Before Apple Genius Bars, there was "my guy for Computer Village." Your laptop dies. Your phone screen cracks. Your charger stops charging. You don't go to a store. You go to a guy. He doesn't have a shop with a sign. He has a table. Or a corner. Or a brother who knows someone. He fixes things that "official" repair centers say are unfixable. He does it for half the price. He does it while you wait. The "my guy" economy is trust-based. You don't get a receipt. You don't get a warranty. You get a handshake and a prayer. Sometimes it works perfectly. Sometimes it fails in a week. But you keep going back because the alternative is expensive and impersonal. And the network! Your guy knows a guy for phones. That guy knows a guy for laptops. That guy knows a guy for "anything Apple." The chain of informal expertise is vast and surprisingly reliable. Who is your "guy" for tech problems? And has he ever saved or destroyed your device?
