Back in the day, there used to be smart carpenters out there. Now they all go off to college, instead. That's the real thesis to The Bell Curve, despite what you might've heard about the book from the people who haven't read it. This morning, I watched a video that asked me to consider what happens when all of our smart people start to go off to become "creators," instead. Well, in a nutshell, we end up a culture of drooling, selfpreoccupied, screenstaring idjits.

If you're a regular descriptionreader here who's looking for something to think about, go watch this video once you've finished reading:
►   • Why the Creator Economy is Society’s ...  
She really nails it. And I'm too fixated with thinking about this idea now to write much of my usual further complainatory. I'll finish the point, though~

Twelve or so years ago, when I first started making uploads, carpentry videos were made by carpenters. By harsh guys like John Heisz, who could both dish it out and take it. I say this despite no longer speaking to the guy; we totally disagree with each other, but I still respect him for his stones. And we heard it all then, because the comments were still COMPLETELY UNFILTERED. Things are different now. Even a mildly offensive word gets withheld, AI automatically removes the 'hateful,' and channel owners are heavyhanded with the 'remove comment' button. Not to mention that the videomakers now seem to lack any physical carpentry experience. A shop is not a site. It's like the difference between firing a rifle while freestanding versus resting both elbows on a sandbag. The high standard of the overequipped shop carpenter is like a toddler's pride at riding a straight line with training wheels. Try doing nice work from a 40' ladder. Try making a straight cut, or a calculation, while balancing on icy rafters. Try making a home repair on a budget with a limited tool set. My first real shop was a 3x5' closet. You wouldn't believe the stuff I made in there. How? By being clever. Industrious. Frugal. Persistent. Not 'perfect.'

Our wouldbe smart carpenters are becoming pinkfingered 'woodworkers' and 'creators' instead. They preach safety from carpeted studios. The artificial artisan spouts procedural dogma from in front of a blockplane covered wall that's been contrived to impress, persuade. And without the old callouses, they can't take any new criticism, either: add Jonathan KatzMoses and Stumpy Nubs to the pile of entitled shoprat crybabys who've blocked me over offering politebutforceful procedural disagreements. On a carpentry crew, there'd be a word for this pair. Here, in woodworkercreator world, I dare not speak it.