Tbh I see this everywhere now, not just with wiring. It's like the whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing is the standard way to build stuff. You get it with cheap appliances where the back panel hides a total mess, or even under the plastic trim in new cars. They do just enough to pass inspection and look okay on the surface, but the second you need to actually fix or change something, you find a nightmare.

Advertised specs are usually for the lowest brightness setting.

Pocket screws had my full confidence for years. I defended them as the sensible choice for face frames. Then a contractor buddy left his domino joiner at my shop by accident. Used it on a small project out of sheer curiosity. The pieces lined up perfectly every single time, without any clamp wrestling. Now my pocket hole jig sits on the shelf like a sad museum piece.

Man, that hits hard! Why do you think so many people get stuck in that gear loop, even when they know it's holding them back? Is it just marketing, or some weird idea that the right stuff will magically make us better? I've totally been there, and it just steals the fun.

My buddy traded his daily coffee for ETF shares.