In terms of our meat space activity, the mission always comes first.
Nobody said you can’t have hobbies and entertainment, but you must evaluate them as to whether they hinder the mission. No one ever really grows up to the point they need no play time and God tends to be more indulgent than you know. The stern pretense of marching troops is completely out of place, but so is the wild and unrestrained lascivious tendencies of military break-time. I’ll even go so far as to say that inebriation in itself is no sin, but if it changes your personality, you need some serious help. The point here is that if you don’t seek the joy of the Lord in things that draw your attention, you will always be wrong no matter what you do.
I openly confess that much of my blather about computer technology is just a hobby. It happens to be a pretty useful hobby in that it permits mission opportunities I can’t otherwise see. For the poor soul wrapped up in computing itself as the ultimate mission, it’s a slavery that makes him the enemy of almost everyone he otherwise helps. You cannot dive too deeply into the technology without losing your soul and your link to the rest of humanity. That such lost souls are the captains of most hardware and software development is a major source of conflict between developers and users. I keep trying to remind them that computers serve human needs; otherwise no one can justify the investment of time and resources. Like fire, computers are grand servants and fearful masters. My primary justification for getting involved is human needs filtered through mission needs.
So while my activity essentially serves the user, I still have to help the user understand they can’t just seek their own pleasure through computers. Not that I waste much time moralizing to those I help — I’ll tell them frankly how to avoid getting in trouble with whatever vice they pursue. Most people are deeply confused about the difference between what works in meat space versus what serves well in cyber space, whether it be vice or virtue they seek. CompSec that works for one serves the other just as well. The morality of computer use is in the user, not the computer itself. That’s the part I play: I do my best to help them find their own way and let God take care of the parts He didn’t put into my hands. The core of our mission from God is guiding people out of confused mythology into the truth.
Too many of my fellow believers are deeply confused about how that works. The carry a huge load of crap about what God has placed in their hands, and presume far too much authority over the lives of others. Were I to operate by such false notions, I would be serving far fewer people; the rest of my mission would wither against a senseless barrier.
The bulk of my efforts are aimed more at mediating between the all-too-natural conflict between users and providers. Not just the software and hardware providers, but the service providers, too. I am by no means a technology wizard, just some fellow with more knowledge and experience than the average user. I’m trying to keep track of hardware, software and networking technology all together while also keeping track of human fashion (in the sense of what folks tend to want at any given time). From the midst of this maelstrom I have to feel my way along and keep a firm grip on the mission calling. I have to make sure I discard all the things that conflict with that mission.
To some, it appears I’m just a wandering mind that can’t commit to anything. I move my computers among multiple operating systems rather frequently. Guess what? That’s simply a reflection of trying to know each OS well enough to be helpful. I can’t afford to house and operate a half-dozen systems and what I can afford won’t run too many virtual machines, so I have to immerse myself in whatever it is I’m using until I have a firm grasp on how it will or won’t serve the users I encounter. No one system answers all needs. I know what I like for myself, but very few people share that interest. Even when my perception sings that one thing or another is the answer to all computing ills, I know better than to put on a big campaign to sell that. People are not that easily moved away from their comfort zone.
It would require a major catastrophe with Windows to get everyone to adopt something else. That could well happen soon. In a certain sense, it already has (given the Snowden disclosures) but the broad perception hasn’t caught up with reality. I’m not in a position to do much with that, given all the factors far beyond my control. Does it not occur to anyone that those evil forces using Windows like a virus to gain a foothold in every life will also control the message those victims hear? But for some, their personal mission demands using Windows because nothing else will serve the purpose. I can’t make that decision for them; it’s immoral to try.
So take this with a grain of salt: I’m very pleased with how things are going in my testing of CentOS 7. For now, it’s totally 64-bit, with no capacity for running 32-bit binaries. And it works just fine, which is a big deal. I can’t explain all the details and you aren’t likely interested, but I hope we can spread the awareness that 64-bit computing has arrived and is now viable on its own. Starting with the bulk of desktops and laptops sold in the past year or so, the hardware is ready. Open Source software is just getting there, in the sense that most of the hassles moving to 64-bit seem to be solved so that most software works. In the past I’ve had trouble building stuff for 64-bit, but it seems coding practices have improved across the Open Source community and compiling breaks less often. At the same time, Open Source is quickly eclipsing commercial software in terms of what the user wants and wants to do.
If you as a computer user can develop a stronger focus on the mission, and your mission is not bound to the software or OS itself, you might consider keeping an eye on my computer blather on this blog. I’m going to suggest that we can change the nature of the battle for most users. Instead of fighting external hassles, they would struggle only with themselves. I can promise that using something like CentOS 7 will reduce most external threats, and it becomes a question of whether you can make it work for your mission.
Still, the biggest question is simply understanding your own mission.
