[sevrinsky]

The grounds for probihiting electricity usage on Shabbat have gone through something of a metamorphosis, as rabbinic scholarship on the nature of electricity has expanded and the mechanisms used by electrical devices have evolved.

Given my digital-oriented profession and lifestyle, if it were not for the fact that all electronic devices are forbidden, I would find myself drifting back to work-related tasks ("oh, let's just see if this gets it to compile") to the point of losing Shabbat entirely. The blanket ban has saved my Shabbat and is part of the day's special distinctiveness.