Ready, Aye, Ready

Link: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/03/when-excessivel.html

One thing that's becoming more and more prevalent are blinking LEDs on pretty much all computer equipment. As one wag put it, there's not a lot of sense in having "everything's great" lights, and that's what these are.

Take a look around your room while reading this. Count the glowy lights; it's a bit easier at night with the room lights low, but most are bright enough to see in daylight. They'll be flashing away on the modem (cable, ADSL or dialup), on the computer (you may even have annoying blue tubes in that), on the monitor, optical drive, hubs, switches, printers, power bars, stereo, amp, phone, card readers and just about everything else.

Most are utterly redundant. Those that aren't -- status LEDs for example -- shouldn't need to be on all the time as they're only important when checking status. I've muttered before about the silly flashing blue LEDs on Bluetooth headsets as being utterly unnecessary but they're hardly alone.

There's already vampire legislation that's attempting to deal with power-sucking standby modes; maybe some enterprising politician looking for a cause célèbre that'll offend no one might go after this...

(This was originally written last year but hung around the unpublished section until I recently saw the Wired note.)