I think part of the problem is the way we see our computers these days. Back in the day, having a computer was the whole point, now it's just a means to some other end. Not that we didn't do practical work on those old machines - I did a user group newsletter on an Atari 800- but the computer *was* the hobby. Now, I use my pc for mundane tasks, or for doing my other hobbies. It's a tool, hard to get excited over a screwdriver... ;-)
