agree but also the same could be said for any number of DIY projects. Electrical and structural come to mind, but a DIY can get into trouble in all kinds of ways even with the simple stuff.
It should be universally recognized that information freely shared on line has an element of doubt to its content when it is offered by another person professional or not. Even the high end sites with professional writers I see information given I wouldnt personally follow.
I believe it should be a freedom we all have to take care of our own needs and along with freedom always comes risk. The individual should know risk is in everything we do every day of our lives. I personally think we are dumbing down the population with all our good intentions. As a kid every other house being built in my neighborhood was being built by the owner it seemed. My dad built ours over about a 10 year span, only because it was also self-funded. That house still stands 60 years later and is as good as the days I lived there. No one was looking over his shoulder and it was up to him to know or learn what he needed to know. Just like those days are long gone now are the days of DIY numbered?
Its not until you spend some time on such a forum as this you realize the wide range of abilities DIY-ers have. How do you guard against the most incompetent trying something that the most competent would have little trouble with? We no longer trust that even professionals know what they are doing as they must be inspected at every step of a project by the government. How can we expect a DIY-er to grasp any of this?
DIY-ers will never go away though because in a lot of cases people are into DIY not because they enjoy it so much but because its the only way they can afford to keep going or a combination of enjoyment, cost savings and the feeling of being self-sufficient.
I think we should always give advice if its a topic we feel comfortable with and with the advice give any warnings we feel goes along with it. I dont see anything wrong even trying to feel out the abilities of the one seeking the advice and then tailoring that advice one on one. I also think its the person on the other ends responsibility to take that advice for what its worth coming from an unknown free source, and do with it as they please. I think its great when someone asks for help and someone replies with a complete answer and then a few others jump in and confirm and or add to that answer. A correct answer doesnt mean or assume that the person on the other end will be able to correctly and safely follow the directions. Thats their responsibility to not bite off more than they can chew.
What do others think?
The title is Are the days of DIY numbered? meaning if we follow the direction of protecting ourselves from ourselves where will it end?
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I do agree but also the same could be said for any number of DIY projects. Electrical and structural come to mind, but a DIY can get into trouble in all kinds of ways even with the simple stuff.
It should be universally recognized that information freely shared on line has an element of doubt to its content when it is offered by another person professional or not. Even the high end sites with professional writers I see information given I wouldnt personally follow.
I believe it should be a freedom we all have to take care of our own needs and along with freedom always comes risk. The individual should know risk is in everything we do every day of our lives. I personally think we are dumbing down the population with all our good intentions. As a kid every other house being built in my neighborhood was being built by the owner it seemed. My dad built ours over about a 10 year span, only because it was also self-funded. That house still stands 60 years later and is as good as the days I lived there. No one was looking over his shoulder and it was up to him to know or learn what he needed to know. Just like those days are long gone now are the days of DIY numbered?
Its not until you spend some time on such a forum as this you realize the wide range of abilities DIY-ers have. How do you guard against the most incompetent trying something that the most competent would have little trouble with? We no longer trust that even professionals know what they are doing as they must be inspected at every step of a project by the government. How can we expect a DIY-er to grasp any of this?
DIY-ers will never go away though because in a lot of cases people are into DIY not because they enjoy it so much but because its the only way they can afford to keep going or a combination of enjoyment, cost savings and the feeling of being self-sufficient.
I think we should always give advice if its a topic we feel comfortable with and with the advice give any warnings we feel goes along with it. I dont see anything wrong even trying to feel out the abilities of the one seeking the advice and then tailoring that advice one on one. I also think its the person on the other ends responsibility to take that advice for what its worth coming from an unknown free source, and do with it as they please. I think its great when someone asks for help and someone replies with a complete answer and then a few others jump in and confirm and or add to that answer. A correct answer doesnt mean or assume that the person on the other end will be able to correctly and safely follow the directions. Thats their responsibility to not bite off more than they can chew.
What do others think?