All posts in the topic Suatainable Computing Solution Providers (Short link)
Summary
- There are 5 posts — by 3 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by Andrew Groom at 2007 Jul 09 17:08 NZST
Hi All,
One idea a colleague came up with a while back was to set up some sort of
Sustainable Computing professional association, formal or informal. The members
of this group would all share a common ideal of "sustainable computing" and be
going at least some way to meeting that goal in ways that were relevant to
them.
For example:
- if you provide hardware as part of a solution, the hardware should be
ethically manufactured (to be defined) and you should provide a recycling
service (which might just be taking the gear and dropping it off at Molten
Media).
- you promote the use of open source software and locally developed and
supported solutions to reduce the trade deficit and foster the local economy (I
realize this is a bit trickier for export-oriented companies - any thoughts on
that ?)
- if you teach computing concepts, you should promote diversity over a
computing monoculture. As we're seeing in the natural world, loss of diversity
is a problem for no more reason than it increases our vulnerability to peasts,
disease and environmental changes. I don't see the computing world as being any
different.
What do you reckon ?
Cheers, Andrew.
It is scary how many dead computers we've got lying around school. There
is a huge opportunity there I'm sure...just can't see the business model
behind it at the moment.
> - if you provide hardware as part of a solution, the hardware should be
ethically manufactured (to be defined) and you should provide a recycling
service (which might just be taking the gear and dropping it off at Molten
Media).
>
What's 'Molten Media'?
> - you promote the use of open source software and locally developed and
supported solutions to reduce the trade deficit and foster the local economy (I
realize this is a bit trickier for export-oriented companies - any thoughts on
that ?)
>
I have been pleasantly surprised how easy it has been to break the back
of proprietary software at school. Management types are easy as the $$$
thing is the big selling point. Students are a little harder and maybe
the students at Hagley are a little more inclined to 'fight the power'
but it is definitely cool to be open source. Open source software is a
great lever for getting into other areas of sustainability.
> - if you teach computing concepts, you should promote diversity over a
computing monoculture. As we're seeing in the natural world, loss of diversity
is a problem for no more reason than it increases our vulnerability to peasts,
disease and environmental changes. I don't see the computing world as being any
different.
>
This is interesting. I was at a workshop a few weekends ago that looked
at the lack of women in computer science. There has been something like
a 40% drop in women completing computer science degrees (worldwide) in
the last five years. It did occur to me that maybe, just maybe people
are starting to come to computer related industries via different
channels (eg. design, engineering) in larger numbers. Maybe computers
are starting to actually become 'just another tool' for people to use.
Maybe we aren't recording diversity well enough to see an accurate picture.
Interestingly at school I'm finding that the people running enrolment to
my course have set maths and science as the prerequisites. My current
battle is to push for a wider set of disciplines in my class otherwise I
fear I will end up with a class of stereotypical computer nerds.
Josh Campbell wrote: > It is scary how many dead computers we've got lying around school. There > is a huge opportunity there I'm sure...just can't see the business model > behind it at the moment. ... > What's 'Molten Media'? Sorry: http://www.molten.org.nz They might be interested in your dead computers. Maybe they could help you revive these dead machines, put Linux on them and give them away or sell them cheap to students ? Just a thought :-)
Here is how to make sustainable computing accessable to the masses: Lease fully
(remotely) managed sustainable computers.
If one takes a lot of time one can pick more enviromentally friendly hardware,
choose to use software that uses reasonable computing resources, i,e, doesn't
require you to keep upgrading your computer when new releases come out, keep
the computer in operation until it absolutely must be replaced rather than
getting the latest and best, and at the end of it's life make sure the hardware
is disposed of in an enviromentally friendly way.
However most people don't have the time to do all this, it is hard enough to
keep the bloody machine going.
Sustainable Computing Co (SCC) would buy the hardware with the best ecological
footprint it can find. Lease it to the customer and dispose of it at the end of
it's life. By carefully managing the software installed on the computers, it
would be able to keep the monthly hardware costs relatively low. Modest
performance requirements mean hardware can be bought at the best point on the
price performance curve and the harware can have a relatively long working
life. Components which have a longer working life, e.g. screens, would not be
replaced just because the rest is being replaced.
Managing the software is the tricky part. SCC would be competing with companies
that end their relationship with the customer shortly after the
hardware/software us sold. A multifaceted approach would be required:
* Only focus on the 20% of software that *0% of people use, web browsers,
email, word processors, spreadsheets,
* Have the computers locked down so that customers cannot break the software by
meddling under the bonnet
* Have a system for pushing out automated upgrades
* Have clear rules on what customer support is provided as part of the package
and what is paid support
* Maximise the use of technology for keeping support costs down
A custom linux distributing would be a good step towards many of these goals.
- package repository only contains carefully vetted software
- root privileges are not given out
A broadband connection would be a part of the monthly package. As well as
providing access to the internet and revenue for SCC it provides the
mechanisms for support - Voice Over IP back to the support center and remote
control software (e.g. VNC) so helpdesk staff can see the problem.
Well that's my bright idea. Let me know if anyone has a spare million or wto
lying around to get a trial set up.
Richard Collins
Richard Collins wrote:
> Here is how to make sustainable computing accessable to the masses:
Lease fully (remotely) managed sustainable computers.
(snip)
Hi Richard,
It's a nice idea, but it looks to me like computing is relatively
accessible to the masses already :-) However, the idea of marketing this
as a way to do "environmentally friendly" computing is very interesting,
perhaps of more interest to "green" organisations than the home user ?
I know there a couple of folk in this group who are in the business of
providing systems to other businesses, and to me the "green" angle for
selling such systems seems to be an increasingly marketable one. Any
comments from the people who are actually in this business ? :-)
Another really important angle for sustainable computing is trying to
spend as much of your IT budget as possible in your own neighbourhood as
opposed to sending it all overseas. So, I'd add to your list of advantages:
1. The fostering of a local repair industry for the hardware you're
using (repairing stuff is a very underrated way of minimising resource
loss).
2. The use of open source software to minimise the percentage of your
software spend going overseas. TCO arguments in favour of proprietary
software from somewhere else often quote increased support costs of open
source software (which is debatable). If that support is local or
in-house, then to me that makes the open source option *even more*
sustainable (or less unsustainable, anyway ;-).
Cheers, Andrew.
This site is provided by OnlineGroups.Net, where you can start your own free online groups site, using the open source web-based mailing list manager GroupServer.