A few days ago, listening to one of the Relay tech podcasts, the hosts were talking in very specific and detailed terms about exactly how they wanted their device to be configured. They were explaining minute details about things I have never thought about, like what notifications should do what, and other seemingly inconsequential details that were a big deal to them.
I caught myself thinking, ‘why does any of this matter? There are much bigger issues at hand today than the exact setup of your phone.’
But luckily I didn’t stop thinking there. I let those thoughts bounce around a bit, and then something occurred to me. As users of tech, if the smallest details are important to us, then they are important.
In contrast to these hosts who ‘nitpick (I am using this term in a positive way)’ every detail of their tech, the other end of the spectrum are the users we all know about, who let tech rule over them. They don’t care about any of the details, like what notifications should happen when. They have never given it any thought, and the result is that their tech has shaped their lives, by simply dictating to them how it will be used.
As people who enjoy this stuff, pouring over the details, the smallest changes to our devices that will shape them into what we want is not just an OK thing to do, I think it is essential. If we don’t dig into it and shape tech into what we want and need it to be, from the big things like what computer works for us and why, to the tiny things like what exact shade of blue our home screen should be, then it will just push us over and shape us.
So, I love that the hosts dive in deep and explain their exact preferences, because it pushes me into that frame of mind, and over the years of listening to MPU and other Relay shows, I am a lot more mindful, mature and in control of the stuff I am using.
The details are important. So thanks for not glossing over them MPU.