The Death of the Doer: How We Traded Our Wrenches for Sealed Boxes

There was a time, not that long ago, when buying a machine meant entering a partnership with it. When you bought a car, a tractor, or a radio, the manufacturer handed you a manual that said, in effect: here is your machine, here is how it works, now keep it alive. You got exploded diagrams, torque specs, wiring references, part numbers, and the sacred knowledge of the carburetor. They trusted you with the fire. ...

August 10, 2026 · 7 min · 1393 words · Buffalo Journal