I recently came across writer Wendell Berry’s checklist in his 1987 essay Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer[a] referenced by Jason Kottke[b] and Ted Gioia[c]. Berry outlined criteria describing what it would take for him to use new technology in his work. I’ve personally bought and used computers since 1982, but the list still resonated with me. I’ve taken the liberty of rewriting and adding to his insights, making a list for the 2020s that makes sense to me.
[This is a draft for a blog post.]
As should be expected, many of these questions do not have a strict yes-or-no answer. They do, however, encourage reflection and consideration around each topic area – which is what moral reasoning is all about.
Desirable characteristics of new technology:
1. Considering all manners of cost, new tech should be less costly than the task or phenomenon it replaces.
2. The output and work of new tech should be clearly and demonstrably better than what it replaces.
3. New tech should use less energy than what it replaces, or clearly boost impaired physical or mental capacity in service of wellbeing.
4. Information about the waste produced and natural resources consumed by new technology must be made available explicitly and in an accessible format. This includes the complete value chain of production.
5. New tech should be repairable by most people with access to tools, or repairable at a reasonable distance from home–by a tradesperson–at an affordable price.
6. New tech should not replace or disrupt anything good that already exists, which includes family and community relationships.
7. New tech should never explicitly replace human beings – its purpose is to support human beings in accomplishing humanity-desirable goals.
8. New tech should not require surveillance-like or privacy-invasive features to work. Any such features should be off by default and clearly apparent and understood by anyone using–or being subjected to–the technology.
9. People must be provided a clear and accessible path to objecting to new technology and not have it forced upon them–whether it’s as users, as subjects of use or as involuntary contributors.
10. All new technology must be accompanied with clear instructions on its intended use and how to achieve defined outcomes.
11. It must be possible for makers of new technology to be held accountable when use of the technology according to accompanying instructions causes measurable harm to humans, other sentient beings or the environment.
12. The making, maintenance and operations of technology should never require or amplify suffering.
It's hard to make an exhaustive list and I always feel like I must have missed something critical. But let's start here, and I'm always open to input. I can definitely see myself using these criteria in teaching, and as a framework for running workshops.
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[a] Wendell Berry's original essay as a scanned PDF: Why I am not going to buy a computer – containing responses and Berry's reply to the responses. https://classes.matthewjbrown.net/teaching-files/philtech/berry-computer.pdf
[b] Kottke's post Nine Rules for Evaluating New Technology, found via @tante. https://kottke.org/25/05/nine-rules-for-evaluating-new-technology
[c] Gioia’s walkthrough of the nine rules. https://www.honest-broker.com/p/9-rules-for-new-technology
[This is a draft for a blog post.]
As should be expected, many of these questions do not have a strict yes-or-no answer. They do, however, encourage reflection and consideration around each topic area – which is what moral reasoning is all about.
Desirable characteristics of new technology:
1. Considering all manners of cost, new tech should be less costly than the task or phenomenon it replaces.
2. The output and work of new tech should be clearly and demonstrably better than what it replaces.
3. New tech should use less energy than what it replaces, or clearly boost impaired physical or mental capacity in service of wellbeing.
4. Information about the waste produced and natural resources consumed by new technology must be made available explicitly and in an accessible format. This includes the complete value chain of production.
5. New tech should be repairable by most people with access to tools, or repairable at a reasonable distance from home–by a tradesperson–at an affordable price.
6. New tech should not replace or disrupt anything good that already exists, which includes family and community relationships.
7. New tech should never explicitly replace human beings – its purpose is to support human beings in accomplishing humanity-desirable goals.
8. New tech should not require surveillance-like or privacy-invasive features to work. Any such features should be off by default and clearly apparent and understood by anyone using–or being subjected to–the technology.
9. People must be provided a clear and accessible path to objecting to new technology and not have it forced upon them–whether it’s as users, as subjects of use or as involuntary contributors.
10. All new technology must be accompanied with clear instructions on its intended use and how to achieve defined outcomes.
11. It must be possible for makers of new technology to be held accountable when use of the technology according to accompanying instructions causes measurable harm to humans, other sentient beings or the environment.
12. The making, maintenance and operations of technology should never require or amplify suffering.
It's hard to make an exhaustive list and I always feel like I must have missed something critical. But let's start here, and I'm always open to input. I can definitely see myself using these criteria in teaching, and as a framework for running workshops.
---
[a] Wendell Berry's original essay as a scanned PDF: Why I am not going to buy a computer – containing responses and Berry's reply to the responses. https://classes.matthewjbrown.net/teaching-files/philtech/berry-computer.pdf
[b] Kottke's post Nine Rules for Evaluating New Technology, found via @tante. https://kottke.org/25/05/nine-rules-for-evaluating-new-technology
[c] Gioia’s walkthrough of the nine rules. https://www.honest-broker.com/p/9-rules-for-new-technology