I often ask other coders to contemplate "What software that we write today will still be in use 10,000 years from now?"
That I am unable to answer that question is a primary reason I write English text rather than code the last ten years.
That I am unable to answer that question is a primary reason I write English text rather than code the last ten years.
There seems to be a widespread, almost instinctive desire to achieve permanence (works or monuments) in humans, which I do not fully understand. People want to make a dent on the universe, to be 'remembered as heroes' etc. Nothing lasts forever, not your works, not your memory. All will be lost in the mists of time.
I don't see this as a reason for nihilism either, you can make a difference with your efforts - it just won't last forever (or even 1,000 years, let alone 10,000). That's ok.
Urgghh, the inventor of fire disagrees...
When I am gone I won't be around to know whether anyone remembers me. But when the end is near and I look back on my life, I will feel it was well-lived if I created something that is of at least plausibly lasting value.
Eighty Exabytes And Constantly Swapping