[huffmsa]

Old things are typically built to last. Because the cost of redoing them was prohibitively expensive.

If it were shit craftsmanship, it wouldn't still be running.

See:

- Roman architecture

- Browning designed firearms

- Savile row tailoring

- Old ships

- anything your great-grandfather owned

[dymk]

This can be rephrased as "things that lasted a long time were built to last a long time", which is an entirely unsurprising rephrasing of survivor bias.

[sixstringtheory]

The fact of the matter is that some things have lasted a long time. Isn't it worth asking _why_ they lasted so long–and conversely, why other things do not? All the survivorship bias in the world doesn't negate the fact that some things are made to higher quality than others.

[pasabagi]

Well, the Romans had a custom of charging less rent for many-story buildings, because they were widely recognized to be susceptible to collapse. I don't think they're really high-quality architects.

I had a look at some Roman houses in Ostia Antica, and the really striking thing is how little the techniques of architecture have changed. They could do some impressive architecture from time to time, but on the whole, they built stuff about the same as your average cowboy builder would today, minus a bunch of legal requirements (fire proofing, etc).

[SiempreViernes]

Well, old things still around today were usually built to last which is rather natural. (There are rare exceptions, the Eiffel tower was meant to stand only 20 years)

[huffmsa]

We do have a bit of a sample bias. We only see the things which have survived. But planned obsolescence was the norm.

Technology advanced too slowly for a producer to assume they'd have a new model to sell in the near future.

[CharlesColeman]

Exactly, which is why we should think twice about replacing them, just for the sake of having something newer. Newer isn't always better.

[C1sc0cat]

Old wooden ships had a short life BTW

[huffmsa]

Yeah old ships isn't as good an example as I thought after thinking about it a bit. I was only thinking of the ~100 year old dingy I have that seems nearly indestructible with little maintenance.

[pojzon]

Thats why old wooden well preserved (made) ships survived up untill to now.

Crappy made w/e will break the moment you stop maintaining it.

[vajrabum]

You've obviously never dealt with a wooden boat much less one immersed in salt water. Maintenance to maintain those things is an never ending hard work chore. The best made wooden boats begin to rot the moment you stop maintaining them.