machines were built to liberate, not to organize.

The arrival of the Commodore PET marked the moment when computing moved from a specialized tool of institutions into a private possession. This transition promised a new autonomy, yet it frequently resulted in a tighter coupling between the individual and the machine's rigid logic. One must question whether this "personal" revolution actually expanded human capacity or merely accelerated the deskilling of the mind by outsourcing its functions to silicon. When a tool becomes an extension of the self, it is rarely the user who gains the mastery; the user instead adopts the specific limitations and predictable rhythms of the system. The harder version of this progress requires that one uses these machines to create new modes of thought, rather than allowing them to automate the few creative processes one still possesses.