Magic, Technology, and the Hogwarts for Hackers

I've been thinking about the internet in terms of Magic. Our phones are portals in our pockets, opening a small window into another world. I like the magic metaphor because it encourages me to think about the internet as a place where fantastic and wonderful things can happen. But can opening up a web browser inspire the same feelings as reading about fictional magic?

Reality Check -- the internet isn't real. Code doesn't actually DO real things. For me, the excitement I felt when The Subtle Knife opened a portal into a parallel world was more thrilling than anything I've felt on the internet. The Internet can do all sorts of amazing things, but I have come to the conclusion that the price that we pay for the internet is roughly equal to the benefit we get. An equilibrium of sorts. We have a fantastic library of knowledge at our fingertips, but we waste time on Facebook and buzzfeed. We have instant communication all across the world, but we end up spending more time investing in virtual relationships, and less time with friends in the real world. GPS devices can magically direct us to a place we've never been before, but by depending on GPS we are lost without it.

Actually, maybe this isn't so unlike fictional magic. In most fictitious magical worlds, the magic does enact a kind of equilibrium. Think of The Lord of the Rings -- magic is a burden that comes with a price. In The Lord of the Rings, and The Golden Compass, both trilogies are concluded with the forfeiture of Magic. Even in Harry Potter, Magic is a force that is equally available to good and evil.

Pushing the metaphor further reveals a score of additional parallels between Magic and Technology. There is a currency that powers magic and a currency that powers technology. After Gandalf's first encounter with the Balrog he was drained to the point of exhaustion. Your smartphone works the same way. We study magic to learn its secrets. I'm currently a student at the Hogwarts for Hackers. Our efforts to become more skilled magic users parallel our efforts for personal growth. We aim to harness Magic for pleasure and profit. Like the internet, The Force from Star Wars is a great source that we tap into to manipulate and enhance our lives.

There are Factions that contrast in philosophy, design and implementation. Think of the five "Colors" in Magic: the Gathering. Green is the magic of nature and fecundity, while red is the magic of Mountains and fire. These factions can interact with varying levels of synergy and incompatibility. Compare these colors to (for example) the functional asynchronous style of node.js and the more traditional linear models of Ruby and Python.

There is one important feature of technology that is missing from magic: Layers of Abstraction. In web development we rely on layers of abstraction to build projects so capable and advanced that they may be indistinguishable from magic to an end user. This is the distinction that differentiates magic from technology. Magic is technology that we didn't invent -- just discovered. Once we understand magic, we forfeit magic -- and it becomes technology.

There's one more important parallel between magic and technology. Aladdin's genie couldn't do it, neither could Dumbledore, and Gandalf may have come closest of all. Magic cannot conquer death. The conclusion I've come to is this: Don't spend your life on technology... or magic. Remember the equilibrium, and try to be a force that leverages technology for the better.