On the Thingness of Things by Mari Howard
This comes to you — but might well not have done – since we have these several past weeks been beset by the rebellious nature of our Internet connection. Was this a curse from beyond or within the house? Was it some malfunctioning of the line, the router, or some other source? Whatever it was, came the day when the whole thing packed up, and we found ourselves without connection to the outside – the online grocery shop, the Bank to pay for services purchased, the connection to my husband’s office (he works from home), and our various family and friends. Never mind Facebook, Twitter, and the BBC iPlayer… Or that vital thing, the weather forecast. Never mind vital background research when writing! When my phone went Chinese (without being asked...) It is in such circumstances that the Thingness of Things raises the question – How sentient are the non-sentient Beings which (or who) surround and control our lives? Makes you stop and think – What if this whole sys...