DIY 2.0 – Empowering the amateurs

Last week, my trusty laptop had its first problem after 4 years. The back light on the LCD burnt out.  It was pretty much useless unless you plugged it into the TV or another monitor. So much for portable…

In the past, if you had an issue with electronics, you had a few options:
1) take it to a repair specialist and be at their mercy with pricing
2) try to figure it out yourself [if you could find the parts] with little guidance on how to DIY
3) chuck it and buy a new one

Today, a quick Google search for parts reveals many online stores that specialize in specific hardware components, usually priced well. These retailers have also invested time into preparing easy step by step guides for the average Joe to follow, tons of resources on YouTube, HowTo.com, and personal blogs.

I came across LaptopScreen.com and located the replacement screen for my laptop. They also had great instructions on exactly how to use their product. I ordered the screen after price comparing and got it a couple days later.

I have taken apart and built PCs before but never had the need (or confidence) to try a monitor. I took a shot with it this morning and after 30 mins of following the instructions… my laptop was back and better than ever.

I realized and appreciated that with any new project, we are so much better off today by being able to share what we know with others. Not to sound cheesy, but the web has empowered us to feel inspired by others around the world to try new things offline that we wouldn’t necessarily before, and ultimately build new skills to progress in our lives.

This isn’t just for electronics but everything from cooking to home repair to Yelp reviews about restaurants. We can easily turn to Google and search for “How to…” for pretty much anything we are curious to learn about and try.

I definitely have a new fond appreciation for the people who take the time to openly share their knowledge for the rest of the world. I’ll be thinking of what I can enlighten you all with…