1. We have developed
technological wonders
Devices full with sensors
and computing power the
size of our hand

2. So, what do we do with
them?

3. Now a bigger one is
coming, think of the
possibilities.

4. TECHNOLOGIES ARE
TOOLS
THEY PROVIDE AFFORDANCES
WE USE THEM FOR GOOD OR EVIL
(but they do not care)

5. JORGE ZAPICO
computer science +
sustainable development
KTH / CSC / Media / Industrial Ecology
Centre for Sustainable Communications
http://sustainablecommunications.org
zapico@kth.se
http://jorgezapico.com

6. GUIDELINES FOR A
SUSTAINABLE
INTERNET
trends and dangers in the
use of internet for a
sustainable future

7. EVEN IF THERE ARE SOME
EXCEPTIONS
MOST OF INTERNET IS NOT
VERY SUSTAINABLE RIGHT
NOW

8. We want internet to be
sustainable for these
guys

9. WE:
DESIGNERS
DEVELOPERS
MEDIA RESEARCHERS
USERS
CAN MAKE THE FUTURE
INTERNET MORE
SUSTAINABLE DEPENDING
IN OUR CHOICES OF WHAT
TO CREATE AND USE

10. disclaimer
I AM GOING TO BE
NORMATIVE
Meaning that I’m
putting my personal
values into the definition
of sustainability.
I include soft values as
happiness, stress free,
social contacts..

11. TEN
GUIDELINES

12. one MAKE IT GREEN
MAKE IT
GREEN

13. Electronics are full with
different components,
valuable and some of
them toxic.

14. But then we throw them
away quite fast. A laptop
mean life is 3 years.

15. For a mobile phone just
18 months.

16. So we generate a lot of
waste.

17. And this waste ends
many times in not so
optimal conditions,
having negative impacts
in the environment and
on people’s health.

18. Internet has impacts
through different phases
(hardware production,
electricity consumption,
waste...) and much of it is
hidden from the users.
HTTP://GREENALYTICS.ORG

19. We forget that this kind
of rooms are powering
the websites we are
looking at.

20. MAKE IT GREEN
HAVE A LIFE CYCLE PERSPECTIVE
REDUCE THE NEED FOR USER
RESOURCES: THE CLOUD
DON’T DESIGN FOR THE EDGE USERS
THINK ABOUT WHERE AND WHICH TYPE
OF SERVERS DO YOU USE
GO MOBILE

21. two USE IT FOR GOOD
USE IT FOR
GOOD

22. As for horizontal
microcredits

23. Or promoting biking

24. Or ensuring human
rights

25. Helping people to not
choose fish that are
endangered
HTTP://FISK.CC

26. Or understanding the
carbon footprint of
products.
HTTP://CARBON.TO

27. USE IT FOR GOOD
MAKE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE POSITIVE
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
THAT REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION:
OPTIMIZATION, DEMATERIALIZATION
THAT INCREASE SOCIAL CAPITAL
THAT EDUCATE
THAT COMMUNICATE SUSTAINABILITY

28. three THINK GLOBAL
THINK
GLOBAL

29. These guys are the future
internet

30. Most internet users in
the future will be outside
the high income
countries

31. Much of it will be mobile

32. THINK GLOBAL
ÄR INTE EL ÙNICO IDIOMA DANS LE
MONDE
DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT NEEDS,
DIFFERENT DEVICES
ACCESSIBLE DESIGN

33. four ACT LOCAL
ACT
LOCAL

34. Using virtual
communities to get to
know your neighbors

35. ACT LOCAL
CREATE COMMUNITY
EMPOWER HUMAN CONTACT, DO NOT
SUBSITUTE IT
ADAPT TO LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS

36. five REAL ECONOMY
REAL
ECONOMY

37. When using free things,
you are giving up
something, you’re giving
them power

38. For instance your
personal information to
be used in marketing.

39. In internet we got used
to not pay for stuff, free
was the only alternative
as industry was scared
to use the new media.

40. THE PAYING WAVE
APPLE APP STORE
ITUNES
SPOTIFY
FLICKR
VODDLER
AMAZON KINDLE
BASECAMP
…

41. REAL ECONOMY
FREE IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD
MOVING AWAY FROM AN AD BASED
INTERNET
IF SOMETHING IS VALUABLE, LET’S PAY
FOR IT

42. six DON’T WASTE TIME
DON’T
WASTE TIME

44. Email bankruptcy

45. COMPUTER SHOULD SAVE OUR TIME
THEY MAKE THINGS EASIER
REBOUND EFFECT: WE DO MORE
WE WORK MORE, WE CONSUME MORE, WE
PRODUCE MORE
WE HAVE MORE CHOICES
WE STRESS MORE
WE HAVE LESS TIME
FAIL.

46. DON’T WASTE TIME
DO NOT FORGET THAT USERS TIME IS
VALUABLE
REDUCE STRESS, DO NOT GENERATE
MORE
DESIGN FOR USABILITY, MINIMIZE
TECHNOSTRESS

47. seven SLOW DOWN
SLOW
DOWN

48. Information overflow
Social contact overflow

49. SLOW DOWN
RETHINK THE REAL TIME INTERNET
AVOID OVERFLOW STRESS
SLOW MEDIA
DECREASE QUANTITY, INCREASE QUALITY

50. eight
SHARE

52. Using creative commons
for buildings: open source
architecture

53. SHARE
RELEASE TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS AS
OPEN SOURCE
PUBLISH DATA AND MEDIA IN CREATIVE
COMMONS
DEVELOP USING OPEN SOURCE
STANDARDS
EXPORT THOSE IDEAS TO OTHER
CONTEXTS

54. nine DONT DO EVIL
DON’T USE
IT FOR EVIL

55. Internet can be used for
promoting huge cars

56. Or it can hide impacts, as
for instance getting a
product from the other
end of the world

57. Or it can make flights
cheap so we can travel
more (for good or bad)

58. DON’T USE IT FOR EVIL
AVOID DEVELOPING APPLICATIONS THAT
PROMOTE UNSUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOR

59. ten
PARTICIPATE

60. SUSTAINABLE
INTERNET
.org
Go here and help us with
your input to improve the
guidelines!

61. 1. MAKE IT GREEN
2. USE IT FOR GOOD
3. THINK GLOBAL
4. ACT LOCAL
5. REAL ECONOMY
6. DON’T WASTE TIME
7. SLOW DOWN
8. DON’T USE IT FOR EVIL
9. SHARE
10. PARTICIPATE
ALL OF THEM

62. TECHNOLOGIES ARE
TOOLS
WE AS DESIGNERS /
DEVELOPERS / MEDIA
GURUS HAVE THE POWER
OF AFFECTING WHAT TO
MAKE WITH THEM
LET’S MAKE SOMETHING
POSITIVE

63. JORGE ZAPICO
ZAPICO@KTH.SE
HTTP:// JORGEZAPICO.COM
@ZAPICO
PRESENTATION AT
HTTP://SLIDESHARE.NET/ZAPICO