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My customer came today to pick up his new lute - he was delighted with it, and brought along a bottle of red to say thanks for the photos of progress I had been sending him as I built it. When you build real things for people the moments you hand them over is one of the real treats you cherish. Writing software for customers on the other hand feels a lot colder and impersonal. When will a customer bring me a bottle of wine because I sent him screenshots of code that didn't compile yet? I live in vain hope!
3 years ago · 👍 lykso, degrowther, micklemeal, hyperlinkyourheart
Software is intangible and abstract. Doesn't tickle the "visceral" neurons for most people. Certainly not without at least some degree of training in developing the stuff. A lute, though, you can look at it and appreciate its aesthetics and understand that a good amount of craftsmanship went into it at a glance. A lute isn't abstract and intangible like software is. · 3 years ago
Maybe it relates to the infinite reproducibility of software. Unless you write it yourself, its hard to say any item of software is really "mine" . Whereas a hand made physical object - there is literally only that one and you are the sole owner of it. That must make a big difference to one's relationship with it. · 3 years ago
i doubt your software has the aesthetic qualities of your lutes. well done, again! they're beautiful. · 3 years ago