Another interesting article from The Honest Broker goes through Wendell Berry’s “nine reasonable requirements for new tech” list. The list might be nearly 40 years old by now, but it seems to have maintained its relevance as we make present-day technology decisions.

  1. The new tool should be cheaper than the one it replaces.
  2. It should be at least as small in scale as the one it replaces.
  3. It should do work that is clearly and demonstrably better than the one it replaces.
  4. It should use less energy than the one it replaces.
  5. If possible, it should use some form of solar energy, such as that of the body.
  6. It should be repairable by a person of ordinary intelligence, provided that he or she has the necessary tools.
  7. It should be purchasable and repairable as near to home as possible.
  8. ⁠It should come from a small, privately owned shop or store that will take it back for maintenance and repair.⁠
  9. ⁠It should come from a small, privately owned shop or store that will take it back for maintenance and repair.

Wendell used them to come to the conclusion that he didn’t really want to replace his typewriter with a computer (although I’m not sure how tenable or acceptable the “get your wife to use the typewriter” take really is; something several other people also noted).

But more generally, in the modern era, where “should you have a computer?” is not really up for debate any more, most of them remain a useful yardstick to consider technology being developed today against.

And in Gioia’s view, each one of them highlights the vast array of places where many of technology companies are currently failing us.

….the failure of tech companies to meet his modest demands is now painfully evident to everybody.