the world has gone computer

MAC BABY’S THIRD BLOG FROM THE CRIB: We are smarter than computers. Or are we?

by Artie Alinikoff

The world has gone computer. I was in a restaurant a while back. I had already ordered my food when the waitress informed me that she could not place our order, nor could it be cooked, because the “system crashed.” I said just write it down on a piece of paper and, assuming the cook could read, give it to the kitchen and let ’em cook it up. Nope! No can do. The system’s down and we can’t make anything until it’s fixed.

The manager came over to offer his apologies. “Is there anything I can do for you until we get the system running?” Yeah. Go back in the kitchen, crack a couple of eggs over the grill, slap a couple of slices of whole wheat into the toaster, and when it’s done, bring it out here so I can eat it. “I’d love to sir, but that just isn’t possible.” He assured me they couldn’t even check anyone out because the registers were down as well. I asked him if I was starving to death if he’d let me die because his computer went down. He said he wouldn’t. I left, unvindicated. Damn! What the hell have we become?

Are we so dependent on these machines that no work can get done without them? That’s what it’s come to. You can’t buy Kleenex at Walmart if their computer hiccups. You can’t get your oil changed in your car. And forget washing it at the car wash. “I’m sorry sir, but we’ll have to sew you back up and continue your brain operation another day while we fix our computer glitch.”

The capabilities of these machines are so fantastic that most folks who use them barely scratch the surface of their potential. Our lives have sped up considerably because of their speed. We rely on them so much that the entire safety of the free world is wrapped up in a set of computer banks in Washington DC.

Remember the big scare at the turn of the century? Entire radio and TV shows were dedicated to warning people of our imminent destruction because the “code” wasn’t set for a new millennium. We wouldn’t be able to function as a society. We would be defenseless. We wouldn’t be able to eat, or buy gas. The computer in your car’s engine would crash. People were actually preparing for anarchy to ensue. There would be no power to the cities. No water or sewage services. No pizza delivery. Now that’s a societal kick in the old bazoo.

I’m writing this on my MacBook. It’s got more muscle and features than I’ll ever use. It has way more power than the computer used on the first Apollo mission. I try not to base my life on this thing, but slowly it is becoming an ever increasing part of everything I do. And now that I’ve become a contributing writer for MyMac.com, it is becoming almost indispensable. Actually, had I bought a PC laptop, shun the thought, I wouldn’t even be writing this now because it is by virtue that it’s a Mac that I have been welcomed into the Mac community and into the MyMac.com fold.

That brings up another subject. Computer snobbery. Yeah, that’s right. Not all, but some computer geeks are so possessed by their machines that they can talk all day about the caches and memories and the like as though any of that is important. I guess to them it is. But to most people, like me, well WE just want something that works and has enough memory and speed to do the job. That’s what make the Mac so great. It’s so user friendly even a techno-airhead like me can learn his way around the thing. The excuse that I’m slow on the uptake allows me the breathing room I need to discover more and more features of this incredible device. If I was really astute with computers I would have probably hit the ceiling already. The way I am affords me a new discovery almost every day. What fun.

Here is my point. Finally. Let’s take our time with things, and people. Speed is not the purpose of anything. Accuracy (along with reasonable alacrity), data, and communication are the name of the game. The ability to send messages and images around the world in seconds already speaks to speed. The machine is way faster than we are. If we try to match that speed we will surely crash and burn.

Those of us who spend hours every day in front of a computer can easily get caught in the trap of thinking that everything in our life should move at “computer speed.” Why would you want that anyway? Did you ever see someone wolf down a plate full of food in two minutes. Do you think they enjoyed it? My daughter comes to mind.

If you ask them I guarantee they will say they loved every gulp. Both of them. But I know, and so do you, if they would slowly chew, open up the food and allow it to affect their taste buds, the experience would be revolutionary. They would begin to recognize the nuances of sweet, salt, pepper, herbs, and the melding of these sensations creating something greater than the sum of their parts. Mmmm! I can taste it already and I don’t even know what it is.

So it is with life. Slow down. Shut the mouth and open the ears. Take in the feeling of the room. The energy. The light. Sound. The feeling of the air. When speaking with someone, hear their response before you speak again. Remember how important it is that you’re here, in the moment, affecting someone and/or something. We are all important. We deserve to be heard and deserve the time it takes to be understood. Relax. Do not rush. We are smarter than computers. Why would we want to act like one?