I spotted this definition on Doc Searls’ IT Garage (paraphrase):

DIY-IT is happening wherever you see shelves full of O’Reilly books.

So true! I’ve learned a lot and advanced my career by reading as many O’Reilly books as I can get my hands on and find the time to read.

Which reminds me of one-half of a cell phone conversation I overheard in the M Street Borders in DC one day. This young guy in dockers was kneeling in front of a shelf of operating system books and his phone rang. Here is the half of the conversation I heard:

Young Dockers Guy: Hello?
…
YDG: Yes.
…
YDG: Yes, I know the server is down.
…
YDG: I’m looking for a book on it right now!

Ouch.