Scared of Computers

If you aren't scared of these things, you should be. They have changed the world, and not necessarily for the better.

When I first started learning to programme, I could see it was the perfect writing tool, and 
I took it up naturally. In fact. instead of becoming a programmer, I became a technical writer, 

This seemed like a good idea, but I soon learned computer companies wanted writing that made them look good - not writing that explained their products. And their products were usually of low quality.

This was the first thirty years they were around - 1980-2010. The hundreds of computer companies, in the beginning, were soon reduced to Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft.

The quality of their hardware and their software improved enormously. Computer networks appeared - the Internet and the Cellular. And the Phone, that could do almost everything a Laptop could - in a size you could stick in your hip pocket.

This was good, no question about it. But too much of a good thing, as we soon found out. Instead of being our servant, it became our master.

People lost their ability to think for themselves and let their computers do their thinking for them. Dictators found this new arrangement much to their liking - and they flourished,