Do Gadget Blogs Hurt the Environment?
Piers Fawkes called this week's Consumer Electronics Show "an orgy of poison." I chose not to attend because it seemed to be a waste of my resources and extraneous to doing my job: sifting out interesting products from the manifold junk.
But beyond of the wasteful redundency of CES, does my job—this site—do more harm than good? By showcasing items that can be purchased, do I give you tacit approval to purchase them? Am I creating buyer's lust where there was none before? Should it be my responsibility to worry about your spending habits? Does the person who prints the catalog take responsibility for all of the products inside?
In the ideal, every gadget would be completely benign to the environment and economy of the planet, remain functional for generations as artifact not bauble, and serve to enhance our culture and interaction with the rest of the species.
Of those goals, the materials impact is the one most readily addressed and most critical to our current environmental crisis. We can stand to have multiple iterations of poorly designed gadgets if each one can be reabsorbed into the closed system of the worldwide production chain. And it's why I am most interested, at least intellectually but also politically and perhaps emotionally, in materials science and cradle-to-grave recycling programs.
I buy plenty of crap I don't need. My horse is not so high. Yet I am making an honest effort to remove extraneous items from my life. (Not just gadgets, although those tend to be the bulk-forming insolubles of my collection.) I hope to encourage you guys to do the same, while at the same time showing you lots of things you can purchase. It's mixed up.
My hope is that edited correctly, a gadget blog can serve two positive functions for readers: to give you a voyeuristic overview—window shopping—of the state of the art in such a way that you don't feel the need to actually buy anything; to discourage you from buying almost everything highlighted in the first place. I'm reminded of what Allan Chochinov said about the value of impractical design concepts, how they were useful in seeding ideas to the design community without the restrictions that come with real-space production. I try to do something similar, although almost everything I write about is actually in production, its impact already real.
Until rapid prototyping print-your-objects-at-home devices are commonplace, turning gadget blogs into literal catalogs (wait until those "Read" hyperlinks turn into "Print This"!), I guess that's about as much justification as I can muster. I'm just not sure what to do to make the companies who produce these items realize how important it is for them to make this industry healthy so that they have the time to continue to perfect their designs.
Excuse my rambling, but I continue to wrestle with all this but rarely put it down in writing—which is dumb, because you guys always help me clarify and course-correct my thinking. Maybe we should do a whole series next week on "owning objects"?
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Do Gadget Blogs Hurt the Environment?
Yes! Duh!
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
Joel, I think you do a fine job of balancing the things you post. I will admit to buying several items directly because of blog posts about them, but at the same time I've also donated to Kiva.org because of your posts, and have been inspired by some of the things people can make from recycled materials.
Here's a couple thoughts:
1) By helping us sort the crap from the good stuff, you could actually be reducing the amount of waste some people generate. Sure, I lust after fancy cool toys you post, but I also know that if you are excited about something (Troika radios excepted), it probably has value. For example, I went through 3 leashes and 3 collars on my dog before I found the ones that worked well, were comfortable, and were durable. You remove some of that trial/error for us.
2) You absolutely do not need to worry about our spending habits. You're not going to turn any greenies into resource-consuming gluttons, and you probably won't make wasteful/spendy/whatever folks change their ways either. I absolutely appreciate the time you take to post about things where the environment and technology intersect. The fact of the matter is that there are tons of blogs (most of the gadget kind are way more crowded with lust [or nausea] inducing ads than yours). I don't intend this to sound harsh, but your influence on people probably isn't that powerful. Your readers are here because we're like-minded, at least to a degree.
3) Keep up the good work, you're the first gadget blog I check every morning. Didn't you just get back from vacation? Relax a bit. :)
Well, here's the deal: I don't go to my barber for relationship advice, and I don't come here to have someone unload their environmental guilt upon me. There are tons of environmental blogs out there: we don't need one more.
Come on, it's a gadget blog: i.e. gizmo porn. Don't invest it with more meaning that it deserves. The editors of Gourmet aren't responsible for the obesity pandemic either. Like food, the gadget is (can be) an art form.
Frankly I was disappointed that you didn't attend CES, because there's always something interesting to come out of these shows, and the best stuff can get lost in the hype from the bigger players. This is the same reason I attend MWSF every year: the experience of seeing this stuff in person is fundamentally different than reading about it online, and that perspective is valuable to me.
Purchasing things is a glorified action that people are trained to get pleasure from via our culture.
Gadget blogs do no more harm than gadget segments on news shows, gadget magazines, gadget commercials and *gasp* gadget stores.
Consumerism in America is out of control, sure, but blogs about "stuff" are a symptom, not a cause.
MKULTRA has a point, but still it is good you feel the guilty little 'f this is hurting the Earth' we all feel from time to time. As a blogger reaching bunches of readers, why not mix two things you think about?
Two ideas for you:
1.) Use your gadgety talents to have a week about gadgets that help the environment in some way. (Electric cars? What's the word on the best of the best of those nowadays?)
