Amish and Technology

Wired is running a nice little piece describing The Amish's use of Technology. An interesting read that also points out the lesser-known fact that the Amish used to be prosecuted for being too progressive, and after they'd escaped to the New World, made a seeming 180 degree turn to save their social lives.

While I don't agree with the extent to which the Amish have taken this, I fully agree with the underlying sentiment: progress in and of itself is nothing to aspire to, and technology is there to serve the people, not the other way round. If you get calls during lunch with your family, tell people they're interrupting. It's a matter of priorities. If the shop is burning, it's OK to interrupt me during lunch. If the clerk is looking for that last bill that's hidden away somewhere in the filing system, that can wait 20 minutes. Set priorities about what's important to you and be ready to defend them.