I was quiet like a dead stone today (again, like always). It's not because I didn't want to say anything. I tried to open my mouth but nothing came out. My brain was trying to work in a different language other than the one it was designed with. Then it was like an overworked computer program, it just crashed... Luckily I have this blog thing where I can spit out my thoughts in silence. At least it's so much better than let them explode in my head.
So after reading my blog, if you want to throw bricks or CMU at me, go ahead, but just please be gentle. And I'll go get my safety helmet...
In my opinion, computer is another tool for us to understand the world that we've created, and help us to make things even better. Yes, computer is smart, it does all the calculations as fast as you blink your eyes. But hundreds or thousands of years ago, when people learned how to use tools like a hummer or a knife, I believe it felt as magical as when we see all the fancy things computers can do nowadays. Our hands are one of the tools that we use to understand and create as well. Through touching, seeing, smelling and all the senses we have, the information is transferred to our brain. Then the brain analyzes the information and decides which option works and which don't. What I'm trying to say here is that all the tools that we use to create is valuable for us. Whether it's computer or hand, they are parts of a whole design experience. We can't say one is better or more important that the other. Some people want to achieve the accuracy, and therefore they relay on computer software and machine production. Others prefer the hand print on an object that shows the trace of human creation. We all want different things because none of us are alike. Even in computer itself, people have to create different software that complete similar kind of task, because every program has its downside. Otherwise, why there's not a single 3D modeling program that does everything, instead of formZ, Sketchup, Rino, etc.
Some people argued in the class today that because of the existence of computer, the way we think and act start to change. But what I wanted to mention is that maybe when we compare individuals, there're people that do really good computer work, and people who can do beautiful hand craft. However, if we look at human being as a whole, there will always be both type of people existing. I can't really imagine that because computer technology is really advanced that our mind-thinking ability would be completely disabled and extinguish from the earth. As long as we are still breathing, there will always be a moment where we remember the fundamental senses we have, like sight and touch, and we would want to experience them once again through our process of creating.
Here's something off-topic that I thought is interesting. I was listening to CRI (China Radio International) yesterday and they were talking about email and hand written letter. People complain that letters sometimes get lost and it takes forever to get to the receiver. With email, you just click a button and it's sent right away. However, when we know that someone is writing a letter to us, the time we spend waiting and imagining what the letter would be like is much more special (emotional) than logging into your gmail or yahoo everyday to see how many junk mail you have.
I think because we are human beings, we are not "programmed" to follow a single rule all the time. We want different things at different times, accuracy, efficiency, or emotions and feelings. I just hope that with all these tools we have, we can understand ourselves better and use these tools to create so much more things that we maybe can't even think about right now.
That's enough BS for now. I'm ready for the flying CMUs that's coming my direction. Good night~ 晚安～
行至水穷处，坐看云起时。
3 comments:
Good point! Also, machines of the sort that perform our "design" calculations and layouts aren't ubiquitous around the world but only in developed nations. There will continue to be a divide in humans as a species between the rich and poor of the world.
About email vs. handwritten letters--it's true that a handwritten letter almost always seem more special than an email. Something about how easy it is to send the same thing to 100 people over email, but to hand-write 100 letters would take much longer--it involves more care. Like photography--when digital became popular, photographers started shooting more photos during a session because "you can always delete them," versus paying for film.
One of the ironies of technology (digital cameras, email, blogs, etc.) is that it has allowed us to record almost everything we create--to make everything we envision, write, or draw "sacred." At the same time, however, very little of what we create is truly sacred, because it seems all the more disposable. Maybe the trick, then, is to learn (through craft) which of our digital creations to keep, and which ones to trash?
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