The author of this piece, Ellen Ullman, wrote a really great book (IMHO) called "Close to the Machine" back in 1997; I'm not sure, but I think some of the book was based on a series of (very early) Salon.com essays. Besides being a thoroughly enjoyable nostalgia trip back to the original dotcom bubble, it is a very insightful and enjoyable exploration of what it feels like to program a computer, and why it can be such a rush. Highly recommended, especially for anybody who finds themselves struggling to explain what it's all about to a non-technical person.