We did our first run of MiscCat on Open Data Day - but you can do MiscCat at any time (from anywhere) - details below!
Get started with the activity here: MiscCat and read on below for more info
MiscCat - sorting through the Misc
Weāre sorting through the items brought to repair events such as Restart Parties and Repair Cafes. In order to keep track of what weāve fixed, these items are placed into an item category.
This categorisation of items helps us to report on things like the reparability of different types of products , and the environmental impact of fixing .
However, some of these items get categorised as āMiscellaneousā. Weād like you to take a look and see if there is a better category for those items!
So what do I do?
MiscCat presents you with an item brought along to a repair event that is currently āMiscellaneousā. Hereās what you can do:
- First, read the problem. Some objects may also have a
brand
ormodel
. - Decide if the object uses electric power of any sort, or not. Or click āIām not sureā.
- If you think there is a better category than āMiscā then simply click on it.
- Then click the āGo withā button to confirm your choice.
Thatās it! Keep going through as many as you like, and share your thoughts below.
We think itās a fun way to discover community repair data. Every single item you see is an item a person has brought to a repair event and looked at (and hopefully fixed!) with a repair volunteer. And each item can feed upstream to discussions on our right to repair
FAQ
click here to see Frequently Asked Questions
What if thereās not enough info to decide on a category?
Sometimes it can be hard to choose a category because there is not a lot of information recorded. The data has come from a lively, sociable community repair event where volunteers are busy trying to fix things and donāt always have the time to write down a lot of the detail.
Donāt worry if you canāt decide - just press āGo with Miscā. It is in fact very useful for us to know where we lack information as we are looking for ways to improve our data collection.
Try and fit the item into one of the existing categories. But if it really doesnāt fit anywhere, you can post a suggested category in this thread for discussion.
What are all the categories?
The categories are based on the existing list of categories in our Fixometer part of Restarters.net.
click here to see category descriptions
Category | Comment |
---|---|
Desktop computer | PC towers and all-in-ones |
Laptop large | Any laptop larger than 15ā - mostly for graphics and gaming |
Laptop medium | Most laptops |
Laptop small | Netbooks or ultrabooks |
PC Accessory | Mice, keyboards, computer speakers, and laptop chargers |
Printer/scanner | Includes laserjets and inkjets |
DSLR/Video Camera | Includes analog SLR |
Handheld entertainment device | iPods, Walkmans, handheld DVD players, portable game consoles |
Headphones | Both earbuds and over-ear |
Mobile | Includes smartphones and dumb phones |
Tablet | Any screen over 6ā |
Hi-Fi integrated | Ministereos and boomboxes |
Hi-Fi separates | Any component of a stereo |
Portable radio | Analog and DAB |
TV and gaming-related accessories | Set top boxes, gaming consoles, DVD players |
Decorative or safety lights | Bike lights, fairy lights, Christmas lights |
Hair & Beauty item | Hair straighteners, hair dryers, toothbrushes, shavers |
Power tool | Garden tools and DIY tools |
Small kitchen item | Blenders, food processors |
Vacuum | Includes hand-held vacuums |
In addition, we have included categories that we think might be common enough to be included in the Fixometer categories, as well as non-electrical and non-electronic items that we will be adding to the Fixometer soon.
Where does the data come from?
Volunteers around the world collect the data at repair events and log it in restarters.net.
Can I see all of the data?
Yes. We share the data collected via Restarters here. We also include our data in the larger collection of open repair data available here from the Open Repair Alliance.
Do I need an account?
No - you donāt need to sign up to restarters.net to play with MiscCat. Weād love it if you did create an account and tell us what you think of MiscCat. You can then also get involved in events, data collection and discussions about community repair.
What do you do with my answers?
They are pooled together to see if we can reach consensus on the item category. Once we have a good level of confidence in the categories, we can use this information to help complement existing knowledge on fixes and failurs and the barriers to repair.This will feed into campaign work for the Right to Repair.
This is cool! Any other stuff I can do?
There is also FaultCat!
Weāre working on more repair data apps - stay tuned! In the meantime, there are lots of ways to get involved with our data work.
What if I find something weird or have a suggestion?
Please share it in this discussion (you will need an account to do so)