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Old August 30th, 2017, 07:33 AM   #1
adouglas
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Ludd's Laws

There are a couple of sayings I find myself sharing again and again. I'm sure others have said these things, but I think I made them up.

It strikes me that they show a bit of a Luddite streak... even though I'm no Luddite, at least in my own mind (says the guy who has a slide rule on his desk).

So I've decided to call them Ludd's Laws. (Luddites are named after Ned Ludd... google it.)

Ludd's First Law:

Never buy Version 1.0 of anything.

Ludd's Second Law:

Stop chasing new/cheap. Buy quality. Buy it once. Keep it forever.

Ludd's Third Law:

It doesn't matter how cool the tech is if you never use it.

Ludd's Fourth Law:

If it's not there, it can't break.

Ludd's Fifth Law:

Technology always fails you when you need it most.

Ludd's Sixth Law:

Newer is not necessarily better.

Ludd's Seventh Law:

It's possible to have too many bells and whistles.

Ludd's Eighth Law:

If you need to keep referring to the user manual, the device is probably too complicated.

Ludd's Ninth Law:

There is value in adopting technology that you understand.

Ludd's Tenth Law:

Moving parts designed to be serviced are a sign of quality.

Ludd's Eleventh Law:

Electronic technology becomes useless long before it wears out. The reverse is true of mechanical devices.

Looking for suggestions to add to the list. Criteria: Any suggested law must reflect a devotion to common sense, simplicity, proven value, and substance over form.
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Heri historia. Cras mysterium. Hodie donum est. Carpe diem.

Last futzed with by adouglas; October 3rd, 2017 at 06:58 AM.
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Old August 30th, 2017, 07:55 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas View Post
Ludd's Fourth Law:

If it's not there, it can't break.

Looking for suggestions to add to the list. Criteria: Any suggested law must reflect a devotion to common sense, simplicity, proven value, and substance over form.
I LIVE by this rule as a programmer. I tell my partner this all the time: "there can be no bugs in code that hasn't been written."
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Old August 30th, 2017, 12:14 PM   #3
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@csmith: I never knew you were a programmer.

@adouglas: Your 2nd rule is one of my guiding principles when it comes to shoes/boots. I'm trying to apply it to suits as well but that really hurts my wallet.
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Old August 30th, 2017, 01:51 PM   #4
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@csmith: I never knew you were a programmer.
Believe it or not... I write websites for celebs, as well as do integrations for top ivy league colleges, Duke, Harvard, ect... ect... I also do/did data integration work for Diageo liquor brands, next time you go to a tasting at your local establishment... when they scan your license to make sure you are of legal age, I know sooooooooooo much more.

All from the woods of KY, on a dead end backroad.

ps... NEVER let them scan your license. DON'T DO IT! A few free drinks aren't worth what you're giving away.
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Old September 4th, 2017, 10:31 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas View Post
Ludd's Fifth Law:

Technology always fails you when you need it most.
Learn the old school way to do ... , you will need it eventually.
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Old September 4th, 2017, 03:57 PM   #6
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Programmers are kind of like welders in that I always end up assuming they have one of those skills based off of their goofy demeanor. The a-hole programmers/welders are usually people who have halfassedly taught theirselves at home and have no professional experience with either skillset.

Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas View Post
Ludd's Eighth Law:

If you need to keep the user manual for reference, the device is probably too complicated.
So, you don't keep a repair manual/owner's manual for your vehicles? What about for things you use infrequently, but are still extremely useful when you need them, like a good graphing calculator? I have an accordion file that I keep all user manuals in. I probably won't ever need to refer back to 99% of them, but for the rare occasion I do, it's a lifesaver.



I also am firmly against paying my hard-earned money to become a guinea pig for something that might not work properly. Even with video games, I play them when they go on sale and all the bugs are patched, and I've never bought a cell phone that was newer than two years old (I miss my 2004 Blackberry 7290 that I bought in 2011 and used for years).

