One thing that stood out to me at #ComputingWithinLimits yesterday was that the "Back to the Trees" talk seemed to (accidentally?) deeply engage with the #Permacomputing topic, without mentioning it at all.
https://limits.pubpub.org/pub/sapyi15v/release/1
When our little Malmö hub discussed PC we got stuck on how creating hardware is an inherently destructive process, and using what already exists is great, but not the same as the regenerative abundance that permaculture aims for. We didn't see a way out of that
Job
in reply to Job • • •Job
in reply to Job • • •"Self-obliviating technology" is apparently an established concept, but we hadn't heard of it before.
It probably only applies to a small niche of problems, and of course current economic systems fear the spectre of degrowth, but even so we all kind of felt... I dunno... relieved? after that talk. It showed a practical example of how to make computing sustainable: by solving problems with it in such a way that we can get rid of it altogether in the long term.
Hart of the Wud
in reply to Job • • •viznut | Ville-Matias Heikkilä
in reply to Job • • •The original core topic in permacomputing is the utopian idea that computer technology, including its production mechanisms, could work in a regenerative way in the biosphere. With the main questions being whether if it is possible at all, and what it would be like.
I genuinely believe it is possible, but it would require a lot of changes/reinventions even on the very basic material levels. Therefore, most "practical" permacomputing concentrates on extending the lifespans of existing hardware.