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Is anyone here deliberately low‑tech? If so, why and how? Yes. I only own and operate vehicles that are pre-2004. They have computers, but are very simple, e

by Bender 1y ago

Is anyone here deliberately low‑tech? If so, why and how? Yes. I only own and operate vehicles that are pre-2004. They have computers, but are very simple, easy to replace, mostly easy to work on. Pre-1990 are much easier to work on. My tractor was made in 1947. Also dirt simple to work on. On all of these things I can disable the devices designed to cut engine life in half or to intentionally use excessive oil and fuel. My fallback vehicle is a side-by-side a.k.a. UTV. It's not street legal but I can get the kit for it to make it so. Many here go to the store in their side-by-sides. Everything around the home is low tech and life can go on if they fail. They do not have any remote connectivity, so obviously no telemetry and no way for governments or corporations to override control or change behavior or try to up-sell some service crap to me. The most complex tech for the home is the controller for the well pump which is easy to replace. Why? Mostly safe from Carrington like events [1] or high altitude nuclear explosions delivered by stratospheric balloons. No dependency on contracts or service plans with vendors, a.k.a. no vendor lock-in. I own these things. Either I can fix them or I can find someone locally that can. I do own computers but I do not depend on them or cell phones in any way whatsoever. I have never browsed the web from a cell phone or installed an "app" to access a company. They are for convenience and fun only. It's not quite like new-order Amish [2] but I agree with some of their logic. If the internet or electricity ceased to exist forever life would go on. If anything I would likely touch more grass or snow for half the year, which I should be doing more of anyway. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_event https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_event [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Order_Amish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Order_Amish

idontwantthis 1y ago
I expect a modern car engine to last at least 20 years if well cared for. Are you saying there is a device installed that prevents it from lasting 40?
- Bender 1y ago
  In relation to engine life there are several things that shorten life, most notably the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) introduces small particles into the engine that cause abrasion of the rings, pistons and cylinders among other parts. To compensate some people change their oil on very short intervals but that increases oil consumption. If I keep typing about emissions systems I will activate half of this site and people will scramble to find tailored statistics. I just operate on how often I have to replace things and this old fart has been able to keep old vehicles going for a very long time. To block me in uBlock people can use this rule: news.ycombinator.com##tr.athing.comtr:has(a.hnuser):has-text(/\bBender\b/) The overall vehicle life is affected by other factors such as salt content on the road and in the air, quality of rubber gaskets and other components. To literally double the life requires regular special detailing and keeping rubber and plastic parts from drying out and salt from oxidizing the frame and body parts. Newer vehicles have special fasteners and fittings that have to be replaced with those that are serviceable and there are tricks to it one should learn from the old timer mechanics. Easy mode is to take a vehicle to a mod shop whilst it is still in good condition to be refurbished, stripped, coated, modified to better handle weather and driving conditions. Some modification shops can do this to classic vehicles for a big fee and then it can last 50+ years. One must be careful what they ask to be modded in some states.
badpun 1y ago
> If the internet or electricity ceased to exist forever life would go on. Life would go on, but most people would probably starve. We can't grow at today's efficiency without electricity.
- Bender 1y ago
  Many would starve but I and many around me would be fine. It would not be easy but it is doable. I agree that there is far too much dependency on electricity and many of the people that knew how to do without it are long gone. There are books on how to do regenerative farming and homesteading but fewer people read books now. That process needs to be started a few years before the electricity is gone.
  - badpun 1y ago
    No electricity means no pesticides, no fertilizer and no machinery. Farming productivity levels would go back to around 1800 or so, and we could barely feed a billion people at that time.
    - Bender 1y ago
      Farming productivity levels would go back to around 1800 or so, and we could barely feed a billion people at that time. Agreed. That's why each community would have to do homesteading and regenerative farming on much smaller and more distributed scales like we used to. All centralized mono-crap farming would be gone and cities would have to break up and move into rural communities. People would need to have more kids to do work around the homestead. People here would know this concept as "horizontal scaling".
    - BillyTheMage 1y ago
      > oh geez oh no how can we possibly survive without poisoning everything we touch?
      - badpun 1y ago
        We very well could survive, but maybe only after 6-7 billions of us starve. 1-2 billions of people is considered to be natural carrying capacity of Earth.
gaws 1y ago
Why pre-2004, specifically?

by Bender 1y ago

idontwantthis 1y ago

I expect a modern car engine to last at least 20 years if well cared for. Are you saying there is a device installed that prevents it from lasting 40?

Bender 1y ago
In relation to engine life there are several things that shorten life, most notably the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) introduces small particles into the engine that cause abrasion of the rings, pistons and cylinders among other parts. To compensate some people change their oil on very short intervals but that increases oil consumption. If I keep typing about emissions systems I will activate half of this site and people will scramble to find tailored statistics. I just operate on how often I have to replace things and this old fart has been able to keep old vehicles going for a very long time. To block me in uBlock people can use this rule: news.ycombinator.com##tr.athing.comtr:has(a.hnuser):has-text(/\bBender\b/) The overall vehicle life is affected by other factors such as salt content on the road and in the air, quality of rubber gaskets and other components. To literally double the life requires regular special detailing and keeping rubber and plastic parts from drying out and salt from oxidizing the frame and body parts. Newer vehicles have special fasteners and fittings that have to be replaced with those that are serviceable and there are tricks to it one should learn from the old timer mechanics. Easy mode is to take a vehicle to a mod shop whilst it is still in good condition to be refurbished, stripped, coated, modified to better handle weather and driving conditions. Some modification shops can do this to classic vehicles for a big fee and then it can last 50+ years. One must be careful what they ask to be modded in some states.

badpun 1y ago

> If the internet or electricity ceased to exist forever life would go on. Life would go on, but most people would probably starve. We can't grow at today's efficiency without electricity.

Bender 1y ago
Many would starve but I and many around me would be fine. It would not be easy but it is doable. I agree that there is far too much dependency on electricity and many of the people that knew how to do without it are long gone. There are books on how to do regenerative farming and homesteading but fewer people read books now. That process needs to be started a few years before the electricity is gone.
- badpun 1y ago
  No electricity means no pesticides, no fertilizer and no machinery. Farming productivity levels would go back to around 1800 or so, and we could barely feed a billion people at that time.
  - Bender 1y ago
    Farming productivity levels would go back to around 1800 or so, and we could barely feed a billion people at that time. Agreed. That's why each community would have to do homesteading and regenerative farming on much smaller and more distributed scales like we used to. All centralized mono-crap farming would be gone and cities would have to break up and move into rural communities. People would need to have more kids to do work around the homestead. People here would know this concept as "horizontal scaling".
  - BillyTheMage 1y ago
    > oh geez oh no how can we possibly survive without poisoning everything we touch?
    - badpun 1y ago
      We very well could survive, but maybe only after 6-7 billions of us starve. 1-2 billions of people is considered to be natural carrying capacity of Earth.

gaws 1y ago

Why pre-2004, specifically?