How do you think the field of carpentry feels about this? Do you think they tell young carpenters in the field to convince homeowners to build their next closet in clay, because wood is old and boring?
My dad’s been a joiner for 40+ years. At the time he started, the industry didn’t have access to things like MDF, cordless drills, nailguns, or various other tools and materials that are now taken for granted.
The general principle that he’s expressed to me—and one I’ve tried to follow—is that it’s worth investing in and keeping an eye on developments and new technology, and applying them in situations where you are confident they will offer a benefit. That might be faster completion of a job, or lower-cost materials, or a more robust outcome.
Jumping in to using new techniques “just because” is usually a bad idea, though sometimes it’s worth doing so in less critical situations to make sure your skills and knowledge are up to date. The flip-side is he mentioned a case where he’d hired someone experienced and sent them off to do something—I think sheeting a floor with plywood or something—and came back at the end of the day to find they’d spent the day trying to do the job with a hand drill instead of an electronic drill.
I’d say the balance is what is important. Boring technology is a good basis to start with and is usually the right choice, because most problems are boring. But this shouldn’t prevent you from applying exciting technology in cases where it offers a genuine benefit. Just be aware that excitement has a cost, and you have limited “excitement tokens” that you are able to spend, so it’s best to save them for the bits where they offer a real benefit.