There is hope yet, for humanity. I might make this an irregular segment, exploring corners of the human cave that offer glimpses into the light. It’s easy to get engulfed in the doom.
In the world of software development there are “libraries” which perform specific jobs. For example there are libraries that allow you to manipulate time, to figure out things like timezones and durations, which can all get quite nasty otherwise. The nice thing about a library is that it is made in one place, and it can be used everywhere. Every piece of software you ever interact with will use a time library. It’s like a specific part for a car radiator, made in a factory somewhere and then put into every car that’s ever made. Car companies don’t need to worry about that part: it’s just there.
What’s interesting in the software space is that these libraries, used by everyone from Facebook to Fujitsu, are often made by a group of people for free. More than that, they are made before anyone asked for it, with no view to make money on it, with no incentive but to do something they enjoy, and to contribute. This is called Open Source Software, and it’s worth reflecting on how magnificently strange & strangely magnificent a phenomenon it is.
Software development work is expensive, and yet they do it for free. Their work is used by large companies, usually without consideration or thanks. In fact, if there is even a minor problem with it they will sometimes receive less than polite complaints. There is no glory or gratitude in it at all. Yet these hundreds of thousands of small communities do this vital work around their busy lives and their jobs. Without them, planes would literally fall out of the sky.
Economists will tell you that we act based on incentives: people work to get paid and companies break laws to increase profits. In effect, all of our actions are inherently selfish. But where does this noble band of open-sourcers fit in? Their only aims are to help out and contribute to a community.
This isn’t unique to software either. In numerous ways, people volunteer their time without thought or favour or payment, to care for the elderly or speak for the voiceless.
Perhaps all people really want is a chance to feel part of something, to contribute to a larger cause. Isn’t that a delightful human quality?