Since the US seems to be in a 50 year culture cycle loop, may I recommend for our younger readers to look into the back-to-the-land movement of the early 1970s.<p>This era had its share of tech advances, but with an underlying ethos and aesthetic of living with nature and self-reliance/small group intentional community. It was co-opted at times by mass media and advertising, but did a decent job in fighting back. It was mostly, almost effortlessly inclusive, sometimes to its detriment. SF is still dealing with the long tail ripples of 1970s hyperinclusivity.<p>The phrase I remember, from the de facto uniform of sysadmins of the time, was system administrators wore hiking boots because you never knew when a mountain might show up in the computer center. Hypernatural to balance out the hyperartificial of caring for a silicon beast all day.
'off the grid' literally means that you are not connected to public utilities. with solar and as long as we have high speed internet, going 'off grid' is neither challenging nor unpleasant. it can also be a self sustaining lifestyle with a 'smart' home.<p>its power. thats how they get you. when you sign up for public utilities, then you are taxed, tagged and stalked.. and suddenly you are sucked into big govt. and you become invisible.<p>i absolutely loathe this kidnapping of our lives. the way they do it is with electricity. create independent power and water rights, the govt literally has no hold over you. think about it. we have the tech to be 'off grid'...all of us. and yet, why arent we?<p>the govt steals our lives. and then taxes us for that theft. worse than pirates.