Ask HN: Can Software Feel Intimate?

2 points by roeles 4y ago ↗ HN

Recently I've been reading the book "Wabi Sabi" by Andrew Juniper. It occurred to me that while it's not uncommon for someone to have things that have a special value for them - things or rituals that hold a special intangible value - I cannot think of software that brings up the same feelings.

I wonder if I'm alone in this. If not, I wonder what aspect of software prevents us from having those feelings?

4 comments

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svennek 4y ago ↗

I do feel it to some (small) degree..

I.e. my two main linux instances (laptop + desktop) feels like "home", other instances does not.

Some tools (postgres, python, linux) feels like an old well-used glove and safe, others not..

So without reading the book, it seems like the same thing?

roeles 4y ago ↗

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I think it is the same thing.

mbrock 4y ago ↗

Read Christopher Alexander’s foreword to Richard P. Gabriel’s “Patterns of Software.” https://www.dreamsongs.com/Files/PatternsOfSoftware.pdf

roeles 4y ago ↗

Thanks! Will do. edit: that's a great read, thought-provoking. Thank you for sharing.