Mr. Jalopy, a writer for Make magazine and author of the Maker's Bill of Rights is advocating for manufacturers to think more creatively when designing new products. He wants them to include features such as customization of parts, minimize "special" tools for such things as replacing a battery and give more thought to how users can repurpose, repair, or reuse the product or its parts.
Full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/opinion/25mon4.html?ex=137740