Psychology of Technology: EnFuziasm
I didn’t see it coming. Though I have always been interested in technology and was typically an early adapter, there were no indications of what would happen to me when I bought my Fuze back in November of 2008.
It all began when I decided to buy a new phone from AT&T to replace my Palm 680. I knew I didn’t want an iPhone because, well, I never drank the Apple-flavored Kool-Aid. What sold me on the Fuze was the physical keyboard and small footprint. Then it happened. I was reading reviews on line and came across a web site called FuzeMobility.com. It was eminently readable, the posts practical, and the forums friendly.
When my Fuze arrived, I returned to FuzeMobility.com and learned that I could actually customize it; I could make it perform better (by doing “tweaks”), add cool programs (called “apps”), and if I really had guts, I could “flash a ROM or radio” (whatever they were). My Fuze wasn’t just a smartphone; it was a full-blown computer that I could carry around in my pocket. I was totally enFuziastic about it! 
For the next six months, I was, dare I say, addicted. Given my line of work, I was a bit worried about my obsession. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent reading FuzeMobility.com, downloading and installing tweaks and apps (somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 to date), pestering people on the forums (such a noob!), and ultimately flashing two ROMs and two new radios (sorry, Matt, I don’t qualify as a flashing whore, but more on that in another post). During the day, I would check FuzeMobility.com more times than I’m willing to admit to. I just couldn’t stop till I got my Fuze just right. When my wife asked me what I was doing in my office downstairs in the evening, I would tell her I was tinkering with my phone. She would roll her eyes. I told her better this than Internet porn.
And an amazing thing happened. I was learning a lot about how computers work. I began to actually respond to questions in the forums, helping others solve their problems. I was upgraded from junior member to senior member to contributor. And then Super Doug, our faithful administrator, posted a request for contributors. My narcissism and love of writing just couldn’t resist the opportunity. So here I am, actually contributing to a field that I knew nothing about eight months ago (ain’t the Internet grand?), continuing to learn from the true Masters of the Fuziverse (I just made that up; what do you think?), and, most importantly, having fun giving back to a community that has been so generous with me.
And I’m happy to say, now that my Fuze is as tweaked and apped as it can be (just flashed the latest Blackstone radio and installed Opera 9.7), my obsession with my Fuze has downgraded to just enFuziasm.
So a big thanks to FuzeMobility.com . And a big round of applause for Super Doug, David (Special) K, Hergified, Mobile Matt, Farmer Ted, and Helter Skelter for being the Obi Wans and Yodas to all of us aspiring Lukes!
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Comments
Matt Chapman I’m not that big of a flashing whore but Hey! And as I posted on Twitter; If you don’t flash your device, you can’t have any pudding!
alamfour totally agreed, I have a diamond and even at work I can’t stop tweaking and it is all fuzemobilities fault. 
kusbainian I think I fall into the Fuzeiholic community as well about 2-3 hours per day I think. I poll I say is needed just to see how bad I am compared with others …
http://www.mobilitydigest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1532
drjim Forgot to include Steve Davis in the Masters category. Sorry for the omission. Much deserved inclusion (though less active lately).
Doug Smith Jim, thank you for the great article. The irony of your writing is incredible. I have been fighting tooth and nail with my wife over my obsession. And it is. It is an obsession for me. My wife does not understand why I have 4 websites, and a 5th one getting ready to be launched (can you guess what it will be?). She has an aversion to mobility unlike anything I have ever seen before. She was critical about me getting the Fuze when the Tilt was still a good device. She doesn’t understand. She then asked me what’s next, without missing a beat I said it was the Touch Pro II or the Fortress. The matter of fact way I answered and the finallity that I WOULD in fact be getting the device infuriated her. She doesn’t understand. It is more than just the device, it is being part of the community.
So thanks to everyone especially Jim, David, Herg, Matt and the rest of the team that keep me going. I hope everyone knows that without them, none of this would be possible.
drjim Great thoughts, Doug. Speaking as a professional, passion and interest becomes unhealthy obsession and addiction when it hurts your physical or psychological health, your work, or your relationships. Otherwise, it’s positive to care about something deeply, create and build something of value, and help others.
