[matilda] Sheffield Hacklab proposal

[@mp]

Thank you so much Chris
An excellent proposal, written in all detail... this hacklab

will have to work on roof -garden proposal...


cheers

amp

Chris wrote:

> Hi
> 
> There has been various discussions about keeping the
> Indymedia lab that was using during the Sheffield G8 open
> as an on-going project in the Matlida St building.
> 
> People I have spoken to seem to think that doing it as an
> independent project from Indymedia would make sense, it
> could involve more people and perhaps do more things...
> 
> So, here is a suggestion...
> 
> A Proposal for a Sheffield Hacklab
> ----------------------------------
> 
> Hacklabs [1] were born from the annual Italian
> Hackmeetings [2] which started in 1998 [3] from the
> necesity "to create permanent physical and autonomous
> spaces to experiment, create and learn next to others with
> similar interests" [4] and they soon spread to Spain and
> there is now a large number of Hacklabs in southern Europe
> [4] and they are spreading north... Last year there was
> the first transnational hackmeeting [6].  
> 
> Hacklabs are DIY, self-sufficient spaces based on the
> horizontal model of decision-making, they are "autonomous
> technology zones, spaces for learning, for making your own
> media, for the sharing and developing of free and
> not-for-commercial-use technologies and software, for
> battling surveillance and alienation, for ongoing projects
> and for using new forms of communication in direct
> action." [7]
> 
> A Sheffield Hacklab would be a space where hackers [8],
> Free software activists [9], social campaigners, and
> progressive activists of all varieties can get together as
> hacktivists; "Hacktivism is root. It is the use of one's
> collective or individual ingenuity to circumvent
> limitations, to hack clever solutions to complex problems
> using computer and Internet technology. Hacktivism is a
> continually evolving and open process; its tactics and
> methodology are not static. In this sense no one owns
> hacktivism - it has no prophet, no gospel and no canonized
> literature. Hacktivism is a rhizomic, open-source
> phenomenon." [10]. 
> 
> Practically the Sheffield Hacklab would be a space in the
> Matilda social centre [11] with recycled computers running
> Free software, it would be somewhere where you can bring
> your computer if it's broken, somewhere to experiment with
> wirless technologies, somwehere to learn to use Free
> software for making your own media, photos, graphics,
> music, web sites, somewhere to play games, and much
> more... 
> 
> It should be a space that is used to subvert sexual
> streotypes, somewhere where Gender Changers [12] workshops
> and Eclectic Tech Carnival [13] type activities can be
> held, "We want to help women feel confident enough to
> 'hack' their own way into northern and male domination of
> digital technology." [14].
> 
> To make this happen will take a lot of reality hacking,
> but we have a head start with a space and the kit from the
> G8 Indymedia lab [15] which has been donated by Lowtech
> [16]. What is needed next is practical things,
> workbenches, furniture etc, it has also been suggested
> that we could try to run the lab on solar / wind power
> [17].
> 
> What next? There is a Matilda meeting on Monday 18th July
> [18], at that there will hopefully be an oppertunity to
> have a Sheffield Hacklab sub-meeting, there also a
> Sheffield Hacklab wiki page,
> https://en.wiki.aktivix.org/Sheffield_hacklab and an email
> list will be set up soon.
> 
> Get involved! Together we can Hack Sheffield!
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> [1] http://www.infoanarchy.org/wiki/index.php/Hacklabs
> 
> [2] http://www.hackmeeting.org/
> 
> [3] http://www.hackmeeting.org/storia.html
> 
> [4] http://info.interactivist.net/article.pl?sid=04/08/13/0751254
> 
> [5] http://www.hacklabs.org/
> 
> [6] http://www.transhackmeeting.org/
> 
> [7] http://www.wombles.org.uk/mediahacklab/mediahacklab.php
> 
> [8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker
> 
> [9] http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/
> 
> [10] http://www.thehacktivist.com/hacktivism.php
> 
> [11] https://wiki.sheffieldsocialforum.org.uk/MATILDA
> 
> [12] http://www.genderchangers.org/
> 
> [13] http://eclectictechcarnival.org/
> 
> [14] http://eclectictechcarnival.org/manifesto.html
> 
> [15] http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2005/06/313617.html
> 
> [16] http://www.lowtech.org/ 
> 
> [17] http://lists.aktivix.org/pipermail/g8-sheffield/2005-June/000755.html
> 
> [18] http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2005/06/315253.html
>