Caught in the matrix

What communication technology do I use on a daily basis? This is not a difficult question to answer considering that I did not get a cellphone (or should I say smartphone) ever since I came to the USA, and I use Facebook mostly as a remainder of birthdays. So, what do I do? I do programming in Java and C++. Although some might say this is a passive use because currently I do not share my code with anyone (except for my professors, of course), I find programming very much engaging.

Geek&Poke

You might be wondering how this can be possible. Well, when I start writing algorithms, I become much immersed. It is definitely not the same thing as in Gibson’s book; I do not become one with the machine. However, I often lose track of time while trying to solve an algorithm, and figuring out the bugs in the program. This can be quite frustrating at some moments, but I can spend an entire day staring at the computer just to get it right. I do not have a regular schedule as I might work more on some days: writing code for my labs, or projects, or I simply compile programs to get a feeling of how a certain principle works. And when I do this it can take me quite a while because I really want to see the results. I do not know if this only applies to programming since I usually like to complete what I start.

While reading Neuromancer, I shared to an extent Case’s feeling of excitement towards the cyberspace. However, it is surely not the same thing. The real world that Case lives in is dehumanized, in total decay, so any escape from it is desirable. In my real world, I enjoy programming because I want to know more about how thinks work, what is behind all those applications that I use, hoping that I will design something similar in the future. Additionally, I cannot paint or sign, so, I guess with programming I feel as if I am creating something even if is not a very significant algorithm.

To contradict Gibson, I see the good part of technology: how one can write different algorithms that can be applied in so many fields and can make a lot of procedures common. And while I use computers more for programming, some might use it to get connected with friends, or to play games. I believe that we all see computers and all the communications technologies as helpful tools. We need them to break down the barriers of places, to save time, or simply to make our lives easier and better. We do not need a hallucinatory world in which we can “jack in”. Somehow, I guess it is better that we cannot commute from the real world to a virtual one regularly. If something like that were possible, we might come to the conclusion that the real life is not as exciting as we imagine it now.