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Raphaël

Can projects fitting with the #permacomputing concept be something else than low level?

9 comments
aeva

@raphael I think the answer really depends on how bleak your outlook for the future is. To some degree permacomputing is speculative computer science, so (in my opinion) really it's a question of what problems you see actually coming to pass that would require making changes to how you write software today to ensure that software is still useful in the future.

aeva

@raphael for example, I think my own outlook is fairly optimistic in terms of availability of computing hardware and energy availability, but I'm pessimistic about the digital divide and expect we will have more prolonged major supply shortages here and there in the future, so in my own projects I put a great deal of thought into keeping minspecs as low as possible, portability, and avoiding dependence on bleeding edge hardware features

aeva

@raphael I wouldn't call any of my projects permacomputing projects and I doubt anyone else would though so take what I say with a grain of salt

Csepp 🌢

@raphael IMHO yes, but it depends a lot on having very good foundations. If you choose your abstractions correctly, then you can pile them pretty high without increasing the system requirements or power usage.

Hart of the Wud

@raphael That's a good way to frame the question. "Low-level" is relative of course but I think you can easily do stuff using higher level abstractions - using languages like LISP, BASIC, C, C++ or Lua, etc. You can also do stuff with simpler CLI or GUI tools. I think where things become less "perma" is when the stack underneath the abstractions starts to look hyper-complex and dependent on specific high-end configurations.

EpicKiwi

@raphael I think permacomputing goes beyond technical stuff and touch to what we are doing with computers and what kind of tools do we build with it. I think there is a LOT to do in term of design and high-level user applications. Building tools that fits best human needs, reducing alienation and maximizing emancipation.

Most of permacoputing and collapse-computing I found so far are really technical. I think it's because current network structure and computer production industry is not helping.

I think there is room for some experiments around high level applications and reflections around that.

@raphael I think permacomputing goes beyond technical stuff and touch to what we are doing with computers and what kind of tools do we build with it. I think there is a LOT to do in term of design and high-level user applications. Building tools that fits best human needs, reducing alienation and maximizing emancipation.

Devil Lu Linvega

@raphael yeah, the technical permacomputing work has less to do with writing software, and more to do with finding ways to do without. :permacomputing:

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