Good software matters - Tools shape us, let's shape them too
From the earliest flint tools to today's digital applications, humans have always sought to extend their capabilities. Tools enable, facilitate, and problem-solve.
But, despite common belief, the relationship between the tool and the user isn't a one-way affair. The blacksmith, for instance, doesn't just wield his hammer; that hammer, through daily use, sculpts his muscles and even influences how he approaches problems.
The tools we use, fundamentally, shape us.
This principle holds true for the dominant tools of our era: software.
How tools shape our behaviour
The tools of today are mainly digital. Software is the defining tool of the digital age. And every piece of software we choose (deliberately or unconsciously) will shape and impact our lives. Sometimes quite obviously, but often in more subtle ways...
For a long time I used an outliner to take my digital notes. This means that all my notes were formatted as bulleted lists like this:
- Writing enables complex thinking
- The human brain is limited as we can only have a certain number of thoughts active at the same time
- Kind of like RAM of a computer (working memory)
- Writing allows us to externalize thoughts and thus enables us to think further and build on those externalized thoughts and ideas
- most complex inventions that required people to think together were likely only possible because of writing
This approach has many advantages, such as enabling quick capture of thoughts and easy reorganization. Outliners are also great for structuring content hierarchically and hiding details in indented lists which can be collapsed.
Over time I noticed that taking all my (digital) notes this way started to influence my thinking and writing. I started to think more hierarchically (less connected) and sometimes struggled to transform my bullet-point-ideas into succinct arguments/sentences to actually communicate my thinking.
This caused me to reevaluate my tool choice and switch to Obsidian (a simple Markdown-editor at its core) which invites me to write (and think) more freely, in longer-form notes with more complete, fleshed-out sentences.
I personally prefer how Obsidian allows my thoughts to flow more naturally - without thinking too much about structure (at first).
Ultimately, both approaches (outliner and long-form writing) have their own advantages and disadvantages. Neither is clearly superior and I still use bulleted/indented lists very frequently.
But noticing the subtle shift in my thinking when using mainly outliners has made me more aware of the ways that our tools do indeed shape our behavior, even without any ill intentions behind the toolmakers.
Software Today: Double-Edged Tools
Sadly, most software nowadays isn't designed as a classic "tool" to simply serve the user and facilitate a specific task anymore...
Let's go back to the hammer. A hammer is built to serve a user who needs a tool to hit things (hard). It has a job and is designed to do it well. If the hammer is of high quality, the user is more likely to buy it (earning the creator money), and from that point on, the hammer will primarily serve its new owner. That's all there is to it:
A tool designed and built by humans for other humans.
However, the digital landscape introduces a critical twist to this ancient relationship, which becomes apparent when we take a look at today's common software:
Who do these 'tools' truly serve? And what are their primary objectives?
Certainly, most software does serve us (the users) in some way, and hopefully, it also provides something "meaningful" for us. But there is more to it. It is also increasingly designed to serve its creator: the tech company behind it.
This leads to double-edged tools because the software now serves two sides:
- Maybe the app you use tries to keep you hooked for hours (using sophisticated psychological tricks) to show you more ads
- Today's apps also tend to collect your data to sell it to data-brokers, or to tailor ads perfectly to your interests
- Most "social" apps now prioritize algorithmic content (to keep you engaged for longer) instead of actually connecting you with your friends and family
Sure, not all of this is (big) tech companies being evil. Unlike the hammer (and other physical tools), users don't really like to buy (pay for) their digital tools. This led tech companies to develop new business models. Instead of getting their money directly from the user, they started monetizing their users. Earnings come from marketing departments paying for targeted ads to specific demographics or from anyone willing to pay for the data the tech company can provide about its users.
So naturally, they started to create software that not only serves the user but also gets them paid. And that makes us the product.
