Reinventing The Wheel

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Reinventing The Wheel shopping experience:

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2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Reinventing The Wheel? Wrong! If the Reinventing The Wheel is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Reinventing The Wheel then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Reinventing The Wheel? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Reinventing The Wheel and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Reinventing The Wheel wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Reinventing The Wheel then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Reinventing The Wheel site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Reinventing The Wheel, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Reinventing The Wheel, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

Reinventing the wheel is a phrase that means a generally accepted technique or solution is ignored in favor of a locally invented solution. To "reinvent the wheel" is to duplicate a basic method that has long since been accepted and even taken for granted.

The inspiration for this idiomatic metaphor lies in the fact that the wheel is the archetype of human ingenuity, both by virtue of the added power and flexibility it affords its users, and also in the ancient origins which allow it to underlie much, if not all, of modern technology. As it is not considered to have operational flaws, an attempt to reinvent it would be pointless and add no value to the object, and would be a waste of time, diverting the investigator's resources from possibly more worthy goals which his or her skills could advance more substantially.

At the same time, however, reinventing the wheel is an important tool in the instruction of complex ideas. Rather than providing students simply with a list of known facts and techniques and expecting them to incorporate these ideas perfectly and rapidly, the instructor instead will build up the material anew, leaving the student to work out those key steps which embody reasoning characteristic of the field.

The dual meanings of this phrase lend it an irony flavor when not used derisively, especially when the user applies it reflexively, possibly to indicate that his or her activities might be perceived as merely reinventing the wheel, but that they actually possess additional value. This added value may be technical, or it may work around software licensing incompatibilities.

Related phrases

Reinventing the square wheel is a variation with even less favorable results.

References

Steve Kemper: A Story of Genius, Innovation, and Grand Ambition, Harper Business, ISBN 0-06-076138-5
Peter D. Hershock: A Buddhist Response to the Information Age, State University of New York Press, ISBN 0-7914-4232-2