What Is Your Technology Balance?

Technology is everywhere in our lives, but how much technology is enough? I explain my point of view with a couple of examples.

Last year, one of my friends asked me if programmers have a future in this world.

I stopped and looked at him trying to understand his reasoning.

He said everyone is building applications and automating everything to where programmers don't need to do anything anymore. They click on a button or two and have it automatically fix itself.

He said they will eventually work themselves out of a job.

I also saw another post regarding coding is over. Kind of shocks me.

I completely disagree with this reasoning.

Why? Someone needs to maintain the software that was written by developers. Whether it's the company or a development team of three, there needs to be a group who can maintain it.

Of course, there is no such thing as a perfect system. You will always have bugs or enhancements.

However, to the other extreme, there is a major company that has software in the field over 10 years old. It's still supported and never been upgraded or enhanced.

Are developers still at the company? Is only the support team available and the dev team laid off? Who knows? Yet, the company still sells the old software and companies are buying it.

Do they think the software is complete? Did they think that the software reached it limits?

Too much Technology?

While I'm a technologist, love writing code, and working with computers, there are times when I like to be disconnected from everything. I need the downtime without the beeping, whistling, and ringtones.

But then I think about what Gary Vaynerchuck said about "if you aren't hustling to design, develop, or promote your product into the public's hands, you aren't going to be the next billionaire." Some people don't hustle and are content with that in their life. Others are not.

Where do you draw the line? You need to have a balance between offline and online.

However, most people are constantly online because of Pokemon Go.

People who play the insane Pokemon Go app have no problems with technology.

• Major Highway accident After Man Stops in Middle of Highway to Catch Pikachu
• Pokemon Go Player crashes his car into a tree
• Pennsylvania Teenager Hit By Car Playing Pokemon Go
• California Men Fall Off Ocean Bluff While Playing Pokemon Go In Fenced-Off Area

Maybe not technology, but cars hitting them while using technology would be a problem.

Maybe someone could write an app to solve this?

UPDATE 2016-07-27: Someone's got the right idea with this article titled Why You Should Delete Pokemon Go Right Now!

Even Matt Damon Agrees

Everyone I've talked to who watched The Martian agree that it was a great movie.

The one line that everyone remembers is "I'm going to have to science the shit out of this."

With that said, Matt Damon recently gave the commencement address at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and mentioned "tech can't solve everything."

But the truth is, we can’t science the shit out of every problem.

There is not always a freaking app for that.

Along those same lines, anyone remember The Fifth Element?

Father Vito Cornelius listens to Zorg about how chaos brings a "circle of life" to everything.

[Embedded Link] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt1W0F0yObg

After all of his posturing and lecturing, he gets a cherry stuck in his throat and all of the technology in the world doesn't help him. Only a human could.

[Embedded Link] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VTsFtwO0u0

So does too much technology make us reliant on it all the time?

Yes. Yes it does.

It's because we always want to be connected.

We always want that important phone call.

We always want to check our email.

We always want to find out if Suzy/Brad is single and what they said about you on Facebook.

We always want to find that awesome deal.

We always want to get a free Starbucks Frappuccino after the tenth one.

And, of course, we always want to catch all of the Pokemons. Traffic be damned!

Conclusion

With technology absorbing our lives everywhere with devices and IoT (Internet of Things) always being connected to the Internet, let me ask you a question.

What is your technology balance?

50% online and 50% offline? 60%/40%? Or dare I ask, 90% online /10% offline?

I'm sorry, but my post today was spawned by all of these people in the news who play Pokemon Go and watching people go from responsible adults to blubbering idiots who dart into traffic without looking to grab a virtual creature.

That is one costly Pokemon since it'll cost you your life.

Was this entirely unexpected for a tech blog? Did I turn into a downer? Post your comments below and let's discuss.