Close to the Machine: Technophilia and Its Discontents
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.21 (688 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0872863328 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 189 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-08-29 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Here is a candid account of the life of a software engineer who runs her own computer consulting business out of a live-work loft in San Francisco’s Multimedia Gulch. As Ullman sees it, the cool world of cyber culture is neither the death of civilization nor its salvation—it is the vulnerable creation of people who are not so sure of just where they’re taking us all.Ellen Ullman has worked as a software engineer and consultant since 1978. She is a commentator on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.”". At every turn, she finds she cannot ignore the social and philosophical repercussions of her work. She is the author of The Bug and her writing has been published in Resisting the Virtual Life, Wired Woman, and in Harper’s Magazine. Immersed in the abstract world of information, algorithms, and networks, she would like to give in to the seductions of the programmer’s world, where “weird logic dreamers” like herself live “close to the machine.” Still, she is keenly aware that body and soul are not mechanical: desire, love, and the need to communicate face to face don’t easily fit into lines of codes or clicks in a Web browser
The wit Ullman brings to her National Public Radio commentaries shines through in the prose. She's female, a former communist, bisexual, old enough to be a twentysomething's mom, and not a nerd. . If there is such a thing as a typical computer programmer, Ellen Ullman is not it. She runs her own computer-consulting business in San Francisco and in Close to the Machine explores a world in which "the real world and its uses no longer matter." This memoir examines the relationship between human and machine, between material and cyberworlds and reminds us that the body and soul exist before and after any machine
She has written novels as well as articles for various publications, including Harper's Magazine, Wired, The New York Times, and Salon. Her essays and novels analyze the human side of the world of computer programming. Ellen Ullman is an American computer programmer and author. Ullman earned a bachelor's degree in English at Cornell University in the early 1970s. She eventually began writing about her experiences as a pr
Best book on "computer culture" I've read. I read this book a year ago when it first came out and loved it. I've re-read it just to enjoy Ellen Ullman's terrific writing. She is a GREAT writer.Ellen Ullman uses her life in the fast lane to comment on parts of cyber-culture that we rarely talk about but ought to. It isn't political or technical. It's more social commentary.. Technology in Human/Personal Terms If you're fascinated by the impacts of computer technology in personal and human terms, then you'll enjoy this book. On the surface, Ullman gives us a glimpse into the life of a consulting software engineer musing about the meaning and impact of technology. Ullman's world is filled with machine-like programmers drawn to the supremely logical world of software development, as well as managers who don't truly understand the technology or programmers that they are managing. Like a true techie, Ullman can easily convey rush of excitement when a debugged system finally *works* -- but unlike a true techie, she can. "Buy this book now" according to A Customer. As I read this book I felt a keen sense of familiarity. I live this life as well, down to every detail but being Ellen Ullman. I've had the same experiences; the rush of programming on a great project, the hits and near misses on stock options, the empty cubicles, the rush of a new contract, the longing for the regularity of an old-fashioned company, etc. I also know first hand about the culture of the neighborhood she describes, since I too live in a loft down there, although I am married, male, and have a kid. In fact, as I got my WSJ the other day, I saw hers stacked on top of mine. I have never met her,