CODE & AMMO: How Computers are Like Handguns and Why Neither is to be Feared


A lot of people are scared or distrustful of computers because they don’t understand how computers work. These people enjoy the world that computers have helped us to build, but they are either reluctant or actively resistant to learning more about computers—even though computers play a huge role in their lives.

Replace the word “computer” above with “guns,” and the statements remain just as true. And, as always, the Luddites are wrong.

Firearms are a technology, and they have a place in the world. Like computers, they’re often misunderstood, and failing to understand how they work but trying to use them anyway can get you and the people around you into a lot of trouble. Don’t be scared; be curious! Learning how things work is never a bad idea.

Curtis C. Chen


Once a software engineer in Silicon Valley, now a speculative fiction writer and puzzle hunt maker near Portland, Oregon. You may have seen my cat feeding robot presentation at Ignite Portland 10.