Laptop not charging.

Yeah, I used to do similar when a data comms tech. We would bring out a new range of comms gear but my boss was reluctant to go out and buy new test kit for it so would get me to design and build all manner of converters. I enjoyed doing so and it was good to see the other support guys using it in the field thereafter. ;-)

I guess because no human is ever going to test it?

Yup, so it seems and unlikely to change while we seem to be squandering the worlds recourses as we are today.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I fid it difficult to throw things away (although I'm not sure there is such a place as 'away') because even a broken thing contains parts and materials that may be of use to me at some point. There have been numerous instances where I have used parts scavenged from something to repair something else ... some salvaged particularly long machine screws or switches / whatever.

The 'price' of that flexibility is a house full of 'stuff'.

T i m wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

yeah,I'm a packrat too. every time I "houseclean",a short time later I realize I threw away something I could have used.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com

Oh don't.

I was given a micro PC case and stand and did nothing with it for /years/. Eventually in a fit of tidiness I took the case and it's stand down the dump. I threw the plastic stand in the plastic recycling but couldn't bring myself to throw the case.

Two weeks later Mum wanted a PC and I put one together using the little case. Ideally it would have stood on it's edge on a raised stand ... ;-(

It's like when beggars come up to you and ask if you have any 'spare change'. I'm my mind I'm thinking 'I don't know, I haven't finished my life yet ...' ?

I really thing these TV shows are trying to de-program millions of years of evolution that has shown that 'stuff' is valuable but maybe only to those with the skills to use it [1] (and hence today's trends).

However, this is mainly a 1st world problem as in the 3rd world more things are used and reused to their fullest. I mean, we even ship our rubbish there.

Cheers, T i m

[1] And to be fair, the ability to fix stuff even with the tool, LSI and cars covered in electronics etc.