I am a fan of technologies that you can reach into. I mean this metaphorically, of course. I like computing tools that you can tinker with and make your own. Usually – although not always – these are openly licensed, and usually they deliberately have these affordances.

As an occasional teacher of technical workshops, I encourage learners to roll up their sleeves and reach into their technologies as much as they want. Ideally, we can do this insofar as our comfort level, interest level, and our available free time allow. There is a satisfaction to breaking and fixing things. Exploring our technologies as far as we see fit is a great way to learn, and our libraries benefit when we bring back knowledge to share.

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