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Our digital lives are empty and sad

Jun 29 2009 Tags: , ,

6 responses so far

  • http://brainmachine.mozganostroj.com sparkica

    Your story is a very beautiful and nostalgic one. Don’t worry, The Machines are not dead yet. Steampunk will live for ever, at least for people like you and me.

    You know… if you take different stance, you can even start to see some magic in colorful wires, sometimes you can even hear circuit-boards counting zeros and ones…

    Nothing is lost except for seconds you spend counting (them) instead of living (them).

    Swizec, why are you so sad lately? Or am I wrong?

  • http://brainmachine.mozganostroj.com sparkica

    Hmm, where did my comment go? :S

  • http://swizec.com swizec

    @sparkica I find it interesting how many steampunks there seem to be around here, soon as one publicly announces they’re a steampunk, bamf, 50% of the people say they are as well.

    What’s up with that? Why don’t the local steampunks also look and behave in a steampunk manner? Why are they so shy about it? It’s just strange …

    And yeah, you’re wrong, I’m not sad, just have a lot on my mind as of late :)

  • http://blarneyfellow.wordpress.com Simon

    Because there is more to steampunk than silly outfits? What appeals to me is appreciation of the mechanical, punk/DIY attitude and some aspects of anachronism (for instance in terms of language).

    Aesthetics & stories are nice sure, but that’s art; a level of interpassivity is expected. Dressing up as this great explorer is just make-believe. Why settle for that, when you can have a genuine experience and actually go on an off-road expedition to Tunisia? Incidentally this is the biggest contradiction in steampunk. The DIY bit is often at odds with anachronistic aesthetics. What is more steampunk, building a real flying composite airplane with digital avionics or a model steam engine with shiny brass bits? My choice is clear.

  • http://swizec.com Swizec

    You don’t have to dress-up completely so as to become silly looking. Just a nod to the steampunk aesthetics here and there *shrug* Think of it like networking, you wouldn’t have any followers on Twitter if nobody knew you had an account, likewise it’s difficult to meet other steampunks when you can’t see any.

    As for the building. I’ll take building a real composite aeroplane without digital avionics. And I totally would do it too if I had anywhere to do it.

    But I’m starting off small. This summer I’m building a trebuchet at my gf’s house to learn how to weld :P

  • http://www.sulumitsretsambew.org Hellas

    Maybe if would we have better knowledge about digital equipment we should see little bit of spirit in the digital stuff too. I am dont saying that you dont have appropriate knowledge, but everything is in the eye of beholder and on some way subjective.