My wife is the same in many respects (she just doesn’t get it), but I can tell you that she sure appreciates that I’m the family CTO and that, when she has tech problems, which is quite often, I’m there to fix them.
Dan I think Windows Mobile users are more prone to take mobile tech on as a hobby because it is so tweakable and powerful.
Doug Smith @Jim: ARe you available to counsel my wife? She needs it! You know that would be a great article idea, write an article directed at the wifes of us addicts! (try to smooth it over for us!) Not all of us can have wives like David’s that has the Touch HD!
@ Dan: I think it is our community that is second to none as well.
bitbucket Doug: OI! There are some wives with this addiction, too, y’know. My husband gets it, but it’s not his thing so he just smiles and shakes his head.
You should have your wife read this article, especially the second-to-last paragraph talking about helping others. That might help.
Jim: Well written. You’re a great new asset to the site.
drjim @Doug: I have put your article idea on my list.
@bitbucket: Thanks for the female perspective. Wanna contribute to this web site?!?!?
bitbucket @drjim: You’ve set the bar so high. Color me slightly-more-than-average enFuzed.
I had considered it when the call went out, but I’m still fairly new to WinMo in general and the Fuze in particular (got mine in March, from a Treo 650 – before that my handheld device was a Psion Revo!) and I have neither the passion nor a way with words nor just the plain time. (If I recall correctly, one of the regulars, at least, has small kids. I’ve got one and I don’t know how they can do all this! And sleep!)
I’m sure the idea will continue to rattle in my head. Maybe further down the road, if something hasn’t been done by then, I’ll give it some thought.
drjim @bitbucket: I understand. I have two little girls, so time is tight. I work for myself, so my time is my own, which helps. Please keep in mind for the future. Until then, just be a part of the community.
Cooper Ah! Haha, my friend, congratulations! x] Thank you for helping us all! o_o God knows I need it…
^^ Really well written!
Doug Smith We had a female writer on staff but she left us. 
The idea was to get some different opinions about how people view mobility, and more specifically Windows Mobile. If there are any female writers that would like to be on the team, please email me. I think a look at mobility from a women’s point of view would be great.
BRYAN B Your doing it all wrong, when you need a new device, send your spouse on a Holiday. By the time they get back, you will have already voided the warranty so you can’t return it and they can’t complain because the have just gotten back from having a great time without you( guilt buys a lot of toys in my house).
drjim Apologies to Bryan B for not including him in my list of people to thank. You belong in this select group far ahead of me.
dregon spot on doc. i am right with you. my fuze is my hobby that i am heavily into. i credit fuzemobility with any know how i may or may not have. this is my home site. and am glad to stay once i get my fortress . i say that with the same finality as doug my wife is an eye roller, but she is awesome with supporting my “hobby”. she gives me crap just cause she can.
to all our writers, i will say it again, you all rock! keep up the good work, us noobs need you…
bitbucket @DougSmith: Of course the problem is that my ‘perspective’ is more like yours than your wife’s. I’m a geek (and a degreed one at that – life just hasn’t let me use said degree ). I’m more like my dad when it comes to computing than my mom or my sister. And I think any female who is into flashing and customizing to this degree will be the same.
What you probably REALLY want is your or @drjim’s wife to write something! (Which could be interesting for the rest of us to heckle you with…)
@dregon: lol That’s my husband. He gets it, and is very supportive, but gives me a hard time because he can.
@bryanb: ROFLGO!
bitbucket Bryan’s got it. That pre-dates “text speak”: I learned it in the early 80s in SF fandom. I think the kids nowadays are more apt to say LMAO (Laughing My Ass Off).
hehe – nice piece. There’s a lesson for all here- the force is strong:)I’ll speak for myself and say that it’s a borderline unhealthy obsession – I know it and I don’t care to fix it:) And if you think you can stop…it will just draw you right back in:)