2.) Replace the 'owning objects' week idea with 'pwning objects' week. IE the most wasteful & why, and fun ways to reinvent or simply destroy (recycle? steampunk? DYI?) gadgetry.
3.) Actually, do both.
You saved me from the Infinity Razor. And a lot of other people, too. Thanks!
@MK Ultra: Just because you have a preconceived notion of what to expect from a gadget blog doesn't mean I am beholden to match it. :)
I agree that gadgets can be an art form, for sure. I wish we could figure out how to tip the balance in the industry more towards art.
And yeah, I'm sure I missed some good things at CES. I still think in the aggregate missing a few things here and there weren't worth the trouble for me this year. (Nor for most people. It's good for a few organizations to get hands-on time with products, but literally hundreds of outlets are just adding to the noise.)
@Pork: Yeah, I don't think my perception of the real influence I have is too out of whack, but it's always good to be reminded of that, so thanks. And I'm not all tore up about all this or anything—I've resolved myself to not being resolved about much, nor do I feel the need to make firm decisions about everything right this instant—but I think it's interesting to talk about personally and I think it should be part and parcel with the discussion of the products themselves. It's like people who get up in arms when you mention politics or religion in a post about gadgets (and it's germane), dictating what is and isn't apropos to the subject at hand instead of discussing or refuting the notion that's been brought up.
Anyway, my point is: There is no god.
You live in a system of contradictions, individual purity is nigh impossible. That said, I think mkultra has a great name, but a poor comment. Gadgets are interesting, our fetish totems, and we need to rock that shit on every plane: from do they do what the press release promises to why on earth do guys want to buy a computer mouse that resembles breasts. Examining the environmental impact as well as the use of "enviroguilt" for marketing purposes is part of weeding through the ecosystem. A lot of us are out there, navigating our way through these overlapping contradictions, and a blog that examines this stuff can play a helpful role.
My only criticism, and this is minor, is that I think you should consider your role as agent and catalyst as opposed to simply observer and critic. Not to get all psuedo-grad schooly, but we can contest what is happening, we don't have to sit back and toggle between accept and snark.
Now if the current gizmodo asked this, I'd have a very different answer because they kind of suck these days.
@JJ #7: Of course, that it's your blog and you can do what you want with it goes without saying. You asked for opinions, which is the only reason I posted.
What I am saying is that (imo, naturally) there are already a bunch of awesome enviro-tech blogs out there, and it's a crowded space.
I've always seen BB as exploring the intersection between technology, art and popular(and alternative) culture, and BBG as a more gadgety aspect of that: a celebration of form and function in the same vein as say, ID magazine.
I can't help but think that the most effective way to encourage art-in-gadget-form is to, well, promote and celebrate it, and publicly mock the poorly-designed crap that some of these companies try to schlep off on us.
I know I'm not the only one who ever bought a device I didn't strictly need because it was simply too beautiful or elegant not to own, but that's a very rare thing: far more often just reading about the limitations of a device defuses my incipient lust-to-own. I just don't see this blog as promoting the sort of conspicuous consumption that you see in SkyMall/Sharper Image/etc., if that is what has you concerned.
I don't have a conclusion to write about in response to your post yet, but here's one thing: You belong to a very rare specie of bloggers - You have a good dose of self-criticism yet not self-censorship, and I applaud you for that.
Look at the major gadget sites out there. Their use of words is so vulgar decaying into to a pile of bathroom Maxim magazines. They don't care about the products, and they don't give valid criticisms. It's all bashing.
(Here is my reference chart for what I just described: http://www.arkidect.com/blog/2008/01/switching-channels.html )
Hmm...looks like we're thinking along the same lines Joel? :-)
http://www.redferret.net/?p=9691
@#8: I suppose that I just don't believe that documenting the artifacts of a wasteful society significantly adds to the problem, especially if the wasteful nature of the offending devices is explicitly called out as Joel tends to do.
I realize my original post didn't really make that point, but this sort of oh-discordia-what-hath-I-wrought hand-wringing just seems a teensy bit emo, as the kids say these days. :)
Personally, I think people who criticize the decisions made by others as "rampant consumerism" do a whole lot more to pollute my personal space than do any number of random piles of discarded Last Best Things. It is, however, your backyard, so fill it up however you want. My personal High Horse Detector censors anything that looks like it belongs in Adbusters anyway.
I'm living a pretty much post-consumer lifestyle anyway, but this blog could be seen as anodyne rather than stimulant with regard to gadget-lust. It continually reminds me of just how much stuff is out there, available for the price of a mouse click and a little cash. You also seem to have a reasonable sense of what gadgets are pure pornography and which might actually improve someone's quality of life.
Being reminded continually that I'm living in a society neck-deep in useless gizmos, it's easy to want none of them.
I think balancing, and discussing, environmental issues while touting gadgets is not only welcome but also appropriate. When reading about a gadget, I like to see the whole picture - or at least as much of it as possible. Covering the eco-aspect goes hand in hand with reaching beyond the sales literature and seeing whether it accomplishes its functional or aesthetic goals.
