I think this is one step further, that technology has become so abstract and complex that people who focus on different crafts and careers are using magical black boxes. It blows my mind how my neighbour goes through life without any concept of what a phone app is. He just uses functionality and memorized the associated logo. I'm an engineering wizard to him.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Isn’t that true of pretty much everu technology, though? I remember in the late 70s there’d occasionally be a loud pop and a puff of smoke from the television, and I’d tag along with my dad to the tv shop to buy new vacuum tubes, then we’d remove the back of the television and do minor repairs. Everyone knew how to do that.

My television today is a magic black box.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Exactly, my television is an ips lcd with an arm based programmable microcomputer with software that translates input signals for the display, LED backlighting and an internal power supply. Although, I wouldn't be able to repair it, there are no spare parts.

Every washing machine has an embedded system that controls the washing cycle and needed programming for that. That's not common knowledge and they rather put functionality in their marketing than function.

We need a right to repair and common instructions how to fix things, maybe that helps dissolving the magic.