Comment by iLemming

> a carpentry sub-contractor is not.

You sound like you're anthropomorphizing it. A hammer is a tool, yes, but a complex conveyor belt of "smart" hammers is still a tool. It's not a "sub-contractor" - you can't blame the belt when it starts hammering things the wrong way; you can't sue it; you can't reason with it; you can't punish it. You're still responsible for the outcome, thus it is a tool, because you're the one wielding it, using and operating it. But then you have to draw the line between a "tool" and "automation", that's what Rich is doing here. But that line is also, soooo debatable. My own usage of my harness changes from task to task, multiple times a day. Sometimes it's pure automation, sometimes it is absolutely a tool.