Sure, hand-wringing jeremiads about the ruination of the earth aren't fun to read, but glossing over all negative aspects of something isn't helpful, either.
And I don't find it weird at all that you skipped CES. It's a lot more mainstream than what I understand to be the focus here. I don't really need to read about you getting to caress the latest LCD TV that's three inches bigger than the nearest competition.
Oh yeah, and Tom's point is a good one. Like him, most of my stuff is used and I keep it for a long time. I think reading BB Gadgets helps keep me from piling on the techno-cruft by being vicariously gadgety.
(Hmm... I do own two iPods. But they were both hand-me-downs. The oldest one is a 2nd gen that still works! It's amazing how long things can last when they're treated well...)
Does buying a BoingBoing hoodie count as rampant consumerism?
From the noise of the gadget world, BBG showcases the clever and novel for the pure enjoyment and experience of something cool and interesting. As many comments have alluded, this doesn't automatically trigger a purchase. For many of us, makers and inventors, this is creative inspiration--fodder for a innovative future of greener, friendlier gadgets.
I see you've blogged the kill-a-watt a few times. Keep that up, and post the results of kill-a-watt runs when you can.
Mine: odograph kill-a-watt
Joel, you already do several things which distinguish you from other sites that conform to your goals.
1) You are critical of things that suck, or are too expensive, or are outright wasteful. Often, I see a product on your site that is an interesting concept, that I may have flirted with for a second or to, and then you explain why it's useless or unnecessary or could easily be replicated by something I already own ... etcetera. This helps me be a smarter consumer -
2) You shy away from the "look at the newest upgrade / model of whatever not particularly interesting laptop / phone," and try to focus on things that are truly interesting / unique, bigger breakthroughs, and gadgets that may not fall into the "new consumer electronics" category. This is why you are my favorite gadget blogger.
3) If you keep highlighting gadgets with a green element, you may encourage people to buy stuff they love that also encourages them to be less consumerist. Stuff that is well made, built to last, reduces materials, uses less energy, etc. - you can analyze these aspects of anything you're evaluating, without going so far as to be an outright green blog.
So, ironically, I give you high marks toward this goal anyway. I encourage you to keep the self-flagellation out of your writing, because it's not all that fun to read, but I think you're already on the right track. Congratulations on all of the good work.
The only utility I see in you feeling guilty is the possibility that I can then blame you for my excess. Might come in handy.
when did comments become a place to pontificate?
here we go: gadget blogs let me learn as much as i can to help in my agonizing decision to purchase a new gadget or simply deal with my old one until the perfect (for my needs) new one comes along.
now if we could get some super high res photos and real-world task walkthroughs, that would be great. sort of a gadget magna carta.
I like keeping on top of technology, but my big issue is how disposable electronics are nowadays. And how when they come out with some new thing, there's no clear use for the old equipment in any way. THAT pisses me off.
As little as 6 years ago, most thrift stores accepted any electronics. Nowadays practically all thrift stores have strict rules on what they accept since most of it will never sell to anyone, anywhere at any price.
Even on eBay and Craigslist and other e-markets, stuff just doesn't sell. So what to do? I try to sell or find good homes for all of my stuff, but I have started sending boxes of old gear to the Alameda County Computer Resource Center (http://www.accrc.org/).
It's really a weird world of electronics when perfectly good CDT monitors are rendered worthless by cheap LCD screens. And usable hard drives that are 10 Gigs are considered "worthless" by some.
I don't blame gadget blogs. Let alone this one since it's much less "gadgety" than others, but there's no easy solution to any of this.
When you consider the apparent blockbuster hit of CES was an 11 inch TV that costs $2500, ya just gotta wonder who's "running the show".
And where the hell are all the Levitation Belts??
We've been bamboozled with goofy gadgets and incremental upgrades for many years, only now the well-worn threads are falling apart. It's a confusing time as we find the new paradigm and shirk the old. Conscious choice will guide us through.
And where's the damn Hovercars??
That multitool that seems designed for zombies certainly gave me a bad case of gadget-lust
The timing of this article is interesting, as I'm moving into a point in my life where "cool stuff" isn't just stuff that SEEMS cool, but stuff that is actually cool and useful.
(Like the LCD Solitaire I picked up for less than 2 bucks that is actually PLAYABLE.)
I weed out the stuff that doesn't appeal and I jump on the stuff that does.
For instance, a while back, BBG posted about a 20 Dollar 128MB PCI video card that was free after a 20 Dollar rebate.
I just got the rebate check yesterday making the heavily used card a mere 6 Dollars after shipping.
Cool, cheap, useful -and CHEAP!!
I wouldn't have found that but for the post here.
Haha.. Yeah.. I want one of those knife belts so bad right now.. I may die... Why oh why did you create this burning need inside me. :) True story.
Joel, you're essentially citing the logic of sex-education. By doing this, are we creating more of the problem?
And the answer to both, is to be informative and reasonably neutral. Otherwise, people have to figure it out for themselves.
G. Deck, that is a great analogy. I plan on stealing that in the future. Or stealing it now and using it in the future!