How to be a green computer user

By Mountain Area Information Network

Increasingly, people hope to eat and shop consciously by being aware of the origins and production of the goods they buy and use. But many people don’t know that we can do the same thing when we use our computers.

Conscious computing is an effort to bring that same awareness to the digital world. At Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN), we’re all about conscious computing. We buy our bits from ERC, a nonprofit fiber network right here in town, and we provide service from our headquarters downtown on Wall Street.

Recycling is part of conscious computing as well. Goodwill can provide you with refurbished computers at a fraction of the cost of new ones, and, for many applications, they’re perfectly useful. The same goes for when your computers have outlived their use to you — be sure you send them back to Goodwill or recycle the old parts.

Software is another place where we can be conscious in our computing. MAIN promotes the use of Linux, because it’s free and community supported. Other open-source software, such as OpenOffice and Audacity, are as powerful as their expensive brand-name counterparts and are available for free downloading.

Local computer vendors, Internet service providers and web hosting firms mean quick and personal service. They also mean your dollars stay in the community you love. Be conscious when you compute – and buy local!

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.