1966 Mag: Build NE-2 Neon Bulb Computer - scan available

[Roy J. Tellason]

On Monday 23 July 2007 03:44, Jules Richardson wrote:
> William Donzelli wrote:
> >> I guess you should hang on to all the old gear you can get, because
> >> everything built today will be land-fill in 10 years.
> >
> > Recycle!
>
> Anyone know how much that buys you in the grand scheme of things? It uses
> resources to move dead devices around, strip them to component parts, then
> move things like PCBs elsewhere for final materials reclaimation -
> particularly if the scheme involves something really dumb like shipping
> them by boat halfway around the world. I suspect the recycling step can
> actually be more harmful than burying the old thing locally and building a
> replacement from (local) raw materials.
>
> I can't help thinking it'd be much nicer to simply build stuff that lasts
> longer in the first place, and work at educating people about buying
> products based on what they actually *need* it to do rather than buying
> something just because it's new and therefore assumed to be better. Maybe
> make "repairability" a marketing feature too, along with publicising product
> lifespan (see other post).
>
> </soapbox>

The question that comes up in my mind is,  why isn't this happening now?  
Market forces would seem to be pushing things in the opposite direction...

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
M Dakin