• by brian.w , October 12, 2010

I saw "The Matrix," and I loved it. I see a friend request, and now I'm afraid a mysterious computer program has doomed me to an eternal existence of either: a.) not so blind dates, or b.) not so blind dates over video chat. In "The Matrix," no one realized they were living in a virtual reality controlled by computer programs created to preserve order so that machines could suck the lives from precious human batteries. Instead, everyone went about their daily activities like going to work, partying on a Friday night, or even raising a family without ever thinking about whose really pulling the strings.

Rushkoff's video made me wish I knew how to program, but that stuff is the equivalent to what I imagine rocket science to look like. I agree that being able to program computers is like being able to write, but there should be an effort to join user friendliness with programing thoughtlessness. In other words, I would like to create programs, or at least have the capabilities and freedom as if I knew how to make a program.

BUT I WANT TO CREATE SOMETHING NOW!

Maybe this is why blogs are so popular. Or, maybe these can explain the urge to be different. In all consideration, I just want what's best for me and my creativity, like my room, or my car, or my Linux? (see authentic Wikipedia quote)

"...one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed, both commercially and non-commercially, by anyone..."

I had seen Linux on my friend's computer, and I had no idea why he was so excited. I still don't. Only now I can see how potentially awesome freely customizable source code could be to someone with the skills.

In all seriousness, if I could create something on the internet with no boundaries, I would create my backyard, with my friends and I sitting around a fire-pit, having a few drinks while talking for hours about being human, and never having to care about anything pulling our strings.