aesthetics.mdwn (2521B)
1 **Aesthetics** is relevant to many aspects of computing. Here, we are mostly 2 concerned of the superficial visual appearances and their technological 3 bases. 4 5 A predomidant aesthetic in mainstream computing is **[[maximalism]]**, that 6 is based on the idea that increased detail, complexity and "fidelity" are 7 the key to "better graphics". This kind of preference is highly problematic 8 from the permacomputing point of view because it creates a preference for 9 energy usage maximization (when uncapped). Permacomputing should therefore 10 strongly prioritize non-maximalist aesthetic approaches. 11 12 The dominant approach on the [[demoscene]] is optimalism, or "capped 13 maximalism". It often proves that mass appeal can be reached despite tight 14 limitations, but the aesthetic basis is still maximalist – fitting a maximal 15 amount of content within the limits, the more the better. 16 17 Ideally, the low complexity itself can be a source of beauty: things can 18 look good *because* of their smallness, not *despite* it. If this succeeds 19 really well, even the most mainstreamy viewer won't be longing for more 20 resolution or detail. 21 22 In user interfaces, the ideal of low complexity may easily lead to the now 23 fashionable oversimplification, where the internal details are hidden from 24 the user. This is not what we want. We should rather find ways to keep users 25 aware of what is going without overwhelming them with the information. 26 27 [[Media minimization]] techniques sometimes lead to styles such as 28 "ditherpunk" that require acquired taste and are still more likely to belong 29 to the "despite" category than the "because" category. 30 31 Another example of acquired taste is "Unix brutalism" that uses a lot of 32 monospaced fonts, program code and other elements typical of 33 [[character terminal]]s. It should be noted that despite its "hardcore 34 low-level vibes" it is often a suboptimal way of using display hardware. 35 36 The characteristics of [[electronic paper]] (slow update speeds, low 37 saturation, no flashing, bookiness) may be used as an antithesis for the 38 psychologically intensive mainstream computer aesthetics – regardless of 39 what kinds of screens are actually used. Elements may grow in rather than 40 scroll in (more like plants than cars). The semblance of printed media 41 alludes to a world that is slower and more thoughtful than the mainstream 42 Internet. 43 44 See also: 45 46 * [Permacomputing Aesthetics paper, 2023](https://doi.org/10.21428/bf6fb269.6690fc2e) 47 * [Slides from the presentation of the paper](http://low.fi/~viznut/limits-slides/)