Nine Rules for Evaluating New Technology
I’ve been catching up on some posts that have been sitting in the draft folder this is one of a few that will post over the next little while:
Came across this from the always fascinating Kottke.org. It’s something that has been rolling around in my head a lot lately about technology. Especially with the current state of things to the south of me. I think it needs a lot more consideration. The rules are:
- The new tool should be cheaper than the one it replaces.
- It should be at least as small in scale as the one it replaces.
- It should do work that is clearly and demonstrably better than the one it replaces.
- It should use less energy than the one it replaces.
- If possible, it should use some form of solar energy, such as that of the body.
- It should be repairable by a person of ordinary intelligence, provided that he or she has the necessary tools.
- It should be purchasable and repairable as near to home as possible.
- It should come from a small, privately owned shop or store that will take it back for maintenance and repair.
- It should not replace or disrupt anything good that already exists, and this includes family and community relationships.
This was 1987 so not so long ago, but I think number 6 and 7 are tougher to hit with the complexity of modern computing. Number 9 is a doozy with social media. The thing I like about it is the adaptability of it to a personal outlook. I know that my outlook on technology changes daily. But using this is a great way to look at technology.