Old Computer Challenge community is a smol group of enthusiasts, who like to use old computer hardware and every year come together to challenge themselves in spending a single week in July exclusively with machines many would consider outdated.
Members of the community have been observed to favor the command line and prefer applications with a Text-based User Interface (a.k.a.: TUI).
Solène Rapenne began the Old Computer Challenge in July 2021 with the initial 7 day 512M of RAM task. Since then the challenge brought together a following of retro computing and digital minimalism enthusiasts.
This year the challenge returns to its roots: using a SLOW computer for seven days. This will be achieved by various means with any hardware:
Of course you can also simply use an old computer.
This year's challenge will start on the 10th of July 2023, and end on the 17th a week after at midnight.
We hope you will join us in the challenge or just hang out with the community. The past years have shown us that the challenge has something for everybody, often resulting in some unexpected effects which turn the participation into a learning experience. Everyone participates in a way that matches their personal skill.
Whether you are a complete IT noob or a hardcore hacker, you are welcome to join! There are no prizes to win, but you might just learn a thing or two.
Join the IRC channel #oldcomputerchallenge, and let us know about your experience in the form of a gopher phlog, blog post, or in your Gemini capsule, and share the link with us, so that we may publish your story.