musings on software development, writing and life

I am currently carrying out an experiment with a carefully controlled amount of “growing up”. I’ve discovered that if reduced to it’s basic state and strictly regulated, adulthood can indeed be introduced in a beneficial way, without completely destroying your life.

As a result of this, I have been reviewing some of the “stuff” in my life, and rrealising that a lot of it is fairly superfluous. I have many things cluttering my cupboards that I really have no need or desire for, they’re just there because I had them when I had very little else. But my analyzing eye soon fell on my home office, and much to my chagrin I realised that there really is no need for the amount of hardware I currently have in there.

I have been, as R calls is, somewhat “acquisitionist” in relation to computer hardware and gadgets, and I have enjoyed having tghem all arranged and laid out in the study / office just for the sake of them. In getting this laptop however, I’ve realised that I don’t need very much of it at all. So what I have decided to do is get rid of all my computers and extra hardware, except for R’s machine. I will keep the laptop for me (it’s faster than my current desktop anyway!) and replace everything else with a single mac mini running linux (of course) to handle the photo library, backups and filesharing etc. Everything else I’ll sell or give away 0 including my 22 inch flat screen monitor!

I’m going to do this for a couple of reasons. The initial reason was so I could reclaim the dining room as an actual dining room – move the bookshelves in there etc and put a dining table in it so we can eat proper family meals at the table, and have guests round for dinner. Should also add a bit more space to the house really…

I’m going to move one of the desks from the study into the sunroom (I’ve dissembled the double bed I put in there for Mum’s visit) and that’s where I’ll stick the office bookshelves, filing drawers and R’s computer etc. With luck we’ll also part a dishwasher in there somewhere (it;s just the opposite side of the wall from the kitchen).

However I was thinking about this the other day, and I realised just how big a paradigm shift this is going to be for me. I don’t think I’ve really been conscious before of how much my “default” position is at the computer. When I wake up on a saturday morning, I stumble out with coffee and check my email. When I’m bored I check my email, browse a few sites or tinker with the configuration of my machines – the list goes on. With this change however, my laptop is going to be really the only terminal I have freely available to me. It will be a shift not only from having loads of computers (read 7 running machines) to only having the one, but switching from actually living a connected life.

It had never occurred to me before, but I *think* in temrs of being permanently connected. The internet and the world of technology has a permanent window into my home, and instant messages or email can interact with the rest of my life. In some cases, this has been a boon – my career for example has been greatly helped by this complete immersion. But in many other ways I think it just detracts – I’m sure I’m only repeating things that people have been saying about me for years

So I’ll be spending less time on the computer. With 1 server, properly configured wireless setup and only one laptop of my own I won’t have much need for configuration or messing about with hardware. I’m not going to be able to play much in the way of games on this laptop, and so it will end up shifting me to using the computer almost exclusively for work and for writing / research. Which is no bad thing in the grand scheme, it’s just a little unsettling to think about

And you know what – I think it’s fatherhood that’s done all this for me. Well, that and R’s eternally positive influence in my life. My career emphasis has changed to something that’s giving me more opportunities and pleasure than i’d believed it could, my personal desires and lifestyle have shifted and I seem to be growing up a bit.

As long as it’s just a bit, I’ll be ok. I still don’t see the need to be grow up completely – after all if I did, I’d have to give back the lego.

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