<div dir="ltr">This is an interesting post (as are ones from last month on liberalism, coherence and peer production) but I have not been following this list recently due to information overload (and stress) (and this takes a toll on maintaining my physical environment, physical and mental health) . I wonder if I should go to that conference (since its an hour metro ride or 2-3 hour walk away, or should I save the 100$ if I were to go for 1 day, or more for the entire conference since I have a budget constraint ).<br><br> I'd go to see if there are study or research opportunities--I'm sort of working on a semi-mathematical project on resource and task allocation, suggested by an informal environmental/global climate change study and research group (which could be called 'citizen science' or 'participatory action research'). (There are many related approaches to this problem , mostly using advanced calculus or computer algorithms--I'm trying to do a simple formalism.) . <br> (I've done a bit of both academic research (in theoretical biology), and also maintenance (ie physical labor on home repair ) but am not really suited to either full time (the choices have been either get a PhD and do full time computer modeling--if you can get tenure, or else full time roofing, carpentry, plumbing , etc. Theoretical biology deals with issues like how ecosystems maintain stability---or don't---and how flora and fauna allocate resources in an ecosystem--basically same kind of issue studied by economists for society. ) <br><br>Doing full time work at either of those things I found had limited 'hedonic and eudaimonic value' for me (the model was either become a professor and hire people to do maintenance while you do research, or else work in maintenance for a professor. Many people in environment I grew up in did a mix of academic and maintenance work. ). <br> <br>Some of us just 'fall through the cracks' --some say this is because we are clumsy, incompetent, or undisciplined; others say this is because society is poorly maintained---has alot of cracks in the infrastructure (and 'superstructure' as Marx might have called it --the set of ideas or values that 'hold society together'). (In area I live they are continually repairing roads, sidewalks, electricity infrastructure, and more --and people fall on streets around here at times due to cracks in the road. I used to take guitar lessons across from Gaullaudet at CU---and i broke a guitar i recently bought due to some uneven ground --and spent some time trying to repair it, but that may take alot more work and supplies than I did , so I bought another one--save that for another time if I get around to it). Persona with disabilities (or special abilities) often fall through the cracks. <br> (There's a classic song called 'things done changed', with the line 'i can't maintain' --some local youth made a mural with that lyric in a local park---when it was refurbished. That park used to be loaded with trash and could be a dangerous place to walk through--now its sort of fixed up , though the demographic has sort of changed.) </div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Sep 30, 2019 at 5:13 AM Julia Durgee <<a href="mailto:juliadurgee@gmail.com" target="_blank">juliadurgee@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><b>Hello, Maintainers,</b><div><br></div><div><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=WlwBCTkAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">Professor Jeffrey Durgee</a>, published this 2018, qualitative research paper on <b>emotional benefits</b> of <b>refurbishing one's possessions:</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>1) Enhances sense of self and well-being</div><div>2) Strengthens connections to family members and fellow fans/consumers<br></div><div>3) Increases appreciation for Refurbisher/Service Provider</div><div><br></div><div>This article will provide warm fuzzies. <br></div><div>I hope you enjoy the upcoming Maintainers 3 conference.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Thank you,</div><div>~Julia Durgee (proud daughter)</div><div><br></div><div><img src="cid:ii_k15dv5ge4" alt="image.png" width="379" height="372"><br></div><div> <span style="color:rgb(53,28,117);font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">Abstract</span></div><div><div class="gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-intent_sub_item gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-Abstract__block gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-mb-3" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-bottom:1rem"><h3 class="gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-intent_sub_title gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-Abstract__block__title gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-mb-1 gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-mt-1" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:1.5rem;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:1.36023"><font size="2" color="#351c75">Purpose</font></h3><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><font color="#351c75">The purpose of this paper is to explore how services might impact a general consumer sense of everyday well-being or life satisfaction.</font></p></div><div class="gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-intent_sub_item gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-Abstract__block gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-mb-3" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-bottom:1rem"><h3 class="gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-intent_sub_title gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-Abstract__block__title gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-mb-1" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:1.5rem;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:1.36023"><font size="2" color="#351c75">Design/methodology/approach</font></h3><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><font color="#351c75">It was decided to focus on the existential benefits of refurbishing services and see how they might impact owner sense of self and overall life satisfaction. A qualitative study was fielded which consisted of analyses of website testimonials of customers of refurbishing services for products such as pianos, watches, boats, bicycles and other durables. Also analyzed were results from one-on-one qualitative interviews of customers of refurbishing services and selected refurbishers of similar products.</font></p></div><div class="gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-intent_sub_item gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-Abstract__block gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-mb-3" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-bottom:1rem"><h3 class="gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-intent_sub_title gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-Abstract__block__title gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-mb-1" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:1.5rem;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:1.36023"><font size="2" color="#351c75">Findings</font></h3><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><font color="#351c75">The study suggests that refurbish services provide a mix of hedonic and eudaimonic benefits. They provide an enhanced sense of self and general well-being insofar, as the newly restored item connects owners to loved ones, to other collectors or fans and to their own personal life histories. It also connects them to the refurbishers and their “magic”. Insofar as refurbishers invite customer involvement in the process, they co-create how the process will proceed, so customers feel a special involvement and gain an understanding of the workings of the item and how to best use it.</font></p></div><div class="gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-intent_sub_item gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-Abstract__block gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-mb-3" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-bottom:1rem"><h3 class="gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-intent_sub_title gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-Abstract__block__title gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-mb-1" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:1.5rem;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:1.36023"><font size="2" color="#351c75">Practical implications</font></h3><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><font color="#351c75">Refurbishing services might offer, like all the new internet-mediated sharing services, a more sustainable alternative to the buy-and-dispose consumption behaviors found in most world economies.</font></p></div><div class="gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-intent_sub_item gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-Abstract__block" style="box-sizing:border-box"><h3 class="gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-intent_sub_title gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-Abstract__block__title gmail-m_-2760157060261660131gmail-m_8798764402155799201gmail-mb-1" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:1.5rem;margin-bottom:0px;line-height:1.36023"><font size="2" color="#351c75">Originality value</font></h3><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><font color="#351c75">This paper provides insights into the lives of products after purchase and the roles of relevant service providers. It also provides examples of how service providers in general might deepen and facilitate customers’ feelings about themselves and their daily lives. It shows how service providers can enhance customer hedonic and eudaimonic appreciation of provider knowledge, skills and efforts.</font></p></div></div><div><div><br></div></div><div><br></div><div><div><br></div><div>(Thanks to <a href="https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/person/carole-voulgaris/" target="_blank">Professor Carole Turley</a> for telling me about the Maintainers' cool mission.) </div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>
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