On Tue, 6 May 2014, Cydrome Leader wrote:

Pilgrim wrote:
There are just a few of you hard core doityourselfers out there. The
stores you all miss are no longer financially viable. We live in a
throwaway society. Plus there is the liability issue. I started and ran
an electronic surplus store in the SF bay area for 25 years. Closed it
in '97 as it was no longer worth the time and effort. Broke my heart to
dismantle what I had built. Then there is the liability issue. Some
wanna be doitselfer could cause harm to himself, others, or property. I
don't know about all of you, but I get 4or5 requests a year to be part
of a class action. We refused to give any technical advise or identify a

No technical advice is always a lazy jackass move, and might have
something to do with not being in business anymore.

I don't really think people should be expecting technical help at stores.
i get annoyed when I go into the Big Chain hardware store here and
someting I want is behind a lock, and I have to wait while endless people
keep the staff busy asking questions that they should be handling
themselves at home.

Even the old electronic parts store that I first went to in early 1971,
the staff there was of a mixed variety. Some had a great interest in
electronics so they got jobs there because they needed money while in
school, and might as well be in some related job. But there was the guy
who's interest was CB, he was never that interested in technical stuff.

That said, too many are wringing their hands and saying "things have
changed, all those lawsuits", when instead of fearing, there should be
more concern with how to replicate the past. The whole "Make" movement
really dumbs things down, which then of course means worry about
liability. Lots of us didn't kill ourselves as kids playing with
electronics unattended, but then we actually had an interest in the stuff.
Bring in people who are mostly interested in the end product, and they are
likely to hurt themselves along the way.

The people now saying "it's good for kids" don't realize what was good
about it, which was mostly self-exploration. No hand holding, it wasn't
about getting the parents to do your science project, it was about doing
it yourself, and learning in the process.

Michael