There was a short essay published on the early internet — 1986, to be exact — called “Hacker Manifesto.” It’s a cringe-worthy screed that would be right at home on the “I’m 14 and this is deep” subreddit, but there’s a concept buried within it that has stuck with me over the years, even if my own teenage angst has faded.

Amidst its cyberpunk-inspired social commentary, the manifesto describes the objectivity of computers: They are impartial machines, free from bias, and carrying with them no particular agenda. “If it makes a mistake, it’s because I screwed up. Not because it doesn’t like me.”

Especially for socially awkward kids who gravitated toward computers at an early age, there’s something appealing about that type of objectivity. The machine doesn’t treat you differently based on your physical appearance or your social status. It doesn’t bring any prejudice or past experience to that table. It isn’t still upset because of something that happened yesterday. It’s a fresh chess board, a puzzle to be solved. Ordered. Predictable.

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