Well, here we are in 2025! Time certainly flies, doesn’t it?! We hope you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and new year, because we certainly have! And now, it’s a great time to have a cosy chat together! After over two decades of computer repairs, BitFIXit certainly went through a lot from a small repair cafe to a fixture in Pitsmoor!
So, hello again fellow reders and fixers! Today, we briefly reflect on how the project evolved since it started. We will also discuss about the state of our site, and how we’ll take it forwards in the future. Oh, and a couple of other random tidbits!
Over the years…
BitFIXit went through a lot of changes, since it originally started out in 2004. From its birthplace in Heeley, we moved north after a few months and it quickly established itself as a major part of Pitsmoor. We certainly are a major fixture in our own right, as we also fix all kinds of other stuff, since the foundation of Reyt Repair!
We see many volunteers come and go over the years; some actually come back! And this is one of the beauties of volunteering – people can choose when to spend some of their freetime learning new skills and helping out local communities.
We certainly survived and adapted through various challenges, when other places closed down. COVID was a major hurdle, where we had to cease running our usual repair cafe during lockdowns. There were some other hiccups, like when Gareth once forgot to renew our website domain, which allowed some shady people to take it over for a while to peddle counterfeit shoes. Oops!
Site matters
This website gradually evolved over the years, too! Since I joined in the project back in 2016, one of my major contributions is content creation. Specifically, I work on writing various articles. Originally, they focused on computers and IT, around repairs, and reuse/repurpose. In particular, there is freedom to think of fun and creative ways to upcycle all kinds of parts. I recall Gareth converting an old hard drive into an analogue clock a few years ago. It can stand upright on a table or desk, or hang up on a wall.
But at the time of writing this article, I am the sole volunteer who creates content for the website. This means that I can only produce so much content at a given time. Therefore, I typically follow a quality over quantity approach, which often results in a sporadic release of new articles. Honestly, I find it preferable to mindlessly churning out random poor quality, clickbait rubbish. I would certainly love an extra pair of hands (or two!) on hand to conjure up some content creation wizardry, though!
Topically speaking
There is one particularly notable change in our output, however. In recent times, we gradually shifted towards general topics which affect the world of repair. While we still covered topics about computers and technology, there’s a sense that since Gareth founded Reyt Repair in 2022, the computer/tech side received less attention overtime. On the other hand, it’s worth covering important topics which affect us, just like everyone else. In fact, we consider planned obsolescence and enshittification as especially relevant, because they often go hand-in-hand.
I find it’s also good to change things up and experiment with content. We tried our hand at some satirical humour, as well as some naughty stuff for the mature folks among us! Actually, we originally categorised the latter content under “The Seedy Scrap Bin”. Which…in hindsight, probably didn’t quite fit in with our particular brand of mature content. When we recently really think of what ‘seedy’ means, we basically think stuff like Babestation. You know, the late night girly TV chat up line, where folks pay money to chat pure filth with various glamour models and adult film stars over the phone.
So after some discussion, we went with “The Raucous Scrap Bin” instead. We can also re-work the existing material to more closely align with family-friendly humour where necessary. Remember The Beano, The Dandy and other classic children’s comics? I remember reading the former two comics as a kid! They feature cartoon stories, where various characters engage in all kinds of mischief.
Other random tidbits
When repair cafes meet lofi
Lately, I started listening to various kinds of lofi music, from deep house to some synthwave. But there’s something about lofi hip-hop and jazz music in particular, which just fits so well into a repair cafe setting. The feelings of nostalgia one gets from the sight of vintage stuff. The relaxing sounds which help people keep calm and carry on fixing broken and tired things. What is there not to like about it?!
People seemed to enjoy listening to lofi music, whenever I play it at our repair cafes. There is a highly popular radio stream from the Lofi Girl YouTube channel. It plays a large collection of lofi hiphop music 24/7/365. There’s also a chat room, where channel subscribers can chat with each other while they listen.
Plastic cats & horses
Apparently, Gareth has a habit of 3D printing cats and horses of various colours lately. He claims the cats and horses are useful to show off all the different colours we have. But I think it’s just a waste of filament, which can be better used to make useful things. After all, he used the 3D printer to make holders for screwdrivers, pliers and various other tools in the repair cafe. Still, people seem to like the 3D printed cats and horses on display.
Fun & games
I can think of some games, which make for our fun takes. To give an example, one game would take inspiration from Nonogram and Minesweeper. It would consist of a grid of boxes, which contain a mixture of various tools and random nuts, bolts and screws. The assorted nuts, bolts and screws represent a 1, while the tools represent differing multiples. But some of the boxes would contain a spicy pillow, and opening a box with a spicy pillow, pops the pillow, and spells game over!
And so, here we are!
Over 20 years passed by since the brith of BitFIXit, and it still serves the community as part of the Reyt Repair family. Still fixing computers, still cleaning up malware and junk, as we always do. And here’s to another 20+ years of keeping calm and carrying on fixing – with a little lofi in the mix for good measure!