BUT! Those who buy the new and the gimmicky products help drive innovation in an economic sense. Why would you make a better one if nobody will buy it, and prefers the old one? While I don't often buy shiny new stuff, I really do appreciate the ones that do as I can later reap the benefits of the whole after finding out if it's for me or not based on other consumers' experiences. Hypocritically, I also look forward to buying a brand new motorcycle eventually. I think not knowing a bike's full history adds to the fun of owning an older motorcycle, but I'd love to know everything that's happened with my bike because I owned it its whole life.



I think these are great baselines, but discretion and context is an absolute must. Calling them "laws," seems a bit "do it this way or you're wrong," to me. I'm pretty sure this wasn't your intention because you're a cool dude, but I wanted to point it out. Great post, though!
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Old September 4th, 2017, 05:11 PM   #7
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Owner's manual (user manual): goes for years at a time without being opened. Usually winds up getting lost.

Maintenance manual: Used every single time I work on the bike without exception.

Very, very different documents.

All the useful stuff in the owner's manual is also in the maintenance manual.

None of the useless stuff is in the maintenance manual.

I don't need to know how to operate the kill switch, reset the trip odometer or start the bike... but I do need to check the tightening torque on that obscure bolt I just loosened.

Make sense?
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Heri historia. Cras mysterium. Hodie donum est. Carpe diem.
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Old September 4th, 2017, 09:54 PM   #8
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I guess, but I did learn a thing or two the second time I read my 97 civic's owners manual from front to back, years after owning it and reading it the first time. Like, how energy conserving oil is actually pretty important to the car's MPG (I get an extra 5mpg with it), and how it's wise to turn on the AC at least once a month for at least 10 minutes to make sure everything stays lubricated in there. I'd rather hang onto knowledge for the off chance I need to review it again than discard it later. Yeah, repair manuals are different, but it's less pages to flip through when I go "what's my ATF capacity again?"
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Old September 5th, 2017, 06:05 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrAtom View Post
What about for things you use infrequently, but are still extremely useful when you need them, like a good graphing calculator? I have an accordion file that I keep all user manuals in. I probably won't ever need to refer back to 99% of them, but for the rare occasion I do, it's a lifesaver.
The key word is "probably." I have a watch that I can't freakin' set without looking at the manual. That's a device that's too complicated for its own good.

Take that graphing calculator... if you were to use all those "extremely useful" features regularly, you wouldn't need to refer to the manual all the time. See Ludd's Third Law....

BTW these are "laws" in the sense of "Murphy's Law."

It's a joke, son.

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Old September 5th, 2017, 06:47 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrAtom View Post
I guess, but I did learn a thing or two the second time I read my 97 civic's owners manual from front to back, years after owning it and reading it the first time.
So you're like that too. When I was 9 my father bought a new 1967 Wards Sea King runabout, with a 55 hp Chrysler outboard motor. I was very excited about the boat, and read the owner's manual over and over, memorizing things like starting procedure and the troubleshooting guide, as well as all the specifications.

My parents and I, and another couple, went to a local boat ramp at Seneca Creek on the Potomac River, to try it out for the first time. We got it launched and all got in, and after getting another boater to show us how to install the drain plug to stop the water that was rushing in, Dad tried to start the engine. It would sputter a little, but would not run. I suggested swapping the two spark plug wires, in case they had been reversed, but Dad said that the 1935 Harley he had during WWII fired both plugs at the same time (wasted spark), so that wasn't the problem. He tried everything he could think of, checking fuel flow, power to the ignition system, etc.. After running the battery down, he reverted to using a rope on the flywheel to keep trying. Finally, after probably an hour and a half, I rephrased my suggestion so that instead of suggesting that he swap the plug wires, I said "The manual says that if it behaves like this, to reverse the plug wires." His head snapped around and he looked at me, and asked "The manual? Why didn't you say you read it in the manual?" At nine years old, I didn't realize I had to explain why I was suggesting something like that.

