I saw a toot (from a stranger, hence the subtoot) that argued that permacomputing was about redeeming computers. Maybe some permacomputing proponents feel that way, but that’s not the attitude I’m bringing to this endeavor at all. The questions I’m interested in are things like:
• We have all these computers around, how do we make them last as long as possible?
• If or when we reach a point where we stop mass-producing new chips, how can we eke out the most use of extant digital devices?
• Is it possible to build something that counts as a “computer” in a genuinely sustainable way?
• At the root of all of this: what purpose does computation serve for humanity that is even worth carrying on in a more humane society?
Add comment