A bit broken.

There is something to be said for imperfection. Things that are too well done, too finished, tend to close themselves.

It’s difficult not to sigh and complain about a program’s shortcomings and errors. But working around those allows me as a user to penetrate them, to become part of the process. And then I get a sense of ownership.

In fact, this is how most videogames function -as I observed a long time ago. They are often designed as perfect machines of which a part is then broken. And the player is tasked with performing the role of the missing part, in order to restore the perfection of the machine.

But even things with shortcomings that are not implemented by design, but are simply errors, omissions of their creator, function in this way. More so, probably, because the final state that is achieved through collaboration of user and object, is not perfection. And, as such is often highly unique, as unique as the user.

Imperfection is charming, it provokes empathy. It makes us feel at ease in its company. We, imperfect creatures ourselves. Always looking for someone who can work around our own imperfections.

So next time you see an error in a program, be glad. The error is an invitation. An invitation of the program (not its creator) to complement it, to come closer, to form a bond.