"Beating around the bush" 

having just arrived at this article i found it incredibly hard to discern what it was that appropriate technology entailed. i feel that this article could go a very long way to include a simple, single sentence summary of what appropriate technology actually is. The following line from http://lsa.colorado.edu/essence/texts/appropriate.htm was far more useful to me than the existing background, and i suggest that someone find a means to incorporate it, or something similarly "to the point" into the beginning of the article. I would do it myself, however as an unregistered user i do not have the confidence to go about editing the article.

"Appropriate technology is small-scale technology. It is simple enough that people can manage it directly and on a local level. Appropriate technology makes use of skills and technology that are available in a local community to supply basic human needs, such as gas and electricity, water, food, and waste disposal. "