At its core, my effort to improve my life by re-evaluating how I use technology and what I use it for is really about values.
I am a big fan of technological advances but I don't agree with the business and revenue models of most Big Tech firms. Most people around me are unable to appreciate my decision despite my attempts to explain. "Why do you want to host your own website? What does that have to do with Linux? What does Linux even mean?"
My explanations often didn't land. In hindsight, I think that was because the people I was talking to lacked the context that would make these choices seem reasonable. I never felt the need to clearly articulate the reasons why I am on this journey until recently.
Two days ago, my learning had slowed much more than I would have liked. With so much still to learn, the road ahead seemed too long. Suddenly, I was questioning my own motives for investing so much time to learn different technologies.
It was time to write out my reasons and make my why tangible so that the next time the going gets tough, I'll know what to read to get back on track.
Here are my expectations for the technology I choose to bring into my life:
- It does not leave me worse off in the long run.
- It minimizes distraction.
- It is free and open-source software.
- It avoids artificial or proprietary lock-in.
- It respects my privacy.
- I own the data I create.
- It does not rely on advertising or the sale of my data.
These principles are becoming my framework for evaluating every piece of technology I bring into my life. Over the next few weeks, I'll explore each of them in more detail.