My Writing Mission

Jan 3

“I see you” is my daughter Ruby’s favorite phrase. I think it means she groks it—that she understands intuitively, with empathy. My writing mission is to help her grok technology.

For most, tech is boring and scary. Yet technology’s purpose is to lift people up, cure the deaf, restore sight, and slow aging (footnotes 1 & 2).

I think people think tech is boring because tech writing sucks. Most “thought leaders” are marketeers. Or trying to prove how smart they are. Or hiding thin thinking under industry jargon.

So tech writing is like a potluck dinner; most of the dishes are inedible.

Rare is the computer scientist who loves the art of writing. Notable, inspirational exceptions include Kevin Kelly, Balaji Srinivasan, Paul Graham, and Laura Deming.

I’m going to try to make something good every day. Writing minimalism is my medium. I’ll cut, cut, cut, cut so you get the gist quickly. I’ll pick, pick, pick one image per idea that makes you think. I’ll link, link, link so you can learn more. I’ll aim for positivity, not Pollyannaism. Moonshot dreams with baby steps.

That’s my writing mission. I hope Ruby groks it.

This article was inspired by the team at Gapingvoid

ENDNOTES

1. Read The Purpose of Technology, featuring Balaji Srinivasan and Laura Deming.

2. My favorite metaphor about tech is that computers are like a bicycle for the mind. Steve Jobs popularized this metaphor. Watch him below. Or watch the original 1980 footage of a hairier Jobs here. Or watch him on education at Lunds University in Sweden in 1985.

Or read neuroscientist Edoardo D'Anna argue that the personal computer revolution did not produce a bicycle for the mind. I disagree. Has technology achieved its ultimate purpose? No. But we’re making good progress.