Permacomputing is a term originating from the demoscene, known for squeezing the most out of very restricted computing resources, such as the 4k intro with a maximum executable file size of 4096 bytes.
Permaculture uses methods that lets nature do the work, minimizing the reliance on artificial energy. Heikkilä sees similarities between how both permaculture practitioners and hackers find clever solutions to problems. He writes that the existence of computers can only be justified by their ability to augment the potential of humans to have a strengthening effect on ecosystems.
As chips get faster they also automatically become inherently more efficient (more operations per unit of energy). But if you buy a new machine with every advancement that’s a hell of a lot of e-waste being traded for energy efficiency. So I have to wonder where permacomputing folks stand on that. I’m still using hardware from 15 years ago and my newest phone is trapped on AOS 5.1. Thus I have very little e-waste but I probably have more energy waste. Which is worse?