By Alan Kay
Technology is anything that was invented after you were born, everything else is just stuff.
— Alan Kay
According to WikiQuote this is actually a polished version of this comment Alan Kay made at a “Hong Kong press conference in the late 1980s”, but there is no link or other detail provided.
Technology is anything that wasn’t around when you were born
The variation I’ve used seems to be the most commonly quoted.
I originally found this in the book Growing Up Digital by Don Tapscott, where it had a slightly different form:
Technology is only technology to people born before it was invented
In that book it was also paired with this related quote:
That’s why we don’t argue anymore about whether the piano is corrupting music with technology.
This is also a fun extension of this idea, by somebody who worked closely with Kay:
Technology is everything that doesn’t work yet.
See: Everything That Doesn’t Work Yet by Kevin Kelly.
Building An Ecosystem
How can we build an ecosystem of innovative technology startups in New Zealand?
Most People
To be considered successful we just have to do those things that most people don’t.