Matthew, Nick, Dan et al
Matthew's email zeros in neatly on a point that's been one of my
enthusiasms for a few years - the ecology of the internet - but it
misses the point, if I may politely interject.
For some time I've been concerned with the literal issues of
'green-ness' and technology. A while back I wrote about how the European
WEEE regulations might mean the end of the line for the online retail
tech industry -
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/analysis/2132031/industry-faces-toxic-shock
-2. If you look at the date on the article you'll see how little
progress has been made in the last five years!
But more importantly I think it's the wider meanings of 'sustainability'
that should concern us in the cultural sector, with the emphasis on how
we work, how we fund that work, and how we plan and make strategies in
the wider scheme of things.
For me, sustainability in the digital world means:
a) making sure we don't duplicate work being done elsewhere, or nearby,
or by others better placed to do the work.
b) it means building sites in simple, easily maintainable open source
cms that most can work on cheaply.
c) It means trying to devise publishing models that can be sustained,
developed and networked in ways that mean they thrive and bring benefits
for all
d) It means building digital cultural infrastructure that is widely
supported, easily understood and brings connection to mass audiences
(inwards and outwards) for every cultural venue.
e) It means transferring the skills to publish simply to as many in the
sector as possible
I think a better approach to internet ecology ought to make it possible
for all cultural participators (small museums, galleries, libraries,
archives, artists, community groups etc.) to expect digital
representation as a fundamental right.
These are the things we need to consider as 'green' issues for our
sector, rather than carbon offsetting and so on.
Jon Pratty
Editor
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