commit 66ee4cf8a7eacab5f9f8491c0eb4a3bc6ed04c3e parent 0b0752ffbc063b67951b4c300377ba5a75148e5a Author: viznut_web <viznut_web@web> Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2022 14:33:39 +0200 empty web commit Diffstat:
| A | retro.mdwn | | | 16 | ++++++++++++++++ |
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diff --git a/retro.mdwn b/retro.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,16 @@ +Retro +===== + +**Retro** is a Latin word meaning "backwards" and "before". In computing, it generally refers to a kind of "time-capsule" computing that tries to re-enact a historical time period when a [[hardware]] platform was "still alive". Its central driving force is nostalgia. + +The concept is problematic from the permacomputing point of view because: + + * It affirms the industrial definition of "platform death" and that there can be no genuinely new uses for a platform when it is "dead" (i.e. not officially supported by the original manufacturer). + * It separates the current time period from the "old times", thus creating an artificial mental boundary. + * While historical re-enactment and time capsules have their definite places and hardware [[lifespan maximization]] is an essential element of permacomputing, labelling all uses of old hardware or time-proven techniques as "retro" may actually discourage people from using them for new purposes. We need sustainable continuity rather than a culture where hardware may become "time-locked". + +The concept of **Zombie media** has a similar problem with affirming the industry-defined concept of media "death". + +[[Heirloom computing]] is another form of time-capsule computing but one that designs a static artifact that future generations may return to. + +Examples of non-retro uses of old computers can be found in the [[demoscene]] and [[hacker]] cultures.