13 Principles for Good Technology
A set of criteria to help you reflect on costly requirements and beneficial values when adopting new technology. Inspired by a 1987 essay by Wendell Berry.
-
13 principles
1. Reduce Costs
Considering all forms of cost, new technology should be less costly than the task or phenomenon it replaces.
-
13 principles
2. Reduce Energy Consumption
New technology should use less energy than what it replaces and use renewable energy where possible.
-
13 principles
3. Improve Quality
The output and work of new technology should be clearly and demonstrably better than what it replaces.
-
13 principles
4. Enable Easy Repair
New technology should be repairable by most people with access to tools.
-
13 principles
5. Act Near the Need
Buying and caring for new technology should be possible close to home, or close to where the technology is used, at an affordable price.
-
13 principles
6. Respect What Works
New technology should not replace or disrupt anything good that already exists, including family and community relationships.
-
13 principles
7. Strengthen Human Competence
The purpose of new technology should never be to replace people — its purpose is to enable people to strengthen universal wellbeing: their own, others', or nature's.
-
13 principles
8. Promote Human Dignity
New technology should not require surveillance-like or privacy-violating features in order to function. Such features should be turned off by default and clearly visible and understood by all who use — or are subject to — the technology.
-
13 principles
9. Respect Resistance
People must be allowed to object to new technology and should not have it imposed on them, whether as users, as subjects of its use, or as involuntary participants.
-
13 principles
10. Guide Intended Use
All new technology must be accompanied by clear instructions on its intended use and how to achieve defined outcomes.
-
13 principles
11. Communicate Environmental Impact
Information about waste produced and natural resources consumed by new technology must be made explicitly available in an accessible format. This includes the entire production chain.
-
13 principles
12. Counteract Harm
The manufacture, maintenance, and operation of technology must never require or amplify suffering.
-
13 principles
13. Maintain Accountability
It must be possible for manufacturers of new technology to be held accountable when use of the technology according to its accompanying instructions causes noticeable harm to people, other sentient beings, or the environment.
- 1–9 Show N random cards
- A Show all cards
- F Show/hide filter
- S Focus search field
- O Open all cards
- C Close all cards
- ←→ Navigate between cards
- Space Flip focused card
- Esc Close modal