Hacker News Reader

Comment by esafak | Hacker News Reader

I don't bother learning these things because I'm never going to get enough practice to get good at it, and my time is already accounted for. There is nothing in my schedule I would eliminate to make space for learning such things. Let everyone do what they're good at.

View on HN

I got good at them growing up because I had a family. When someone was going a project they called the family and a dozen people showed up. We were never good, but we all knew enough to get the job done and teach each other a little more - after a few years we had a reasonable grasp of nearly everything because we had done it.

I miss living near them. I no longer have a network I can call for help on projects and so the things I can get done are very limited.

You can also rely on them to share tools. When you're on your own, does it make sense to buy the numerous tools that you only use once in a blue moon? Now I have to decide if I want to buy or rent them. Well if I'm going to go that trouble I can just pay someone to do it too.

You can rent some tools. If nothing else I often justify a good tool because if I hired someone the pro would have the good tools. Typically the first time I do a job myself I lose money on tools - but the next time I have that tool and so I save a lot. Of course over the years I have a good idea what tools I'm likely to use.

What if you are good at learning new things?

If it gives you joy do it. I find no intrinsic joy in plumbing, electrical work, and so on; it's a chore to me. The payoff in seeing the job done often pales beside the trouble I have to go to complete it. With more skill, the balance tips in favor of doing it yourself. I'm at that point at other things. I can prepare a good meal faster than you can order it.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com