Pattern Language

Introduction

Technology may be broken down into a collection of fundamental building blocks or modules that make up technological devices. When one understands how technological things work, it turns out that there is a rather small set of underlying building blocks that much of technology has in common. Modules or building blocks of technology may be identified. These building blocks are like words that make up sentences. If we can understand the words, or building blocks, then we can master the language, or technosphere.

The key benefit of a pattern language is the transparency that it sheds on a subject. This is the aim of exposing the underlying components of all technologies - so that people can understand the technology around them. Only when non-specialists begin to understand technology will humanity be able to master its technological base. When this happens, humans cease being slaves to poor technology choice.

To understand the pattern language of technology, we began breaking down technological devices into their components. Here is one possible breakdown that we have proposed.