Notes from the resources about permacomputing

I've recently come across a special branch of sustainable technology, called permacomputing. It is a philosophy and an (indie) movement that proposes alternative, non-consumerist thinking about technology, specifically computers: it tries to ask and to answer a question:

Is it possible to make a long-standing, repairable computing machine, that actually strengthens ecosystems and has emancipating impact on humans?

Here are my notes from the resources I had collected.

Eiríkr Åsheim: Uxn: Permacomputing & Roguelikes

Mantra: do more with less or better: do less with less.

The goal of permacomputing is to reduce ecological footprint of hardware and software, minimizing complexity for distribution while maximizing the relative usefulness to the users.

Permacomputing is by definition future-proof: perma==constant.

-Notes from Uxn Youtube talk

LGM 2025 - Permacomputing: Fermenting Regenerative Aesthetics

Permacomputing is about accepting and embracing limitations and constraints. Those two words have negative connotations (in terms of, i.e. impact to freedom) despite that the real life is full of constraints. However, artists and crafts people always work with constraints!

Modern device have "you buy this thing, you will be free" promise of the contemporary consumerism.

-Notes from LGM 2025 Youtube talk

Permacomputing 101

Computation should be used responsibly, and only if it has strenghthening effects on ecosystems. That which cannot be repaired is already broken.

Sufficiently advanced technology is indistuingishable from nature.

Tech should be emancipating.

The software should be built extremely efficient. It should be built with offline first approach using "file over app" mantra.

-Notes from Permacomputing 101 Youtube talk


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