Personal Computing (2022)

The author laments the loss of personal, playful computing, arguing that programmers are forced to use the same industrial tools and best practices at home as at work, leaving no room for software as art or play. Unlike film or music, where amateur and professional tools differ greatly, computing has collapsed the distinction, making the 'little guy' corporate by default. The essay calls for a different set of priorities in personal projects—dynamic, ephemeral, and joyful rather than robust and scalable.