More than any other modern tool, computers are a total mystery to their users. Most people never open them up to fix them or to see how they work. Clive Thompson computerfixmodern Change image and share on social
Truly huge artistic collaboration on the Internet seems to work only if the gang has a well-defined objective. Clive Thompson artisticcollaborationdefine Change image and share on social
I don't think the Internet has replaced cities in any significant way, nor really could it. Cities are dynamic - and deeply seductive for the people who flock there - because they broker all sorts of fantastic and useful connections, cultural and economic and social. Clive Thompson brokercityconnection share on social
America has always had tinkerers, including just about any teenager who ever hot-rodded a Camaro. Clive Thompson americacamarohot Change image and share on social
Plays are frequently infected with ideas that came from actors or even sound engineers. Some Shakespeare scholars wonder whether some of the Bard's lines came from onstage improvisations by actors. Clive Thompson actorbardengineer Change image and share on social
The one complaint about the Internet that I wholeheartedly endorse is that most of these tools have been designed to peck at us like ducks: 'Hey, there's a new reply to your comment! Come look at it!' Clive Thompson commentcomplaintdesign Change image and share on social
I lust after iPods or Mini Coopers not because they're unique, but because they've been so artfully made that I couldn't imagine doing it better myself. Clive Thompson artfullycooperhave Change image and share on social
Tip-of-the-tongue syndrome is when people almost remember something but need a computer, or someone else, to help them find it. The problem is, our brains have always been terrible at remembering details. They were like that way before the Internet came along. Clive Thompson braincomputerdetail share on social
No consumer product improves more drastically, year after year, than the computer. Clive Thompson computerconsumerdrastically Change image and share on social
If you, or any public-spirited programmer, wanted to figure out what the software on your machine is really doing, tough luck. It's illegal to reverse engineer the source code of commercial software to find out how it works. Clive Thompson codecommercialengineer share on social