Legacy Gear - They Don't Make it Like They Used To

I have started a quest for select types of legacy audio, video and computer equipment for my business. It is interesting that some of this stuff that formerly would have been dumpster fodder, is making a comeback or is in demand. I'm not sure if it is for the same reasons I want to use it for or not though.

There is just something cool about owning some of this gear because in my opinion it is more than just for function, but for beauty. Just like vintage automobiles, there was a sense of pride and competitiveness that went into manufacturing this gear. It was meant to last and was made out solid materials. This equipment was made so that you could repair, calibrate and replace broken or worn parts.

I find it disheartening that consumerism has overtaken our market of goods and rather than having the option to repair items at the component level, we simply haul it out to the dumpster and buy a new one and don't even think twice about it, because the newer one is better anyway. We call this "programmed obsolescence" and it is the process that keeps the manufacturers in business, or should I say it makes them filthy rich. This hasn't always been the case. The way that we do business has fundamentally changed. Many of our products are outsourced to cheap labor. An advantage is that it is less expensive for consumers for the same class of product produced many years ago, but the disadvantage is that since these items are not designed to be repaired, it is more cost-effective to simply go to Best Buy and get another one.

One of my professions has been a repairman. I once had a job repairing TVs, VCRs, CD players and other consumer electronic devices. We would get truckloads of them and "refurbish" them. This was in the early 1990s. I think there are a few companies that still do this, but by and large, this market has virtually evaporated. It's just not worth it anymore because most of the consumer electronics are simply junk - straight from the manufacturer. Without boring you with technical details about the internal components, suffice it to say that even though improved technology has given us more features, durability and repairability is simply not even an option at the component level and even at the modular level (board level), it is often necessary to get the parts through a scrap dealer or through aftermarket parts supplier (that are usually of questionable origin).

There's not much of a market for repairing consumer items anymore, so I only do this occasionally and selectively... and when I tell potential clients how much the repair costs are, they usually make the decision to replace the inoperative item. Which brings me back to the market of legacy equipment. There are technicians who still work on this stuff, usually as a hobby, but sometimes they actually earn a living at it. Personally, I find it somewhat gratifying to clean up and refurbish a vintage piece of gear. Mostly, though, I just enjoy restoring one of these items to its original beauty and functionality. There's just something about the solidness... the chunky aluminum... the shiny chrome or brushed stainless steel... the buttons, levers, knobs, lighted meters and analog controls that makes me smile with sentiment.

Education Vs. Indoctrination

What is the difference between education and indoctrination? We hear those terms thrown around a lot lately. We see this used as a term of demographics when trying to make a point - as though "educated" strictly means possessing a college diploma. Then we hear the word "indoctrinated" - which is usually a disparaging term. What is the difference and who can determine that?

Let me start out by answering the question of: "who can determine that?" As a student of any institution, you should be able to objectively view your curricula and seek out the information you are trying to learn. It's called "critical thinking" or in other words, you should be able to challenge that which is presented without fear of reprisal. If it is any other way, you may want to reconsider your education options. Critical thinking does not mean that you are only allowed to express views within a narrow margin of acceptability, but that you are to use the information that you are given, process it with your own mind and come to a conclusion. Now, there ARE wrong conclusions that students can ultimately derive as the end result, so critical thinking isn't a "free-for-all" of opinion, however opposing or alternate conclusions (within sane parameters) should be valued and considered. Many times, revolutionaries have presented ideas that contradicted conventional ideals and academia - and have changed the world in a positive way.

What about indoctrination? Indoctrination, by definition, is to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Or in other words, critical thinking is not allowed. Many schools and other institutions of learning claim that they teach "critical thinking skills" however, when the curricula is challenged, students meet reprisals in the form of unsatisfactory grades and public shaming. It is no secret that the majority of university and public school faculty as well as those writing the textbooks are unabashedly liberal and their ideals seep into the curricula, even in benign or unrelated subjects. We also see a few private colleges with far-right biased ideologies that ignore or discredit that which does not mesh with their theological basis. These are examples of indoctrination - where facts are suppressed, history is rewritten and agendas are shamelessly promoted. In those cases, it is the responsibility of the student to fill in the gaps in order to augment their education or reeducate themselves with facts - but this must be done on their own time and on their own terms, otherwise there is the risk of academic penalties.

