[2021-02-23] Convenience

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In my first phlog I mentioned that I had private "rant" Twitter
account that I replaced with a Bash script that adds "posts" to a flat
Markdown-formatted file. This works as a drop-in replacement for the
private Twitter account I had, but I sometimes feel that something is
still missing. I run into the same feeling when I see a full library
of video games on a console or a seemingly-endless list of movies on
Netflix.

What's missing, I think, is effort.

My parents were fluent in technology while I was growing up, and I
began to use the family DOS machine from a very young age. Anyone who
remembers DOS and earlier OSes remembers how difficult it was to get
software running correctly, and how much knowledge was required to do
anything more than the most basic tasks. It was a good feeling to find
that a hardware upgrade had completed successfully, or a new video
game was using the SoundBlaster card properly, or some server software
was successfully connecting to the modem.

Modern technology is focused almost soley on convenience for the end
user, be it cars with automatic transmissions, smartphones with opaque
apps, or processed foods that require no preparation other than heat-
ing. This all leads to less effort being expended to complete one task
or another--and I find that when the amount of effort goes down, the
amount of satisfaction goes down too.

I've temporarily stopped using my journaling Bash script and have
switched to pen and paper in the vein of a traditional journal. Maybe
I'll buy a stick-shift car and unplug my microwave next.

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[Last updated: 2021-02-23]