There are some sublime pleasures about this medium, like when it connects us to the best things from the worst days. A year ago I linked to Usman Farman's story where he showed us just how broad the minds and hearts of New Yorkers are. I read a CNN story updating that anecdote a few days ago and saved the link on my desktop, adding it to my sidebar for today. And then this evening I got an instant message from Usman himself, who keeps a blog and, as it turns out, reads my site.

So now I've been able to tell someone I've never met that his story, and his persistence in sharing it with the world, really did change my perspective and give me hope when things seemed so grim last fall.

People ask why I get so fixated on computers, and technology, and esoteric technical issues. The reason is simple: I want to make tools that let people communicate the way Usman has.