Education, on the other hand, is the unfiltered truth - the good, the bad and the ugly. It is nearly impossible for a student to possess objective critical thinking capabilities when only being exposed to a portion of the information or blatant falsehoods. This is why it is vitally important for potential students to do their homework - I mean, do their homework about the educational institutions that they are planning on attending as part of their preparation for secondary education. Some degrees are barely worth the paper they are printed on and some colleges, even some prestigious Ivy League universities churn out graduates that have very little useful skills or practical knowledge to enter into a competitive job market, but are merely a product of social engineering. Education is a valuable resource, but when education is tainted by misinformation, then it is more damaging to our society than if we are left to our own devices for our learning. Which is a segue into what defines "educated."

As a study in demographics, many are led to believe that those without a college degree are uneducated. This is not necessarily true and is usually used as a means to disparage those without diplomas - as if their vote or opinion is devalued because they don't possess a costly piece of paper or as if they are less qualified at a particular job (even though the job may be unrelated to their degree) because they haven't learned their skills in a formal classroom setting. Intelligence is not defined as a level of education, and a level of education does not necessarily validate a person's intelligence or competence. As a college graduate or professor, to assume a position of intellectual superiority (especially in those subjects unrelated to your degree or specialty) over all those who have not had the privilege of attending a university, is pretentious and pompousness and amounts to nothing more than elitism through entitlement. I would assert that there are MANY individuals who truly are educated and whose knowledge, opinions and skills rival those who have graduated from universities, even some with advanced degrees. Granted, that some professions require a degree and passing residency and board certification for their specialized skills, but those are the exception, not the rule.

A university education is merely one path (out of many) toward becoming educated, and becoming educated is just as much a proactive endeavor, requiring integrity and ethical behavior, as a university student, as those without the privilege of being able to attend a formal classroom setting. It is sad to say that many students cheat, party or coast their way through school and nonetheless walk out with the same diploma as those who work hard and honestly towards their degree... who have truly earned their diploma. The price of an education goes well beyond the cost of tuition and books, but more so it is the time and effort spent pursuing your field, researching your subjects and applying your knowledge. It is delving in beyond the curriculum presented to you and pouring your whole heart and soul into your current subject of study... and to accept the good, the bad and the ugly, in all its glory.

Literacy: It IS That Important

There is the school of thought that since we rely so heavily on technology, we shouldn’t devote as much time to literacy as we did in previous generations. I would assert that the opposite is true. Now, more than ever, it is important to strengthen our written communication skills, because much of our communication is text-based. It is much more difficult to understand the intent of a purely text-based comment than one that is done verbally, where you can hear and see the person talking. Since much of the verbal and nonverbal cues are lost when using text only (even in perfectly worded statements), it is vitally important to communicate clearly.

I can confidently say that a day doesn’t pass that I’m not exposed to something that somebody wrote that is either: a) ambiguously written, b) unintelligible, or c) rife with spelling, grammar, punctuation or usage errors to the point of changing the intended meaning or at minimum, distracting from the spirit of the message.

We’re not all writing experts. I know I’m not, and I make a lot of mistakes or break rules, especially in casual writings. I think even the most literate among us commit errors and break rules, but that’s not what I’m referring to. Let’s first consider what communication is. One of the definitions for communication (which is most fitting in this case), is: “the successful conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings” (New Oxford American Dictionary) - the key being, successful. If your intended audience misunderstands your text-based message, then most likely you have failed as a writer. Part of the responsibility also falls upon the reader (such as reading for comprehension and increasing vocabulary), but a significant proportion of problems occur because the writer failed to write in a way that was comprehensible for general audiences.

