“Computaz rule!” said the robot, while slowly taking over the world.
Does technology make our lives easier? Or does it complicate them in the guise of simplicity?
Two blog posts ago, I admitted that I spent the last six months learning programming languages for which I may never find a practical use (by reading the book JavaScript & jQuery by Jon Duckett).
I did it because . . . computaz rule!!!!
I love working at the computer. I personally prefer to write and edit at the computer, as opposed to on paper. I enjoy visiting websites and working on websites. I think the Internet has enhanced our lives in many ways. Are you old (and, naturally, wise . . . lolz!) enough to remember straining to remember something for hours upon days, having no Google on which to look it up? Do you recall wrestling with clunky typewriters, gunky white-out, and perpetually tangled phone cords?
It’s interesting to me to learn more about how websites work, so that I can work on them, or simply appreciate them. But there’s something else going on. Have you ever noticed that . . . computaz rule????
Let’s back up a sec. In addition to loving computers, I also love old-fashioned things: like printed books, magazines on actual paper, gardening, chicken raising, supporting local businesses, and face-to-face interactions. I like to think that Henry David Thoreau and I would’ve gotten along. I am skeptical of features of modern life that purport to make life easier, but introduce new complexities that end up making it more maddening.
My point is that I can see both sides here: I believe in embracing the best of modern technologies, and I also believe in getting back to basics. My point is also this: while it’s okay to do the Thoreau thing by living alone in the woods, it’s also okay to do the Thoreau thing by leaving the woods, living in town, using contemporary implements to write a book, and publishing a book in the contemporary way.
Computaz are virtually (ha!) inescapable today. They really do rule the world. So I suppose it wouldn’t be a bad thing if more of us learned more about their inner workings. Too bad they’re so darn complicated! But then again, so is living off the land. . . .
Well it’s gratifying to know that this article doesn’t lean towards the Unabomber’s manifesto.š Seriously, though, while I myself find computers far more easier as a writer/editor in myriad ways, I do agree with getting back to basics on the other hand, just for the sake of human and artistic integrity.
LOL, yes, I try not to lean too far into any extremes. š
Computers are almost as complicated as humans. Computers are the impersonal side of humans. That’s why it good to get back to basics in nature and with humans.
Yes, we’re communicating through a computer right now, but let’s also remember to communicate with the world and with people in person. š
Good girl š