Taking technology personally

PS AUDIO / PAUL McGOWAN

How many times has it felt like technology has it out for you? Butt dialing someone right after their call, closing the page too soon and losing it, pressing delete, and then…..

Half the time I walk into Music Room 3 to play the system it doesn’t work: the DAC’s on the wrong input, someone forgot to replace the amp trigger jacks, the transport’s been unplugged. It sometimes feels like the system doesn’t want me to play it. (of course, this is an exaggeration but this is what it feels like sometimes)

The opposite can be equally true. Everything just works, and the music sings to the heavens. Those times, it feels like I am in synch with technology (maybe it even likes me).

I think it’s natural to anthropomorphize our technology. We’ve reached the point where most of it is complex enough to have taken on a personality. It’s then easy to assign blame or lavish rewards on the machines we interact with.

Truth is our technology is quite literal. For the most part, technology just does what it’s told.

The good news is that even when it’s you pushing the wrong button, the stereo system doesn’t take it personally when you holler at it.

Our stereos love us no matter what.

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