# Do more with less

We have been convinced that more and newer is always better, faster,
more convenient, which if you're in the business of selling products
is exactly what you want. But in the interests of personal
development and sustainability I have actively been pursuing the
opposite.

In the modern world we are suffocated with choice, from toothpaste to
programming languages, and constantly bombarded by technology vying
for our attention.

The more stuff you have the greater the burden of ownership and the
less time and attention you can give to any one thing.


## Computer downgrade

I recently downgraded[1] the computer I use daily to one that is
adequate for my needs and consumes just 16w of power[2]. This wasn't
really a planned downgrade at the outset but rather the result of
some experimentation and long held philosophy regarding
sustainability and minimalism. 

I have been using the system for over a week now and it is adequate
for how I use it. Though I realize such a system would be impractical
for most due to their software choices.

Web browsing is possible using ungoogled-chromium, the sites that I
have needed to use, for online banking or ebay, have all been quite
slow but usable. This is more of a feature than a problem as it makes
browsing the web tedious and so it is kept to a minimum.

Mostly my local system is used much like a terminal, with many of the
internet applications (Email, IRC, Usenet and RSS feed reader)
running on my VPS. My thinking here was that, if I needed access to
the internet to use them, they might as well exist on my VPS which
reduces the amount of configuration and software I need on my local
system(s).


## Software footprint

For a while I have been actively trying to use lighter weight
software for my daily tasks and have migrated from heavy GUI
applications like Thunderbird, VLC and Rhythmbox to lighter TUI
alternatives.

I typically use:
 * mutt      - mail client
 * tin       - Usenet news reader
 * sfeed     - RSS/Atom feed reader
 * irssi     - IRC client
 * gopher    - gopher client
 * lynx      - text web browser
 * feh       - image viewer
 * mpg123    - audio streaming / local mp3 playing
 * mpv       - video streaming
 * urxvt     - terminal
 * tmux      - terminal mutiplexer
 * vim       - text editor
 * apvlv     - pdf viewer
 * ratpoison - window manager

My operating system of choice is now OpenBSD.


## Computing distractions 

Computers can be a total time-sink and rather than enhancing your
life, giving you super-powers to create things and solve problems.
They create more problems and frustrations.

Don't waste your life trying to find the perfect operating system or
hardware setup, you have more chance of finding the holy grail!

Be wary of creating too many customizations and be sure that the ones
you do make are worthwhile and replicable. 

Use something like stow to manage configuration files for future
speedy deployment. 

You should aim to be able to install your OS and replicate your setup
on any system in less than 30 minutes. This reduces the importance of
the hardware.


## Create things

If you disallow computing distractions to take hold you should find
time to exercise your creativity. Writing texts or maybe software... 
How you express your creativity is up to you, but don't settle for
being a consumer, there is no lasting satisfaction to be had there.

Computers should be a means to an end, not an end in themselves.

Above all, choose freedom ...


[1](gopher://gopher.icu/0/phlog/Computing/Low-power-computing.md)
[2](gopher://gopher.icu/I/images/asus3.jpg)