chapotraphouse

Eh, the last few decades of UI development has all been in obscuring as much of the actual workings of a computer as possible. Throw that in with pop culture that treats the computational theory of mind as de facto truth, rather than just one of many possible explanations and... it's unfortunate, but understandable.

I kinda think about it like cars. So, like, I know fuck all about how an engine actually works. The nice thing is I don't need to know that, even though I use and interact with them every day. But even in that ignorance, the way a car is set up and functions communicates certain realities about it. I'm not mystified by it. I know it's just a machine, that there are certain limitations; spaces it cannot navigate or that it can't just Go forever without maintenance or fuel.

Now, imagine a world where as much of the car is being hidden as possible. People still use them, depend on them just as much as they do in our real world. But the way it functions is hidden in the design. Imagine if owners couldn't pop the hood and see the engine. If refueling was behind closed (garage) doors. Hell, if the wheels themselves were completely hidden. It's all still there, but you wouldn't even know to look for it if it wasn't your job, if you weren't a trained specialist. All the general public really knows is that you get in and Transportation happens. It'd be understandable if they start getting funny ideas about how it works and whats even possible from cars.

I know that's something of a clunky metaphor, but it's pretty much where we're at with computers