Liveblogged at HOPE X.
Concerned with mass production and unidirectional flow of goods. Especially important for hackers because of electronic goods. How do we change this?
Tiffany Rad, @TiffanyRad, Pianos and Cars
When you buy something, do you own it, and how much of it?
Concerned about ownership of private information, GPS etc, in cars. You don’t own the software, and could void the warranty by disabling features you don’t want.
Can you legally access your car’s computers? Diagnostic computers cost 15-20k. Makes it difficult to repair outside of dealership.
If you have to break cryptography to fix your car, you may void your warranty and may violate the DMCA. There has been a push for “Right to Repair Acts.” These have succeeded in Massachusetts and Oregon.
Jiffy Lube and AutoZone lobbied for standardized access to diagnostic tools. Available by 2018. Only licensed mechanics are covered by these agreements.
Other Consumer Goods.
Likes to salvage antiques. Bought an 1880s piano for $300. Often scrapped for valuable wood and ivory keys. Repairing can be both personally and financially rewarding. Shows example of a similar piano that sold for $45k after being refurbished.
Vincent Lai, The Fixer’s Collective
Got involved in local electronics recycling. Manufacturers funding the program required them to shred the electronics. He deliberately repaired electronics and was kicked out.
Similarity between maker/hacker movement and fixer movements. Fixers focus on the original functionality, while makers/hackers focus on new possibilities.
Fixing each item is a project based learning experience.
Sees fixing as a type of performance art. The Mend exhibit displayed works in progress behind glass.
Fixing is also an environmental act. Recyclers make more money by churning through more items, often by shredding. Reuse is opposed to recycling.
Sees fixing as urban sustainability. Hopes we can change the opposite of gentrification from urban decay to a better path.
Encourages us to take a look at what’s around us and casually fix and reuse what we can.
Miriam Dym, Logo Removal Service
When you buy a $2 t-shirt, a person sewed it, another package it, another delivered it. Wants to add value by removing logo with her own labor. Replaces logo with abstract shapes.
Logo removal sometimes causes powerful reactions. One
Archives, and does not display logos. Does not repeat logo removals, turns mass produced item into a unique, hand-crafted item.
Sandra Goldmark, Theatrical set designer, Professor at Barnard College, Founder of Pop-Up Repair
Works in small neighborhoods to fix people’s stuff. She has the skills to fix things, but is still frustrated by trying to fix things when they break around home. Theater involves a lot of hacking and fixing, inspired her to apply
Started pop-up repair shops with a few questions. Will people show up? Can we fix it? How does repair affect the larger cycle of consumption and discard? Can it be economically viable?
Often, people like their old stuff, they just want it to work. They’ve opened 5 shops with about an 80% repair success rate.
It’s hard to beat the cost of new goods when you’re fixing things. Manufactured goods are all made in the same way, but everything breaks in a different way.
We have a history of consumption (and waste) but we also have a history of thrift.
More and more new stuff doesn’t necessarily lead to a happier life. Homes are full of things we don’t need and don’t have room for. Repair is an important part of our interaction with the physical world. If we like something, we take care of it.
Questions and Answer
Comment: Two real world examples that involve scarcity of resources. In Cuba, old cars are kept running as long as possible. Kids with OLPCs have learned how to fixed them because they don’t have access to a replacement.
Question: Are any manufacturers discussing making things that are more repairable?
Sandra: Patagonia, Timbuktu
Vincent: Partnering with some manufacturers for anti-Black-Friday events.
Question: I live in NYC. How can you fix things when it’s hard to get access to tools?
Vincent: Tool-libraries and fixer-spaces are starting to grow. Even public libraries are starting to house power tools. Space and electrical infrastructure can be challenges in large cities.
Tiffany: Some car repair places exist. Between insurance and DMCA lawsuits, it’s hard to keep them running. One hackerspace in NH has a vehicle bay.
Comment: Competition to produce things at a lower price, raises the price of repair. We have proprietary, highly-engineered components that aren’t interchangeable.
Question: How do you fund a pop-up shop?
Sandra: Started with an indiegogo. We also charge people. We were curious whether people would pay and how much they would pay. It was part of the research component.