TL;DR
Against Wendell Berry's nine 1987 criteria for judging new technology, Silicon Valley now fails on nearly every count: tech has become pricier, bulkier, more energy-hungry, harder to repair, and deliberately harmful.
Wendell Berry, the poet-farmer, has died. In 1987, when friends urged him to buy a computer, he drew up nine standards a new technology must meet. Measured against today's Silicon Valley, they fail almost every one.
New things should be cheaper — now it's reversed
Berry's first rule: a new tool should cost less than the one it replaces. For decades computers and phones did get cheaper, but the trend reversed after Jobs died. The author finds new desktops often cost more and perform worse than older models, and iPhone prices keep climbing.
From slim to bloated, and energy claims hollowed out
Rule two: it should be at least as small as what it replaces. Phones once got thinner — the iPhone 6 was 6.9mm — but now devices bulk up and AI data centers sprawl over two kilometers. Rule four demands energy efficiency, yet AI is draining the grid, and the public dislikes it. Tech firms burn power just to dominate.
Repairability, local purchase, don't wreck what's good
Rule six: ordinary people with tools should be able to fix it. Today repairs are blocked by proprietary screws and software locks; John Deere tractors refused to start until company technicians cleared codes, and during COVID, ventilators were locked to prevent hospital repairs. Rule nine also fails: leaked TikTok documents show they deliberately design addiction in 35 minutes. These nine rules are a report card, and Silicon Valley's tech giants all got failing grades.
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