Reading02

I go back to the question that was asked in class. When was the first time you were introduced to a computer? I remember having a desktop in our guest room and there not really being a reason to have this computer. In the book it is mentioned that people who had no desire to program computers were buying them. I now wonder what the reason for my parents to have this computer in our house. They barely knew how to speak English let alone use a computer. (Tbh, I don’t know if my mom knows how to use a computer.) So what was the purpose of purchasing this machine to them?

I never really thought about this introduction into my life. I forgot about the computer games we played or the typing races that my sister and I had. This allowed us to learn the technology and what it can do at a young age. I think that people can still benefit from their computer even if they themselves did not program it. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel when it has already been done but one can build and have new ideas to build on top of what’s already done. The next question that Steven Levy asked is what I find interesting.

Is keeping this software private a good for the public or not? If people want to build or expand on what’s already there they can’t because there’s no access to it. I think back to this ‘American Dream’ that many people desire and people like Ken and Roberta Williams who created games were able to live the life that they always dreamed of by making money off what they created. If they had just posted how to create the game there would not have been as much financial gain.

I don’t think that The Hacker Ethic can truly and fully survive in a world of commercial and proprietary software. Unfortunately, in today’s society doing something you love and are called to do may not be where people end up because of financial reasons. Even though some of these people dream to become millionaires and end up doing so by developing a game and selling it. There is always the downside of doing something just for fun but because it does not create an income then it’s harder to continue or damaging to relationships.

I don’t think that being a professional programmer is better than being a ‘soul’ programmer or vice versa. This goes back to providing for a family and ‘filling’ your soul. It’s like asking, “Should I provide for my family with this job or should I do something I love even though it may not put food on the table?” there is not a “better” in this situation. The first person is thinking logistically and the second may have some faith that things work out.  I think it’s important to understand your personal values and see which direction is best for the life you’re living. Some people can do both of these and it’s the best outcome but not the most common.