Bad Lemon

Lately, I have been thinking about comfort stuff. We all have comfort foods, ice cream, chips, fries, chestnuts roasted on an open fire. We also have other items we fall back on in times of stress or need. I know I can always play some Cocteau Twins (for you youngsters they are a 1980's/1990's alternative band) when I am restless and cannot sleep. My kids have their favorite stuffed animal and if I am nodding off on the couch I know I prefer a particular blanket over the others. What I have not been able to find is a comfort technology. For someone that is immersed in tech on a daily basis I find that a little weird but also interesting. It may be that my attitude toward technology is get in, understand, get out. It certainly seems to be a reoccurring theme in my life. I have heard stories about people falling in love with their iPhone and fearing their life would end in ruins if something happened to it. I might find it annoying to replace it but certainly don't think my life would be in ruins. Same thing for code. I know guys that refuse to move past laying things out in tables. I struggle a little with CSS (as an aside I am not sure how much of that struggle is actually me and how much is due to the restrictions in the CMS I work in.) but for some time I have been forcing myself out of the comfort zone of tables to at least understand the basics of CSS. Although this is just a small example it is indicative of how I have ended up using tech. I have also been wondering if this is how others view it. Especially open source and social media. With a prevalence of high quality, inexpensive or free software has technology become the ultimate disposable good? Maybe it always has been but because the the current speed of change it is more noticeable now. Just like bricks and mortar we find ourselves using certain building blocks while coding but they have morphed and evolved into dozens of different materials. So leave a comment and let me know what your comfort is. Is it food, music, a blanket, stuffed animal, technology? Can technology be a comfort?