While watching The Mother Of All Demos recently (this should be an annual event for anyone working in IT, to remind you there are some shoes that need filling), I found myself focusing on the tactile nature of the old terminals. I started getting nostalgic for the clacking of keys, and the slow visible updates on screen that really made you feel like the machine was thinking and working, and going along for the ride with you.
DEC VT100 terminal
Photo attribution on Wikipedia
I realized I have personified the computer to a certain degree, and when thinking back about earlier experiences with them, it is often the tactile things that I remember most vividly. I suppose in a way I have come to love the tools I have used. This is only natural – we have spent a lot of time together, they are extensions of myself, and I guess if I have embodied them with a certain character or personality, it means I must have internalized them.
Merging with your tools allows you to come to have a facility and flow with them. Think about riding your bike or driving a car – sometimes these things feel like an extension of your body and there is no difference between thinking something and having it instantly translated into a shift in balance or a subtle transition between braking and accelerating.
So it’s OK – go ahead and love your tools. Spend quality time with them, give them the care and attention they need to be productive little members of your tech family, and you’ll find they love you right back.
