Designing electronics, from the IoT (and ToI) to the Sneakernet

In 1982, the world saw the first connected device, a Coca-Cola machine plugged in at Carnegie Mellon University, marking the early days of what would later become the Internet of Things (IoT).

This machine could report inventory and temperature without needing in-person monitoring, showing the path to the potential of interconnected devices.

By 2014, with the widespread adoption of mobile phones, the number of active connected devices surpassed the global population. Today, the IoT has firmly established itself as a cornerstone of the digital age, matching the growing need for connectivity and interaction in the still emergent world of the Internet.

While IoT rapidly expanded to encompass connected devices at home and even smart-city systems, its development has encountered two fundamental obstacles limiting a more widely spread adoption.

The first barrier is related to cybersecurity and data protection issues, the second involves good old resource constraints, a commonality affecting most industries today.

Both of these obstacles weaken the expansion of new IoT ventures, yet both can be addressed or at least reframed from a design perspective.

Cybersecurity Issues

In addition to the complexity of the IoT Ecosystems, the vulnerability and privacy concerns that distinguish the industry are due in part to the lack of standardized security protocols.

To vary security standards across different manufacturers and industries makes it challenging to ensure consistent and comprehensive security measures across the IoT ecosystem, ultimately this hampers compatibility across brands, limits applications, and damage trust, frustrating a larger development of the IoT offer and demand.

The Connection Economy Conflict of Interest

Another significant obstacle to developing connected objects is that, in the context of the new connected economy, the value of services outweighs the value of physical objects.

Unless an IoT device addresses a genuine need or problem for users, which is what design should ensure, its utility may be perceived as superfluous, especially in light of growing environmental consciousness and concern.

IoT is currently navigating a hybrid framework of connection economy and industrial economy paradigms. While it aims to prioritize value creation and connectivity, it still relies on outdated principles that need to be abandoned.

One such principle is obsolescence planning, which involves deliberately designing products with a limited lifespan or functionality, ensuring that they become obsolete or non-functional after a certain period.

Although this practice was commonplace in the industrial economy, it has been extensively condemned by the Ecology and the larger public outcry.

So when shifting to a connected economy, where human-centric design is key to value generation, objects conceived to fail us before their time, offer little to no value.

Without a focus on delivering meaningful services and solutions, IoT will continue to face challenges in its expansion, and the less it expands, the more likely is that industrial stakeholders neglect addressing the weak links of the chain (such as cybersecurity), and so, the vicious cycle perpetuates.

(ToI) The Things of The Internet

We perceive and interact with the internet as if it were a ubiquitous abstract force, and to some extent, this perception holds true; the Wi-Fi being a sort of “invincible force” supporting many aspects of our lives.

However, there’s a visible, quite tangible aspect of the World Wide Web that many of us have not integrated into our conscience yet. Far from being an “ethereal phenomenon”, the physical infrastructure of the internet is real, significant, and a critical aspect of its function.

One way to understand its magnitude is by considering the intricate network of undersea cables, which on average, can range from a few hundred to several thousand kilometers in length.

One example is the SEA-ME-WE 3 (South East Asia Middle East Western Europe 3), the longest undersea cable in the world, which stretches over 39,000 kilometers, connecting Europe to Asia and Australia.

One must add to this the intricate networks of fiber-optic tubes, Ethernet cables, and powerlines within our cities to get an accurate perception of the ToI (Things of the Internet) whose magnitude is but a reflection of the informational frenzy of our times.

Furthermore, the development of Internet infrastructure today is far from being a transparent, democratic, and inclusive process.

The conversations about how this infrastructure expands, respond to an intricate powerplay of geopolitics, and economy, with almost no community participation. This makes it even more difficult for individuals to relate to the idea of the ToI( Things of the Internet) and to include it in their equations.

All of the above contradicts the oversimplified narratives regarding the nature of the internet highlighting the value of accessibility and going beyond stereotypes as crucial conversations that require democratic strategies.

Community participation will bring the means to bridge divides and empower people rather than deepening the existing disparities. Which brings us to our next point: “the Sneakernet.”

The Sneakernet, a new playground for designers

Digital information doesn’t always travel through traditional online networks.

In her article “Mapping the Sneakernet”* An Xiao Mina, tells her casual encounter, on the streets of a Start-up hub in San Francisco, with an elderly Chinese woman named Fei.

Armed only with a pen and a printout of directions from Google Maps; Fei was seeking help to find her way to a destination further south in the city. To assist the old lady, An Xiao and her friend use their smartphones to retrieve updated directions, ultimately writing new instructions on Fei’s printout.

This anecdote illustrates how individuals like Fei, who are often categorized as “unconnected” to the internet, ingeniously navigate the digital world through alternative means, passing information and connecting hand to hand, person to person.

The Sneakernet refers to this intricate web of informal networks, “printouts”, and interactions that co-exist alongside the formal internet infrastructure.

A global phenomenon that extends beyond the streets of San Francisco to the rural villages of the world where people share information and culture through Bluetooth; and even into restrictive regimes where activists use USB sticks to pass on media files and bypass censorship.

The Sneakernet was born from the resilience and adaptability of communities embracing the digital era. It is a widespread and diverse network overlooked by designers and value generators because it’s considered “disconnected” from the World Wide Web.

My invitation is that recognizing and understanding these alternative modes of connectivity opens an unexpected playground where designers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders can create value, and bridge the gap of the digital divide.

Designing for the Sneakernet has the potential to spark a paradigm shift, redefining accessibility, energy use, and resource allocation. Ultimately it’s a venue worth exploring, as it might pave the way for a more inclusive, relevant, and realistic production of technology and means to foster universal connectivity and empowerment.

Reference

*AN XIAO, M. (2015, March 19). Title of the article. Mapping the Sneakernet. https://thenewinquiry.com/mapping-the-sneakernet/