Permacomputing
Permacomputing is a computing design philosophy which aims to improve resilience by using regenerative design in computer and network technology. It is inspired by permaculture.[1] Permacomputing approaches to computing often involve paying more attention to the life-cycle of hardware (including re-use and designing for older hardware),[1] using low-level languages such as FORTH that have greater operability with older hardware, and fostering a more mindful relationship with technology.[2]
History
[edit]The term permacomputing was coined by Finnish artist and writer Ville-Matias “Viznut’’ Heikkilä[3] in an essay on their website,[4] although it has earlier roots in a talk given by Kent Beck titled "Programming as a garden: Permaprogramming",[4] as well as Amanda Starling Gould's 2017 doctoral dissertation on "Digital Environmental Metabolisms"[5] which treats digital networking as a kind of geography.
Principles
[edit]Permacomputing generally centers on a set of principles:[6]
- Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst: designing for resilience even when you do not expect issues;
- Care for All Hardware — Especially the Chips: pay attention to the digital foundations of technology and aim to avoid producing waste;
- Observe First: assess what is valuable, beautiful, and necessary before taking action;
- Not Doing: do not assume that technological progress is necessarily beneficial;
- Expose The Seams: make the meaning, motivation, and materiality of software design tangible and visible;
- Consider Carefully The Interaction Between Simplicity, Complexity and Scale: do not assume that a simple system is necessarily better, and avoid scaling up for its own sake;
- Keep It Flexible: make systems adaptable to different purposes and circumstances;
- Build On Solid Ground: avoid becoming strongly dependent on systems, platforms, or formats that may change rapidly;
- (Almost) Everything has a place: avoid thinking of the history of technology as a linear story of progress and obsolescence, and value diversity;
- Integrate Biological And Renewable Resources: encourage the greater integration of computational resources with sustainable and renewable materials.
Self-obviating systems
[edit]A design principle in line with permacomputing is the self-obviating system,[7] which is a system which intends to render itself unnecessary.[8] In this paradigm, abandonment of the technology does not represent failure; for example, users may abandon a digital exercise system because they move onto other forms of exercise, like running outdoors or attending a gym, so that the system becomes unnecessary to them.
See also
[edit]- Hundred Rabbits, an art collective working in the tradition of permacomputing
- Solarpunk
References
[edit]- 1 2 Alexander, Alistair. "Care for life, care for the chips: the future is re-used, recycled and permacomputing". Branch. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ Ng, Tiffany. "The Best Programming Language for the End of the World". WIRED.
- ↑ Ong, Alexis. "These artists are making tiny ROMs that will probably outlive us all". The Verge. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- 1 2 Heikkilä, Ville-Matias. "Permacomputing". Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ "history". permacomputing.net. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ "principles". permacomputing.net. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ "self-obviating system". permacomputing.net. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ Tomlinson, Bill; Norton, Juliet; Baumer, Eric, P. S.; Pufal, Marcel; Raghavan, Barath (2015). "Self-Obviating Systems and their Application to Sustainability" (PDF). iConference 2015 Proceedings. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
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