The title of this blog is deliberate - I am a person with many enthusiasms (I’m of the opinion that “nerd” is just another term for “systematically enthusiastic”) and part of being enthuasiastic is being open to wonder at new things.
One of my co-workers asked me today if I had reached the point of frustration with the software that he helps write and I help people use; a legitimate question because it’s a complicated beast with plenty of quirks. I haven’t reached that point of despair or frustration, and that’s because I’m close to the other end of the process. From my end, I see how using this software (and the resources it enables) can transform someone’s work and allow for incredible innovation and research. To see that process happen–to see or hear about the sheer magnitude of what is possible through this occasionally recalcitrant software–is a source of wonder and makes wading through complexity worthwhile to me.