Thought of this the other day. I bet a lot of us are like this, because in today’s world a lot of things we used to tinker with are gone (electronics are made to be single use and unfixable, cars are proprietary and can rarely be modified or worked on without many many thousands of dollars now, etc).

Sure, there are still hardcore electronics projects going on and people doing massive restoration projects and such, but i consider them basically geniuses, not just tinkerers who enjoy messing around and learning in their spare time while working 50 hours a week.

Im glad linux gives us a space to exist!

    • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      16 days ago

      Open source hardware is the bigger issue

      We have more open source hardware today than has ever existed. Prior to RISC-V boards you can buy right now every single CPU available was closed source. Further, RISC-V is cheap which means it is a good foundation for future growth and scaling.

    • MudMan@fedia.io
      31·
      16 days ago

      Is it?

      I mean, you can “tinker” just fine on commercial, proprietary hardware. That’s the point of programmable computers in the first place.

      • bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
        0·
        16 days ago

        Try modifying a tesla and get remotely locked out when it phones home (actual scenario)

        Thats the future of all electronics corps want!

        • MudMan@fedia.io
          1·
          16 days ago

          Yeah, no, but that’s my point. Cars, and particularly certain cars, have become less accessible and more locked down.

          But a bunch of other stuff has popped up that wasn’t there before, too. Try home automation, self-hosting, 3D printing or energy self-generation back when you remember servicing your own car or modifying the exhaust on your motorcycle (teenagers here didn’t have cars in the first place, actually).

          That’s why I’m saying you’re mixing up two things. It’s one thing that corpos are closing down mainstream consumer products, it’s a very different thing to claim there is no tinkering left outside of… installing Linux in your old laptop and having to troubleshoot it constantly or whatever that scenario is.

          It’s just not true. There’s plenty of tinkering left, new and old, in a bunch of spaces. Which is not connected to whether or not you get to upgrade the RAM in your Mac Mini. Different things.

          • MalReynolds@piefed.socialEnglish
            1·
            16 days ago

            servicing your own car or modifying the exhaust on your motorcycle (teenagers here didn’t have cars in the first place, actually)

            Today’s equivalent is building your own ebike, and it’s awesome and way easier than rebuilding an engine.