GUEST,Malcolm wrote: I thought to tinker was to try to solve a problem?!

To tinker with something is often done to fix it, but not necessarily. It's often to just see how it works, or maybe improve it. It often results in the opposite of fixing it.

Freedom to tinker has for years referred to "the freedom to understand, discuss, repair, and improve the technological devices you own" and to oppose the efforts of manufacturers like Apple to prevent that, or even criminalise it.

Tinkering has gone from disreputable - "not worth a tinker's cuss" - to respectable.