[sdiy] Death of DIY?

[R. D. Davis]

Quothe Paul Perry, from writings of Sun, Jul 17, 2005 at 11:24:28AM +1000:
> That is already the case in Australia.
> In fact, graduating as an electronic engineer, does not give you
> the legal right to put a mains plug on anything. (you need a 
> trades qualification for that...)

It's actually illegal there in Australia to build anything with a
mains plug?  Wow.  What about something so simple as repairing a lamp
by replacing a power cord or plug?  Everyone everywhere's done that,
right? Even a child can make such a simple repair.  While the average
politician may not know a volt from a phillips-head screw, replacing a
mains plug, wiring a lamp or even building a simple power supply
connected to 120VAC (240VAC, etc.) does not require very much
knowledge or ability... it's so simple that to require some sort of
license/certification is ridiculous!  Of course, I guess it's
technically illegal in parts of the U.S. for someone to do any house
wiring, or even install a replacement wall switch or electrical outlet
without violating some sort of local codes.

If such restrictions are indicative of a growing trend, the
implications of this pertaining to SDIY are not good.  People need to
be allowed to do possibly dangerous/hazardous things, it's good for
evolution... let the idiots electrocute themselves, etc. so that they
won't reproduce further or at all. :-) ...and being certified or
licensed to do something is no proof of competency; I'm sure we've all
run across many certified whatevers who were incompetent.  

On the bright side for SDIY, who's going to know if we build our own
mains-connected circuitry in our own homes; just because it may become
illegal shouldn't affect our continuing on with our hobby.  Any law
that ridiculous deserves to be broken.  That doesn't mean that we
shouldn't fight to prevent or overturn such laws however.

> Mind you, most EE courses have turned into DSP & other computing
> to try to keep some students.

Blech!

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