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| liit:it [2026/03/10 12:41] – external edit 127.0.0.1 | liit:it [2026/08/19 00:24] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| # Low-impact IT | This topic is part of [[gt:digital|Digital & media]]. |
| | ====== Low-impact IT ====== |
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| ## What is low-impact IT? | ===== What is low-impact IT? ===== |
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| A [lot of energy](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652611000801) goes into making our computers, so we think it's a good idea to make them last as long as possible. Big software companies are always bringing out new software that almost always requires more processing power than its predecessors, and therefore requires more powerful hardware, so tends not to work too well on older computers. This results in criminally short lives for most computers. They can be recycled / made to last longer by a combination of a) a bit of tinkering, and b) using [free / open source](/foss/open_source) software and operating systems, which tend to require less processing power. | A [lot of energy](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652611000801) goes into making our computers, so we think it's a good idea to make them last as long as possible. Big software companies are always bringing out new software that almost always requires more processing power than its predecessors, and therefore requires more powerful hardware, so tends not to work too well on older computers. This results in criminally short lives for most computers. They can be recycled / made to last longer by a combination of a) a bit of tinkering, and b) using [free / open source](/foss/open_source) software and operating systems, which tend to require less processing power. |
| <WRAP center centeralign> | <WRAP center centeralign> |
| <figure> | <figure> |
| {{url>https://www.youtube.com/embed/1QX0_GZ9Cw4 560,315}} | {{url>https://www.youtube.com/embed/1QX0_GZ9Cw4}} |
| <caption> | <caption> |
| _Tour of the components of a laptop, and what they do._ | _Tour of the components of a laptop, and what they do._ |
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| ## What are the benefits of low-impact IT? | ===== What are the benefits of low-impact IT? ===== |
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| With well over 2 billion PCs in the world, and rising rapidly, their short lives point to a massive environmental disaster. | With well over 2 billion PCs in the world, and rising rapidly, their short lives point to a massive environmental disaster. |
| <WRAP center centeralign> | <WRAP center centeralign> |
| <figure> | <figure> |
| {{url>https://www.youtube.com/embed/uXUjwk2-qx4 560,315}} | {{url>https://www.youtube.com/embed/uXUjwk2-qx4}} |
| <caption> | <caption> |
| _What is a Raspberry Pi?_ | _What is a Raspberry Pi?_ |
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| ## What can I do? | ===== What can I do? ===== |
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| Most importantly, don't chuck your old computer away. You can have a go at revamping it yourself, with the aforementioned tinkering/open source, or you can give it to specialist companies who recycle them, often for the developing world (see our links page). | Most importantly, don't chuck your old computer away. You can have a go at revamping it yourself, with the aforementioned tinkering/open source, or you can give it to specialist companies who recycle them, often for the developing world (see our links page). |
| <WRAP center centeralign> | <WRAP center centeralign> |
| <figure> | <figure> |
| {{url>https://www.youtube.com/embed/iwPrn1EE4NY 560,315}} | {{url>https://www.youtube.com/embed/iwPrn1EE4NY}} |
| <caption> | <caption> |
| _Beginners’ guide to the connectors on a motherboard._ | _Beginners’ guide to the connectors on a motherboard._ |
| The development of smaller and less power-hungry processors has meant that microcomputers now present a useful alternative to traditional computers. These are [small (credit-card-sized) computers](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/30-credit-card-sized-non-corporate-low-energy-computers-set-up-to-run-on-linux-any-boxes-not-ticked-there/) that run a Linux operating system, running versions of most open source software. [Raspberry Pi](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/how-i-built-a-raspberry-pi-arcade-machine-with-my-kids/) is the best known of these, built by the [Raspberry Pi Foundation](https://www.raspberrypi.org/) charity. | The development of smaller and less power-hungry processors has meant that microcomputers now present a useful alternative to traditional computers. These are [small (credit-card-sized) computers](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/30-credit-card-sized-non-corporate-low-energy-computers-set-up-to-run-on-linux-any-boxes-not-ticked-there/) that run a Linux operating system, running versions of most open source software. [Raspberry Pi](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/how-i-built-a-raspberry-pi-arcade-machine-with-my-kids/) is the best known of these, built by the [Raspberry Pi Foundation](https://www.raspberrypi.org/) charity. |
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| ## Further resources | ===== Forum ===== |
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| | This topic belongs to the section [[gt:digital|Digital & media]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/digital). |
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| | ===== Further resources ===== |
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| - [Computer Aid](https://www.computeraid.org/) non-profit organisation refurbishing computers for use in poor countries | - [Computer Aid](https://www.computeraid.org/) non-profit organisation refurbishing computers for use in poor countries |
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| ## Related topics | ===== Related topics ===== |
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| | - [Blockchain](bloc:blockchain) |
| | - [Free & open source software](foss:open_source) |
| | - [Platform co-ops](pltc:platform_co-ops) |
| | - [Recycling, reusing & repairing](recl:recycling) |
| | - [Wikis](wiks:wikis) |
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| ## Specialist curators of this topic | ===== Specialist curators of this topic ===== |
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