Semantici.st

Things are quite quiet at the moment in both my day job and in the hosting.

That’s not to say that both aren’t keeping me busy, but it’s the sort of busy that’s not interesting to write about. There’s not been any fun experiments with virtualisation or other shiny toys to write about.

So I thought this would be a good time to bring up the other side of my ‘adventures in technology’ – the religious side.

Religion and technology are not normally grouped together – most overtly religious people are, at best, neutral towards the affects of technology on their belief systems, and frequently the loudest adherents of any particular religion will tend to be decidedly anti-technology.

My religion of choice is Paganism, and it is no exception. In fact, in many ways it can be worse. The mainstream view of Paganism is of Earth-worshipping tree-hugging hippies, and it’s not far wrong. If you don’t fit into those stereotypes it can be quite awkward in Pagan gatherings, where the default assumption is that everyone is an environmental activist, vegetarian (if not vegan), and in favour of a return to an agrarian society.

But this is not true for all Pagans. There is a subset of Paganism known as ‘Technopaganism’, and that’s where I find my beliefs fitting.

I work with technology all day, every day, in both my professional and private lives. I carry with me quite advanced bits of computer technology with me almost everywhere – my Windows Mobile phone, my Eee PC laptop, my iPod, and Nintendo DS. Technology is integral to all of our lives, but some choose to embrace that more than others.

I recognise that modern technology is a tool, albeit a hugely complex one. As a tool it can be used for many purposes. Just as a candle can provide light in the dark or be used for more symbolic purposes in a Pagan ritual, I feel that technology can be used for more than just its obvious uses.

As an example of this, while your average Pagan might do a ritual to improve their chances of finding a job, lighting a candle during the ritual and allowing it to burn down, I have in the past performed a similar ritual, only I ran a script on my server instead of lighting a candle.

Technopaganism offers a way to combine a modern religious practice (despite common pretense, the vast majority of Paganism is of entirely modern construction – and even those who attempt to recreate ancient Pagan religions – ‘re-constructionists’ – have to adapt and fill huge holes to produce a practice and working religion) with modern technology. People who interact with technology on a daily basis (and that would be pretty much everyone reading this) tend to project a personality onto their technology. This is no different to seeing different uses for herbs or stones in traditional Paganism, only in a less archaic manner.

Technopaganism appeals to the geek in me. It’s about enjoying and using technology. It’s about creating tools to work with. There’s no structure or hierarchy in technopaganism. It’s barely mentioned in even ‘urban’ and ‘modern’ books on Paganism. There’s no set path to walk – it’s all about striking out yourself to create your own path.

Technopaganism allows you to fulfil that oh-so-human need for something ‘greater’ – the great mystery which drives all religion, but to do it in a modern manner, using techniques and tools that are familiar to any self-respecting geek.

That brings me back to this blog, and the reason why I chose this name. The term ‘semanticist’ is normally associated with linguistics, but I choose to look at the broader meaning: someone who looks for the meaning behind things.

Sometimes that refers to finding solutions for practical real-world issues of technology, such as effective use of virtualisation. Sometimes that refers to finding new ways to use my tools of choice to try and find answers to old questions.

Whether it’s scrambling to get CentOS working under Xen, or trying to develop new techniques to integrate computers and magic, it’s always an adventure.