Aside: Need vs. Want
Before we get too far into this list of things I need, I thought I'd take a moment to explain what I mean. When I declare that I need something here, I will do my best to make sure that:
- I have identified a type of work, a form of expression, or a routine task that I am engaged in and that would be enhanced by the technology.
- I have thought through the circumstances of its use enough to explain them lucidly.
But I don't really need any more shoes. I can't think of a single case where another pair of shoes would make a significant impact on any sort of activity I do. Ok, maybe golf. But as golf shoes are my last equipment-centric excuse for not being any good, I am reluctant to get them. I need golf shoes more as an excuse than as performance enhancing footwear.
The second criterion is a nod towards implementation and/or evaluation of candidate technologies. I want to explain needs in a way that suggests the shape and function of technologies to others who might help me locate, identify, design, or build them.