The Garden of Computational Delights | Hacker News Reader

The Garden of Computational Delights

arbesman.net

158 pointsarbesman15 comments

I love the name and completely agree with the sentiment. Feeling awe is one of my greatest pleasures in life. It's a big part of what I live for, no exaggeration. Computers are a great source of awe for me. On my best days I'm able to sit back and contemplate all of the information flowing through the internet at every moment of the day. Or I type on my keyboard and contemplate all the layers between me and the characters on my screen. I often try to extend this thought to society in general. All the inventions that played a part in making that streetlight work, all the people who played a part in this meal on my table, etc.

Speaking of Awe:

Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner

https://www.amazon.com/Awe-Science-Everyday-Wonder-Transform...

Unsure how good the book is, but thought to put it on your radar ;)

why are you recommending the book if you're not sure how good it is?

It wasn’t a recommendation.

It’s good to be made aware of things that are potentially interesting even if sometimes they turn out not to be.

I've read another book by the same author in my 20s and it was not bad. This one I'm considering reading. I'm thrilled there's a book on the topic of this cool emotion.

Book does seem interesting, came across this article a couple days ago, for those who want a bit more information about it: https://www.noemamag.com/finding-awe-amid-everday-splendor/

I was 12 and was dead set on being a doctor until I walked into a computer store with my family (notably, the last in the neighborhood not to have a computer).

It was December, 1984.

The Macintosh (which almost no one had heard of) had recently come out.

I had had some computer experience (Commodore 64, Apple II) but the first Mac was like some alien device from the far future that ticked all the boxes I didn’t know I even had.

I was so excited and so convinced that I was witnessing the future of literally everything that I stuttered while being unable to stop what we would now call “nerdgasming”. Awe. Awe times 1000. That mind-blowing emoji? That was me.

Apparently my parents were receptive to my nerdthusiasm because they dropped a ton of 1984 cash on one and that became my “best christmas present ever”.

I code now. =)

We don’t know what the future holds, but some of us can sense when we see it.

It is what Jacques Ellul called technique, and it's not all positive.

I officially protest hacker news cynicism and choose to love this ideal

Ditto, I suppose it’s time I put on my gardener hat and contribute to a garden I want instead of the garden I have.

I'm not sure when, if ever, an iphone app "made my heart sing." I would probably consider therapy if that happened.

The first “I am Rich” app made my heart sing. Poetry. Art.

A beautiful elemental weaving of psychology and greed of both author and customers.

So obviously and honestly a scam it was an anti-scam.

A technical feat of one-liner coding, social engineering, and with a modest nod to lickable icons.

I hope whoever created it is living some zen life in a beautiful place, able to meditate on deep things, without a lick of worries due to a bank account funded by rich people with a sense of humor or deep seated status insecurities.

I wish I thought of it first. :)

The realist in me wants to label the sort of "digital romanticism" that the main text espouses as "materialist" in nature. With that being said, before I actually read the main text, I bookmarked the page because I appreciate it as a resource.

It’s somewhat amusing that the title rendering is messed up on mobile given the content

They didn’t call it The Garden of Multi-Device Rendering Delights

Reply on news.ycombinator.com