RE: Computers and Global responsibility - was RE: Snap, Crackle, Pop - VST Effect & Sound Card Problems

["Dean, Hal " <HDEAN@wcupa.edu>]

As Jeff advises, look no further if you wish to stick to looping.

I thought this might become at least a bit of a bombshell. I wrestle
with it from time to time, but as Jeff notes, it is only part of a much
larger picture.

Having said that, I think the choices we make DO matter. OK, we're
musicians and have gear we use. Other people have their own version of,
shall we say, "specialized technological consumption." Let the
architects and engineers talk among themselves about their reliance on
CAD, #d modeling software, and frequent hardware and software upgrades.
But, IMHO, we as musicians have a responsibility equal to that of the
rest of society to reexamine how we do what we do. People with lawns
constitute a much broader swath of the population; I'm not sue i grasp
the analogy, but I WOULD say, yes, do please ditch the 2-cycle lawn
mower engines. 

Having just disagreed with Jeff on one point, I'll say I agree with him
on every other, including not feeling bad about buying a computer.
Backing away from consumerism is key to our moving toward a sustainable
world, but Luddism isn't the answer either.

Maybe further discussion on this one ought to move off LD.

Hal Dean

-----Original Message-----
From: jeff larson [mailto:jeff.larson@sailpoint.com] 
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2006 2:24 PM
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Subject: RE: Computers and Global responsibility - was RE: Snap,
Crackle, Pop - VST Effect & Sound Card Problems


> From: Dean, Hal
> 
> This whole sequence prompts me to solicit everyone's thoughts on the 
> environmental impact of gear acquisition syndrome and the migration to

> computers of so much of what "electronic musicians" of any stripe do.

If you want to read about looping, HIT DELETE NOW!

I think the environmental impact of computers is a reasonable topic of
discussion, but I'm not convinced that the choices musicians make are
very significant.

People that use a computer only for music represent a tiny fraction of
the computer market.  An analogy might be: I'm concerned about the
economy's dependence on oil, should we be using manual lawn mowers?

> On the larger scale, the use of computers everywhere for everything is

> so widely touted as a boon to productivity, and so often cited as an 
> environmental benefit because pixels replace paper and people can 
> telecommute, that it seems blasphemous to question this received 
> wisdom.

I think the productivity boon is unquestioned.  I have not heard
arguments that there is any great environmental benefit, at least not
for pixels vs. paper.  If anything, increases in productivity allow us
to generate waste of all sorts more rapidly.

> Try looking up the "cost of the Internet"... it's
> interesting how little you can find about it. But all these home and 
> business boxes consuming power

If you're concerned about power consumption, then stop using your
toaster, hair dryer, television, and guitar amps.  Stop consuming so
much disposable manufactured crap you don't need.  Use public
transportation.  There are lots of things in the world that have an
impact on the environment.  Disposal of computer waste is one of those.
Sure, we should be concerned about this but I don't think musicians need
to start feeling bad if they buy a computer.

Computers aren't going to go away any more than automobiles will, and we
know what an environmental disaster those are.  Manufacturers need to be
pressured to build products with less environmental impact.  It can
almost always be done, it just costs more.  

We may get some psychological satisfaction by avoiding technology, but
if we want to make a measurable difference it's harder.

Jeff