Tech Stewardship
Jan. 31st, 2024 04:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
genderjumperAs a continuation of thoughts I raised in my recent post about Techno-Paganism (which I still need to look up, because it's totally a thing) and practices with the ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
eclecticwitches, I want to take a moment to ruminate on the relationship between technology and magic, which I have found to be subtly social and attitude-dependent.
That is to say, whether an individual's relationship is antagonistic or affirmative.
I've known people who seemed preternaturally disruptive to technology. Through no deliberate effort of their own, things just seem more likely to glitch or break around them the more complicated and electronic their components. For the most part, such individuals also show signs of "magic" about them: sensitivity to animals and/or the elements, spiritual engagement, selectiveness about their engagement with humanity at large.
My own experience, however, contradicts these indicators. I'm no master of the universe or anything, but I am attuned in ways that have at times been magical. Occasionally destructive, but most of the time collaborative. And my relationship with technology looks very different. I have, from a young age, been both curious and respectful, neither losing myself in the latest innovations nor completely checked out from them. Just kind of vibing and letting the technology vibe and aligning our vibes as needed.
I would describe my relationship with technology as a form of stewardship, almost like that of a guide for animals or land rather than their dominator.
When I get a new device, I like to schedule time to go through its menus, customize its interface, and familiarize myself with its features. I never use them all, but neither do I just dive in. I take time to get to know it, and let it get to know me. The more I do this work up front, the less I have to do later, but I never entirely stop thinking about the lifespan of the device (I'm notorious for making them last as long as possible; this desktop is going strong at 8 years and my cell phone is about to hit 6). For example:
(apparently if I code this as a list, it disrupts the cut, so just picture bulletpoints below...)
*I select my devices (and customize, to the extent available) based on my typical usage, and remain mindful of the toll taken by multi-tasking.
*I delete, close, or defang apps that collect a lot of data, require a lot of processing power, or otherwise clog the memory in unwelcome ways.
*I still reboot devices once in a while to clear their cache.
*I don't update apps until absolutely necessary (with the exception of browsers, antivirus, and other modules relevant to security).
*I organize my files and applications to maximize my ease of use and avoid overburdening a single file folder.
*I back up my files on an external drive, which both lowers the stakes if something goes wrong and reduces the load carried by the device.
*I pay attention to my own body and ergonomics, to keep my spirit fresh, even during lengthy tasks.
These are just examples, there's probably a lot more possible (and this is more intuition than expertise). I've developed these habits over my nearly 30 years as a computer owner; it's so subtle I don't always notice I'm doing it. And I notice that I'm way better at troubleshooting than I should be for someone with my limited experience. Because I know the device, I talk with it, and I respect its limitations. I get mad at apps, sure, because capitalism sucks the joy out of everything, but almost never devices.
But I wonder now if this is part of why I've never really had a lot of hard crashes or glitches or bricked devices. My devices give me plenty of warning when they are reaching the end of their lifespan, because THEY HAVE A LIFESPAN. And I'm just wondering now if this sort of collaborative dynamic is relevant.
eclecticwitches, I want to take a moment to ruminate on the relationship between technology and magic, which I have found to be subtly social and attitude-dependent.That is to say, whether an individual's relationship is antagonistic or affirmative.
I've known people who seemed preternaturally disruptive to technology. Through no deliberate effort of their own, things just seem more likely to glitch or break around them the more complicated and electronic their components. For the most part, such individuals also show signs of "magic" about them: sensitivity to animals and/or the elements, spiritual engagement, selectiveness about their engagement with humanity at large.
My own experience, however, contradicts these indicators. I'm no master of the universe or anything, but I am attuned in ways that have at times been magical. Occasionally destructive, but most of the time collaborative. And my relationship with technology looks very different. I have, from a young age, been both curious and respectful, neither losing myself in the latest innovations nor completely checked out from them. Just kind of vibing and letting the technology vibe and aligning our vibes as needed.
I would describe my relationship with technology as a form of stewardship, almost like that of a guide for animals or land rather than their dominator.
When I get a new device, I like to schedule time to go through its menus, customize its interface, and familiarize myself with its features. I never use them all, but neither do I just dive in. I take time to get to know it, and let it get to know me. The more I do this work up front, the less I have to do later, but I never entirely stop thinking about the lifespan of the device (I'm notorious for making them last as long as possible; this desktop is going strong at 8 years and my cell phone is about to hit 6). For example:
(apparently if I code this as a list, it disrupts the cut, so just picture bulletpoints below...)
*I select my devices (and customize, to the extent available) based on my typical usage, and remain mindful of the toll taken by multi-tasking.
*I delete, close, or defang apps that collect a lot of data, require a lot of processing power, or otherwise clog the memory in unwelcome ways.
*I still reboot devices once in a while to clear their cache.
*I don't update apps until absolutely necessary (with the exception of browsers, antivirus, and other modules relevant to security).
*I organize my files and applications to maximize my ease of use and avoid overburdening a single file folder.
*I back up my files on an external drive, which both lowers the stakes if something goes wrong and reduces the load carried by the device.
*I pay attention to my own body and ergonomics, to keep my spirit fresh, even during lengthy tasks.
These are just examples, there's probably a lot more possible (and this is more intuition than expertise). I've developed these habits over my nearly 30 years as a computer owner; it's so subtle I don't always notice I'm doing it. And I notice that I'm way better at troubleshooting than I should be for someone with my limited experience. Because I know the device, I talk with it, and I respect its limitations. I get mad at apps, sure, because capitalism sucks the joy out of everything, but almost never devices.
But I wonder now if this is part of why I've never really had a lot of hard crashes or glitches or bricked devices. My devices give me plenty of warning when they are reaching the end of their lifespan, because THEY HAVE A LIFESPAN. And I'm just wondering now if this sort of collaborative dynamic is relevant.
