Low-tech Magazine

Faster internet is impossible

Internet users continually need faster connections to surf the web at the same speed.

Because of their low speed, dial-up internet connections are considered hopelessly out of date. Yet switching to a faster broadband connection or even a fibre connection will only yield a speed increase for a short period. Faster connections also threaten the democratisation of the internet.

The digital oubliette

Chances are slim your children will be able to enjoy the family photo album when they grow up.

Nowadays family pictures, writings and home movies are stored on digital media, under the impression that this personal information will be accessible for a lifetime. However, this is not self-evident. To guarantee the accessibility in the not even so far future, digital data requires active and regular maintenance – contrary to the archiving of analogue media. Even though this constitutes a large challenge for libraries, for them the problem is not insurmountable. But in everyday life, a lot of personal information is in peril of getting lost.

Second hand bits and bytes

You find them everywhere. Shops with used books, comics, compact discs - but where is the second hand market for digital products?

What do consumers do when they are tired of a purchased product? They take it to a second hand store, they sell it to another consumer, or they give it away. Neither legislation nor producers will stop them. Whoever buys a product has the legal right to resell it. That applies not only to goods like houses, cars or televisions, but also to copyrighted works.