Collapse computing or Collapse informatics is the study, design, and development of sociotechnical systems in the abundant present for use in a future of scarcity. Civilizational or technological collapse is an extreme example of such a future. The term "Collapse informatics" was coined by Bill Tomlinson in 2013.
A major project in Collapse computing is Collapse OS, an operating system and set of tools for restarting computer technology after collapse.
Many Computing within Limits papers from the early years are about Collapse informatics.
While many may not agree with the collapse scenario or even a future of scarcity, the practical results of collapse computing are in line with the goals of permacomputing. Studies of the longevity of hardware components are relevant to lifespan maximization even without a collapse. Collapse computing is also relevant to resilience, self-sufficiency and the simplification of technology.
See also:
- Tomlinson's 2013 article DOI:10.1145/2493431
- Unplanned Obsolescence: Hardware and Software After Collapse (PDF, LIMITS 2017) DOI:10.1145/1235
- Collapse computing at XXIIVV wiki