The Fourth Era of Computing (opens in new tab)

The polarity of hard and easy in computing is inverting. Raw configuration files, exposed APIs, terminal-first applications; these have all become easy. They are the hooks agents want, and we don’t have to think about them. Polished GUIs are now becoming the hard path by comparison, because we have to use them ourselves. This change has sparked the fourth era in the evolution of computing. By describing it and how we got here, I will overturn most of the things I’ve ever said about user inter...