What can we do about this? One of the most important things to improving in any skill is to practice. Write every day. But that is not enough. Most of us write every day (texting is considered writing), but nevertheless the end result is horrible for many writers. The key is to learn the rules of writing… and practice them. We’ve all heard the phrase “Practice makes perfect.” But that is only partially correct. If we are practicing, but without discipline or correction, we learn bad habits. A better axiom is: “Perfect practice makes perfect.” Any skill that is worth learning requires many hours of not only trial and error, but also correcting those errors when they are discovered and focusing on those errors to make weaknesses into strengths.

Let’s explore some of the more common breakdowns in written communication.

Grammar

For this example, proper grammar includes sentence structure, word usage, and intelligibility. Whenever you write something, read it back to yourself or better yet (especially if you have been accused of not writing clearly), have someone else proofread it. It’s better to have a friend proofread your work and give you constructive criticism than to post it online and be publicly humiliated. If this is a consistent problem for you, consider taking English classes. There are some that are even free or inexpensive. Grammar can be tricky, especially if you need to improve in your verbal communication as well, because many people tend to write the way they speak.

Spelling

Technology gives us some tools to aid us with spelling, but the trick is that we also need to use some cognitive reasoning as well. Your spell-checker doesn't pick out inappropriately used words that are spelled correctly. As mentioned before, practice is the key. If you learn the wrong way to spell words, you will develop bad habits, whereas if you learn the correct spelling of words, it will become automatic. One of the biggest problems I see is with homophones (words that sound similar but are spelled differently – example: there, they’re, their). Most of the time, misuse is more of an annoyance than anything, but in some cases a homophone error can completely change the meaning of your sentence. Take, for instance, the words accept and except. They can be diametrically opposite in their meaning. If you except someone, that means you are leaving them out, but what you really meant to say was accept, which is to include that person.

Punctuation and capitalization

I included those both together because these are generally problems associated with laziness, but also they are general indications of where to start, pause and end your statements. Think of them as waypoints to guide your writing. One of the things that will cause a seasoned reader to abandon your document without finishing, is run-on sentences. It is almost as annoying to read, a document filled, with misplaced punctuation, having your reader, pause at the wrong times during, your sentences. And sentence fragments.

Reaching toward excellence

When we get beyond the basics of written communication, we can work on improving what we’ve built upon. With so much information to read everyday, readers appreciate clear and succinct communication. In other words, don’t be too wordy. Write what you need to write and see what you can trim while still communicating effectively. For blogs, posts and articles, many readers tend to prefer bulleted lists. Your most important information should be in your numbered and highlighted bullets and then your explanation follows. You can also do the same with conventional paragraphs. Nobody wants to read your extraneous, irrelevant ramblings. At minimum, break your article up into smaller paragraphs. I can guarantee that most (if not all) readers will not even attempt to read an entire page with no breaks.

Keep your works interesting. Avoid awkwardly worded phrases or overused words. Some writers have favorite words they like to use, over and over and over again. After awhile, some readers will find themselves counting the instances of those words, rather than reading for meaning. I almost used the word “actually” in that last sentence, but I realized that is one of my “go-to” words that I need to use less often, and it would have been completely unnecessary in that particular instance.

Whether you like it or not or want to admit it, you are judged by your level of literacy. It may be an unfair judgment, but those who struggle with spelling, grammar, punctuation/capitalization and general readability are seen as less competent or less intelligent than their more literate peers. Those who master written communication are regarded as "educated" and their works are given more credence than their contemporaries - especially those engaging in debates or dissertations.  

Let us strive for more excellent communication by mastering the basics and continuing beyond for readability. I know I still have much to learn and I continue to learn. I hope someday that in every instance, my readers will understand not only the words, but the intended meaning and even feelings behind what I have written.  Now that’s a lofty goal!