Restart Radio: A tour of the Youtube repair “ecosystem”
We talked this week about how online information has truly revolutionised electronics repair. Ever since the early days of the internet, people have been helping each other repair products online, by sharing tips, diagrams, images and how-to guides. Dave Lukes, veteran Restarter, joined us to talk about the power of the online repair ecosystem. We mostly focused on the material available on Youtube. We start with an amateur DIY video of the "longtail" of devices, where an owner's only hope is to find another person with the same problem. Then we look at how amateur repairers can learn skills and build confidence with helpful educational videos, both from companies and talented individuals. To follow we investigate the number of professional repairers sharing their skills - and ethics - with others. And we close with a video in Hindi, showing that repair information is truly global.