August 28th, 2006
Sims Creator on the Social Aspects of Computers
by Joshua Porter | 
7 Comments | shortlink: http://bokardo.com/p/447
In Dream Machines, Wired guest editor and gamer extraordinaire Wil Wright, whose Sims games have become the most popular video games ever, ruminates on how computers were originally thought of as enhancing our nerdier side:
“Most technologies can be seen as an enhancement of some part of our bodies (cars/legs, house/skin, TV/senses). From the start, computers have been understood as an extension of the human brain; the first computers were referred to as mechanical brains and analytical engines. We saw their primary value as number crunchers that far exceeded our own meager abilities.”
To this day, we still hear computers talked about in this sense. When Apple recently announced their new Mac Pro line of computers, for example, they touted it as the “fastest Mac ever”, how it can do so much more in so much less time.
But outside of video rendering and other heavy-duty applications, efficiency in calculations isn’t really the value most of us are searching for. No, most of us want efficiency in our normal lives, our relationships, our friendships, our social lives. Wright says:
“But the Internet has morphed what we used to think of as a fancy calculator into a fancy telephone with email, chat rooms, IM, and blogs. It turns out that we don’t use computers to enhance our math skills – we use them to enhance our people skills.“
Wright sees computers as simply an extension of ourselves. We are social beings, and thus our use of computers will be social as well. And as I mentioned last week, Apple also has this angle covered.
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Comments
1. Justin Thorp 10:33pm, Mon 28th, 2006
I find it ironic that the creator of The Sims would say that computers “enhance our people skills.” Did the Sims create a “second life” for people to hide behind and not face the reality of real life? This seems like it would be a detriment to people skills.
Don’t get me wrong. I love computers and the social web. I just don’t think it has “enhanced our people skills.” I would definitely say it has changed the nature of how we interact with people.
We just need to make sure we keep thing in perspective.
2. Andrew 12:35am, Tue 29th, 2006
Most or all of human technology can be seen in these terms. I think it’s absolutely correct that we use computers and the web to enhance and extend our social skills and relationships. I think it’s more incorrect to assume that computer technology is somehow neutral or doesn’t change us at all.
You might look at Edward Hall’s “Beyond Culture” for an anthropological examination of how humans extend and amplify our abilities, preferences, and relationships through all sorts of cultural constructs, many of them technological.
3. Anon Coward 6:02am, Tue 29th, 2006
“Mind amplification” is a term coined by Howard Rheingold in his seminal book Tools for Thought. See chapter seven, Machines to Think With for more details.
4. Josh 10:11am, Tue 29th, 2006
Thanks for the references, Andrew and Anon. I will check those out!
I like this way of talking about computers…because it keeps the power in the hands of the humans, and makes the tool distinction clear. When we think of computers as tools, we do better design, I think.