Steve Talbott has continued to write about technology since his book “The Future Does Not Compute” was published back in 1995. He has published many articles online that give insights into his philosophy. The best place to start in these writings is his FAQ.

One of the FAQ items that jumps out at me is number 6

What gift does the computer bring us?

The primary–and in the deepest sense the only–gift of every tool is its resistance to the human good. In overcoming this resistance we advance as human beings. The painful results of my indiscipline with my hammer invite inner growth, which is the only enduring gift of the tool. After all, which is of more lasting value: the cabinet I build with nails and eventually leave behind, or the inner mastery I gain through struggling with myself, hammer in hand–a mastery I will carry as healing capacity wherever I go in an overwrought world?

By claiming to be master of all tools, the computer challenges us to contend for our own mastery on all fronts. Failing the challenge, we lose ourselves; rising to the challenge, we gain ourselves. The computer is our hope if we can accept it as our enemy; as our friend, it will destroy us.

For me, this is a deep insight into the nature of the computer and the responsibility and opportunity it brings. Of course, it sits in contention of mainstream thought that places the value of the tool IN THE TOOL rather than in the learning that it brings.

One of the most challenging elements of being a Waldorf parent who works in technology is trying to convey how important it is to bring a human sensibility to technology. Waldorf parents are (stereo)typically artsy folk who may reject computers as well as mainstream values. I believe that it is important for the Waldorf community to embrace these questions of the effects of technology without rejecting it outright. I believe that knowing the enemy (who is also a friend) is critical if we are to find ourselves through this tool we call a computer.