He reversed the plug wires, and it immediately started at the next attempt. Luckily we still had 45 minutes or so before sunset. I still have the boat.
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Old September 7th, 2017, 08:13 AM   #11
adouglas
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On reflection you guys have a valid point. Sold. I've revised the Eighth Law:

If you need to keep referring to the user manual, the device is probably too complicated.

Also added a Ninth Law.

There is value in adopting technology that you understand.

That one is tricky, because so much useful technology is beyond comprehension for most people. It might as well be magic to them. So stuff you understand isn't "better" in the sense of utility, but it is "better" in that you know what's going on... and by extension, how to optimize usage, diagnose problems, and possibly fix them.

Carburetors are a good example. If you really understand how a carb works, it's a lovely, ingenious piece of mechanical art. If you don't, it's just a frustrating, cantankerous, fist-sized lump of metal.
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Old September 7th, 2017, 10:53 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas View Post
Also added a Ninth Law.

There is value in adopting technology that you understand.
I will agree with this. There is a learning curve for new tech, but sometimes it's more than we need. Stick with the thing you understand.
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Old September 7th, 2017, 11:03 AM   #13
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New one, from a friend:

Ludd's Tenth Law:

Moving parts designed to be serviced are a sign of quality.
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Old September 10th, 2017, 03:17 PM   #14
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Absolutely! Anyone who makes a sealed automatic transmission can go **** a brick.
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Old October 3rd, 2017, 06:58 AM   #15
adouglas
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A new one popped into my head just now:

Ludd's Eleventh Law:

Electronic technology becomes useless long before it wears out. The reverse is true of mechanical devices.
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Old December 11th, 2017, 09:39 AM   #16
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There are a couple of sayings I find myself sharing again and again. I'm sure others have said these things, but I think I made them up.

It strikes me that they show a bit of a Luddite streak... even though I'm no Luddite, at least in my own mind (says the guy who has a slide rule on his desk).

So I've decided to call them Ludd's Laws. (Luddites are named after Ned Ludd... google it.)

Ludd's First Law:

Never buy Version 1.0 of anything.

Ludd's Second Law:

Stop chasing new/cheap. Buy quality. Buy it once. Keep it forever.

Ludd's Third Law:

It doesn't matter how cool the tech is if you never use it.

Ludd's Fourth Law:

If it's not there, it can't break.

Ludd's Fifth Law:

Technology always fails you when you need it most.

Ludd's Sixth Law:

Newer is not necessarily better.

Ludd's Seventh Law:

It's possible to have too many bells and whistles.

Ludd's Eighth Law:

If you need to keep referring to the user manual, the device is probably too complicated.

Ludd's Ninth Law:

There is value in adopting technology that you understand.

Ludd's Tenth Law:

Moving parts designed to be serviced are a sign of quality.

Ludd's Eleventh Law:

Electronic technology becomes useless long before it wears out. The reverse is true of mechanical devices.

Ludd's Twelfth Law:

Any information that relies on technology for storage will effectively cease to exist once that technology becomes obsolete.

Looking for suggestions to add to the list. Criteria: Any suggested law must reflect a devotion to common sense, simplicity, proven value, and substance over form.
__________________________________________________
I am NOT an adrenaline junkie, I'm a skill junkie. - csmith12

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Old December 12th, 2017, 12:43 AM   #17
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How about:

"If the warranty period of the product has anything to do with your purchasing decision, it's probably junk, anyway."
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Old December 12th, 2017, 12:20 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrAtom View Post
How about:

"If the warranty period of the product has anything to do with your purchasing decision, it's probably junk, anyway."
My Kirby disagrees...
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Old December 21st, 2017, 11:52 PM   #19
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I agree with most of the Ludd's laws! I hate setting things up, which is part of why I like to keep things a long time. Set it up, done, use it.
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