How much the User actually needs a Software Product? How often, how urgent is the use? Software is an improvement over the manual ways of doing work. By definition, it is not required for a human life. But, because it has spread, so much and so deep in our life, it’s getting increasingly irreplaceable.
Basic human needs
There are basic human needs beyond technology that we need to fill to be alive at all.
- Air,
- Food,
- Shelter,
- Transportation,
- Communication.
Also very-very widespread is the electricity itself that – no technology would have exist without it. The power keeps our food in eatable condition, warms or chills us – according to the season, entertains us.
Informational technology
There are a lot of software systems that are just giving information to the users. They alone does not execute any meaningful work. I, myself have several such products. Because of several reasons, they are not so deeply integrated in the every day of users.
- Google – GG just gives information based on our queries and fast. Of course, the company has expanded beyond just information – with all the software and hardware systems that they’ve build.
- kakvoiadesh.com – People need to eat. The food is a big factor on health. The problem with this product is – it is informational. When people realize what product is healthy and what is not, they’ll not need the service anymore.
- Breathe in – I’ve made an app that uses open data to monitor the quality of the air around you. The problem with it, again, it is only a database. It does not resolve the problem in general. People need to stop polluting. To do this, they need to stop consuming so much. This is not popular idea and opinion.
Functional software
The real benefit of software could be – with systems that do the work for us and let us enjoy life more.
- Cooking – there is not much software – at least not in the old gadgets. But, new appliances are getting smarter and smarter to optimize for power efficiency and quality of food preparation.
- Thermostats – Again – not that much software – and more hardware. The Air Conditioner, the water heater, the refrigerator stop – when appropriate temperatures are reached.
- Driver Assistance – Many such systems already exist – even before Tesla made it popular and integrated so much actual software.
- Cars have on-board computers that monitor stuff and optimize for fuel burn, breaking in ice roads and other features.
- Plains are placed in autopilot mode, so they don’t tilt.
- Robot Cleaners – Robots could potentially get our chores done. We’ll see how this goes.
Both the tractors (agricultural cars) and the cleaning machines could be programmed to go through all the space and do their work – without further human intervention.
Communication & Entertainment
Communication is also very essential part of our lives. There are so many messengers and so many platforms where we could share all kinds of data. Coupled with Entertainment, technology tends to addict us. But, the software here is not to blame in my opinion. There is always a human that is interacting with it – at some end of it.
Money
Money had (only) physical – real representation 100-200 years ago. With the raise of technology, the banks introduced a lot of systems that make it digital – numbers on a screen. Nowadays – there are of course – cryptocurrencies, that could be used as money and don’t have any real world representation – beyond the software systems.
Awakening
Software systems could awake us from our illusions. In my personal path to the health, software helped me realize a lot – about food, water, air, our habits and thinking. After I started learning how Bitcoin works and what it embodies, I’ve saw the metaphors in all other areas of life. It is not just about – store of value. If you think it is just that – you’re looking at it through a subjective hole. It potentially describes and wraps in an awaking way – all our interactions and life.