getting_started.mdwn (6257B)
1 What can I do? 2 ============== 3 4 This is a frequent question, and not an easy one to answer. 5 6 Permacomputing can take many forms, and every context and situation is 7 different, but even without a one-size-fits-all solution, we can share knowledge and resources that could be useful. A growing collection of guides is [here](/Guides). The rest of this page is an overview of different ways someone could get started. 8 9 For someone, getting started with permacomputing may be: 10 11 * helping a school to work with recycled computers 12 13 * learning how to repair and replace components in computing hardware 14 15 * discussing the use and impact of smartphones in the household, or data centers 16 in the workplace 17 18 * working with local farms and collectives to develop low energy weather 19 prediction 20 21 * researching how to provide less resource-intensive tools and systems for their 22 lab or workspace 23 24 * getting involved with initiatives to create energy efficient and accessible 25 local libraries of information 26 27 * engaging with politics and policy making to advance tech and enviromental 28 regulation in their institution, town, or region 29 30 * helping artists interested to engage with ecological topics using tools and 31 media in line with this intention 32 33 * writing their own FORTH for a chip reclaimed from e-waste 34 35 Each of these can mix and match, and are also examples from the following 36 categories of action. 37 38 39 Participating 40 ------------- 41 42 Join discussions in your institution, union, building, company, or town council, 43 to figure out new ways to discuss the impact and regulation of the usage and 44 re-use of computers. 45 46 Join a union, join an environmentalist group, join a citizen science lab, etc. 47 48 It's also important that users of hardware and software feel confident enough to 49 voice their opinion, especially when the development of these projects is done 50 in a relatively open way. For instance, issue trackers can be important 51 activation sites to voice struggles beyond reporting technical faults. 52 53 Experimenting 54 ------------- 55 56 Investigate the places in your life or work involving computer use. How much 57 energy does it use, including accessed network resources? Can it be reduced, 58 replaced, or removed? What impact does it have on your wellbeing and your 59 community? Is there a common task you perform online which could be moved 60 locally? How can computer use for a particular task be phased out? 61 62 Approach computer use and acquisition with longevity in mind, considering things 63 like whether you need to buy new hardware, or could you repurpose an old 64 computer or device instead? Does it need to use a computer at all? 65 66 When developing something new, what are you gonna use to ensure you make 67 something that does not end up being harmful or wasteful? How will you measure 68 the impacts of your project, like the resources used to create and run it 69 including energy, fresh water, and waste heat? Can your new system be 70 [[self-obviating|self-obviating system]]? 71 72 With computation and computer tech consumerism taking such a big space in so 73 many activities, it is very likely that a domain, a common/everyday tool, or a 74 practice, in which you have interest, professionally or not, could become your 75 field of experimentation. Do you need to acquire new skills? How will you 76 acquire these skills? Can you afford to learn such skills? Could you figure it 77 out with the help of others? 78 79 Reading and learning 80 -------------------- 81 82 For non-programmers and infrequent computer users, some minimal knowledge of 83 computing jargon and practices is recommended. However, the question of literacy 84 in relation to computational culture is often reduced to staying in the loop 85 with the "latest developments" the tech industry and acquiring technological 86 skills, when we need to talk more about the other way around. 87 88 A lot of the radical thinking in computer science and engineering seems to be 89 too often stuck on the same old 60-70s countercultural ideas from the United 90 States. We think that it's important that people with a strong technological 91 background start to catch up with decades of the various strands of 92 computational critique discussed in feminist studies, gender studies, software 93 studies, cultural studies, and also arts and humanities. 94 95 Organizing 96 ---------- 97 98 Consider starting a local group around permacomputing. You don't have and should 99 not try to work on this topic on your own! Talk to local cultural organisations, 100 hackerspaces, squats, town councils, schools and universities to help organising 101 some events, workshops, skill-sharing sessions, show&tell, etc. Try to bootstrap 102 a small permacomputing community. Make use of our [[code of conduct|terms]] to 103 get you started with questions of moderation, make use of the wiki, communicate 104 on the existing lists, chats, or start your own! 105 106 Publishing 107 ---------- 108 109 Regardless what you do, it will be very inspiring to others if you document it a 110 bit, both successes *and* failures. It does not have to be extensive, but it can 111 be a much more effective way to demonstrate how to activate critical practices 112 in relation to computer techology. You can do that on your own website if you 113 have one, you can make zines, something individual or something with others, and 114 of course [[you could use this wiki|contribute]]! More generally publishing does 115 not need to be only about the projects you are involved with directly, maybe it 116 is about helping others writing a manual, a cookbook, a sampler, something 117 relatable and accessible. 118 119 Breaking the monoculture 120 ------------------------ 121 122 Like many communities of practice that emerged from contemporary computer 123 tech circles, permacomputing suffers from very poor cultural diversity. How can 124 we make this space more accessible and inclusive? Like, really, and not just 125 empty words. How can the privileges that some of us have to be able to dedicate 126 time on such topics can be generative of activities that can contribute to 127 breaking the tech monoculture and how can the permacomputing space, including 128 this wiki, can become a platform for less privileged groups to be represented 129 *and* supported? 130 131 ---- 132 133 Note: the first version of this document was motivated by, and in part inspired 134 from, discussions and contributions from participants of the LIMITS 2023 135 workshop. THANKS <3