The software becomes the hammer companies wield to earn money by hammering on us, the user base, through:
- Profiling us for targeted ads/information to sell
- Bombarding us with those ads
- Keeping us hooked with addictive design practices out of the psychology toolkit (more time spent in the app means more opportunities to serve ads)
- Maximizing their user base and the time spent on their service, often diluting the original purpose of the "tool" in the process (instead of doing the actual job well)
- Using user input as free training data for their own AI (which they then sell for money) or to sell as training data to the models of other companies
- The removal of true ownership in exchange for "renting the right to use the tool for a limited time" through subscription models
Bob Doto articulated this shift with great clarity when he wrote:
"Not owning the products you buy, and instead subscribing to the rights to use said products, also has an adverse, symbiotic effect that, imo, challenges what it means to be human. Subscription-based products wire the consumer into the apparatus of the corporation. In other words, by no longer buying and owning technology, you instead become an essential part of it as a stream of funding.
Subscription-based software like Photoshop (which, in full disclosure, I use, and use often) transforms me, the user, into a kind of host, mined for monthly payments which feed the corporation.
Sound familiar? That’s because being mined for payments is not unlike the way human bodies are mined for energy in the film, The Matrix."
Take back control
I don't know about you, but I don't really like the idea of being used as a tool to earn tech companies (even more) money. So let's see what we can do to go back to being the one wielding the tool.
- Choose alternatives that respect you, your privacy, and (just) do the job
- Pay for good, user-respecting software. As Steph Ango (CEO of Obsidian) put it: Quality software deserves your hard‑earned cash
- Try to stick to software that follows the File over App principle and choose software that makes self-guaranteeing promises
- Look for Software with good exit strategies (no lock-in)
- Use Open Source Software and get involved yourself! From humans for humans!
Evaluate the tools/software you use and make sure that any additions to your toolkit meet your standards. A good tool is good at doing its job and does not use you. The more important or sensitive a tool, the more carefully you should be in your selection. Some questions to ask yourself, before making a decision:
- Who makes the tool and why? What is the incentive? How trustworthy is the creator?
- What problem does the tool solve for me, and is it the best way to deal with this problem? Is it good at its job?
- What happens with my data? Where is it stored, and who has access to it? (Yes, read the Terms of Service).
- How dependent will I become on the tool, and how easy is it to replace? Is it easy to exit the software?
If you are looking for better (more respectful) alternatives, here are some good sources to help you with your decision:
Shape the Tool Yourself - Open Source
The ultimate way of taking back control over the tools you use is to start contributing to open-source projects. This way, you can shape the tool itself instead of being shaped by it. You go from user to creator and contribute to something that can be useful to many people.
Don't worry. You don't need to know how to code or have in-depth technical knowledge. Take me for example: I contributed to CoMaps with barely any prior experience (in coding or open-source), by designing a logo and getting involved in the discussions. There are many ways to contribute, such as design, translations, documentation, testing, feedback, or community moderation...
Even if you don't want to contribute yourself, it also helps to spread the word and increase awareness. So talk about this with friends and family. Inform your circle and invite them to join in.
Pay Attention to the Tools in Your Life
The journey to intentional living begins with mindful choices, even in our digital toolkits. Let's choose, use, and even build software that truly serves us. The most important thing you can do to cultivate this awareness is to start paying attention and notice how the tools you use shape you:
- Did you plan to spend the last 45 minutes on Instagram/TikTok/YouTube, or did it "just happen"?
- Did you really have a reason to unlock your phone, or did you just compulsively check for any notifications?
- Did you buy the thing just now, because you really needed/wanted it, or was it because of unnaturally well-targeted ads that manipulated you into the decision?
- Did you connect with any of your loved ones or at least with real people in your life, or did you just interact with algorithmically chosen viral content from strangers?
- Did you really look for new job opportunities on LinkedIn, or did you get sucked into the comment section of a random polarizing post on the platform?
- Did you really learn something about the current state of the earth on "X", or did you participate in one of the many tribal wars waging on there?
There are many reasons to use software, but a good question to ask is:
"Is this really the best way to achieve my goal of ... (Connecting with people, staying up to date to be an informed citizen, relaxing...)"
