Challenging Assumptions: How #NoSoftware Echoes the Degrowth Ethos

A Fresh Look at #NoSoftware

For those scratching their heads over what #NoSoftware means, it’s not an outright rejection of software. Rather, it challenges the knee-jerk response that defaults towards a software-centric solution for every problem. In essence, #NoSoftware encourages a rethink of how we meet people’s needs. By considering other, potentially more effective means to address these needs, the approach invites us to break free from the ‘software first’ assumption.

The Many Facets of #NoSoftware

• Time and Cost Savings: Writing fewer lines of code saves time, effort, and money.
• Reduced Maintenance: Fewer lines of code mean fewer potential bugs and less ongoing upkeep.
• Happier Customers: People generally prefer human interaction to dealing with software systems. They’re not after a software solution; they’re after a solution, period.
• Cultural Shift: Software can lock an organisation into existing ways of thinking, making it difficult to evolve or adapt.

The Overlapping Ideals with Degrowth

Degrowth, too, urges us to question our instinctual push for ‘more’. Just as #NoSoftware questions our reliance on technology, degrowth questions our dependence on economic expansion. They’re not anti-progress; they’re pro-intentionality.

Reframing ‘Success’

In both cases, the goal is to redefine what success means. It’s not about having the most advanced software or the biggest economy. It’s about meeting essential needs in a meaningful way.

Sustainable and Intentional Choices

Sustainability in degrowth parallels the reduced maintenance aspect of #NoSoftware. By focusing on what is truly necessary, both movements reduce long-term costs—whether that’s environmental or developmental.

Real-world Implications: The Portsmouth Example

The case of Portsmouth City Council’s housing repairs is illustrative. An expensive, cumbersome IT system was replaced with manual controls, only reintroducing limited software after understanding the actual needs of stakeholders. In short, Portsmouth adopted a #NoSoftware approach to better meet the needs of their community.

What Businesses Can Learn

• Assess the Real Needs: Before diving into software development, assess whether a software-based solution is truly the best answer.
• Think Holistically: Don’t simply consider cost in monetary terms. Think about the environmental, social, and cognitive costs as well.
• Challenge the Status Quo: Existing systems might be the biggest obstacle to change. Breaking free from them may open up new, more effective solutions.

Confronting Blockers to Change: “When His Salary Depends on His Not Understanding It”

As Upton Sinclair’s Dictum poignantly states, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

The Financial Incentive of Ignorance

The challenge both #NoSoftware and degrowth movements face isn’t just about changing minds; it’s also about overcoming an economic structure that rewards the maintenance of the status quo.

Overcoming Institutional Inertia

Sinclair’s quote hits the nail on the head: people have financial and emotional investments in continuing to create software-centric solutions. It’s this very inertia that makes it so hard to even consider alternatives, let alone implement them.

Future Adoption Challenges

As with any counter-mainstream idea, both #NoSoftware and degrowth face significant inertia. Many are reluctant to shift from the familiar, even when it’s to their detriment.

The Final Word

#NoSoftware and degrowth, though rooted in different sectors, echo each other’s calls for thoughtful reflection on our automated responses. They both ask us to be more intentional, whether in coding or in consuming. In pausing to consider the actual needs at hand, we open the door to more effective, sustainable solutions.