commit db61a83d7d41a1f86f9505aeb99fcb766bb1742c
parent 257a59bfe1288a2c7846756da321f1197466a76d
Author: ugrnm <ultrageranium@bleu255.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:30:20 +0100
getting started
Diffstat:
| A | getting_started.mdwn | | | 90 | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |
| D | help.mdwn | | | 89 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| M | index.mdwn | | | 2 | +- |
3 files changed, 91 insertions(+), 90 deletions(-)
diff --git a/getting_started.mdwn b/getting_started.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+How to get started? Watdo? Wydo?
+--------------------------------
+
+This is a frequent question, and not an easy one to answer, but here are some
+suggestions:
+
+* **Branching**: Permacomputing can take many forms. Contexts and situations
+are different. For someone it may be about writing their own FORTH for a chip
+reclaimed from e-waste; for someone else it may be about helping artists
+interested to engage with ecological topics using tools and media in line with
+this intention; for a family it could be about discussing the use/impact of
+smartphones in the household; for another it could be about helping a school
+working with recycled computers; for another it could be about researching how
+to provide less resource intensive tools and systems for their lab; for yet
+another person it may be about engaging with politics and policy making to
+advance tech and enviro regulation in their own institution, town, region, etc.
+Of course overlaps and interleaving in such branching can be very useful!
+
+* **Experimenting**: Do you need to buy it? Could you repurpose an old computer
+or device instead? If you're going to develop something new, what are you gonna
+use to ensure you make something that does not end up being harmful or
+wasteful? Does it need to be a computer anyway? Do you need to acquire new
+skills? How will you acquire these skills? Can you afford to learn such skills?
+Could you figure it out with the help of others? With computation and computer
+tech consumerism taking such a big space in so many activities, it is very
+likely that a domain, a common/everyday tool, a practice, in which you have
+interest, professionally or not, could become your field of experimentation.
+
+* **Publishing**: Regardless what you do, it will be very inspiring to others
+if you document it a bit. Successes *and* failures. It does not have to be
+extensive, but it can be a much more effective way to demonstrate how to
+activate critical practices in relation to computer tech. You can do that on
+your own website if you have one, you can make zines, something individual or
+something with others, and of course you could use this wiki! More generally
+publishing does not need to be only about the projects you are involved with
+directly, maybe it is about helping others writing a manual, a cookbook, a
+sampler, something relatable and accessible.
+
+* **Participating**: Some permacomputing activities can make sense as
+individual practices or be related to lifestyle choices and experiments, but
+this is only one aspect. Another equally important point of leverage is to
+discuss these things within your institution, union, building, company, town
+council, to collectively, and also infrastructurally, figure out new ways to
+discus the impact, regulation or guide the usage and re-use of computers. Join
+a union, join an environmentalist group, join a citizen science lab, etc. It's
+also important that users of hardware and software feel confident enough to
+voice their opinion, specially when the development of these projects is done
+in a relatively open way. For instance, issue trackers can be important
+activation sites to voice struggles beyond reporting technical faults.
+
+* **Organizing**: Consider starting a local group around permacomputing. You
+don't have and should not try to work on this topic on your own! Talk to local
+cultural organisations, hackerspaces, squats, town councils, schools and
+universities to help organising some events, workshops, skill-sharing sessions,
+show&tell, etc. Try to bootstrap a small permacomputing community. Make use of
+our [[code of conduct|terms]] to get you started with questions of moderation,
+make use of the wiki, communicate on the existing lists, chats, or start your
+own!
+
+* **Reading/learning**: The question of literacy in relation to computational
+culture is often reduced to staying in the loop with the latest development of
+the ICT industry and acquiring technological skills. Of course if someone who
+is not a programmer or frequent user of computers want to dive into
+permacomputing related practices, some minimal knowledge and jargon could help
+a lot. But we rarely talk about the other way around. A lot of the radical
+thinking in computer science, software and hardware engineering, seems to be
+too often stuck on the same old 60-70s US countercultural ideas. We think that
+it's important that people with a strong technological background start to
+catch up with decades of the various strands of computational critique
+discussed in feminist studies, gender studies, software studies, cultural
+studies, and also arts and humanities.
+
+Finally, and most importantly:
+
+* **Breaking the monoculture**: Like any other community of practice that
+emerged from contemporary computer tech circles, permacomputing suffers from
+very poor cultural diversity. How can we make this space more accessible and
+inclusive? Like, really. Not just empty words. How can the privileges that some
+of us have to be able to dedicate time on such topics can be generative of
+activities that can contribute to breaking the tech monoculture and how can the
+permacomputing space, including this wiki, can become a platform for less
+privileged groups to be represented *and* supported?
+
+
+
+
+Note: the first version of this document was motivated by, and in part inspired
+from, discussions and contributions from participants of the LIMITS 2023
+workshop. THANKS <3
+
diff --git a/help.mdwn b/help.mdwn
@@ -1,89 +0,0 @@
-How to Help? Watdo? Wydo?
---------------------------
-
-This is a frequent question, and not an easy one to answer, but here are some suggestions:
-
-* **Branching**: Permacomputing can take many forms. Contexts and situations
-are different. For someone it may be about writing their own FORTH for a chip
-reclaimed from e-waste; for someone else it may be about helping artists
-interested to engage with ecological topics using tools and media in line with
-this intention; for a family it could be about discussing the use/impact of
-smartphones in the household; for another it could be about helping a school
-working with recycled computers; for another it could be about researching how
-to provide less resource intensive tools and systems for their lab; for yet
-another person it may be about engaging with politics and policy making to
-advance tech and enviro regulation in their own institution, town, region, etc.
-Of course overlaps and interleaving in such branching can be very useful!
-
-* **Experimenting**: Do you need to buy it? Could you repurpose an old computer
-or device instead? If you're going to develop something new, what are you gonna
-use to ensure you make something that does not end up being harmful or
-wasteful? Does it need to be a computer anyway? Do you need to acquire new
-skills? How will you acquire these skills? Can you afford to learn such skills?
-Could you figure it out with the help of others? With computation and computer
-tech consumerism taking such a big space in so many activities, it is very
-likely that a domain, a common/everyday tool, a practice, in which you have
-interest, professionally or not, could become your field of experimentation.
-
-* **Publishing**: Regardless what you do, it will be very inspiring to others
-if you document it a bit. Successes *and* failures. It does not have to be
-extensive, but it can be a much more effective way to demonstrate how to
-activate critical practices in relation to computer tech. You can do that on
-your own website if you have one, you can make zines, something individual or
-something with others, and of course you could use this wiki! More generally
-publishing does not need to be only about the projects you are involved with
-directly, maybe it is about helping others writing a manual, a cookbook, a
-sampler, something relatable and accessible.
-
-* **Participating**: Some permacomputing activities can make sense as
-individual practices or be related to lifestyle choices and experiments, but
-this is only one aspect. Another equally important point of leverage is to
-discuss these things within your institution, union, building, company, town
-council, to collectively, and also infrastructurally, figure out new ways to
-discus the impact, regulation or guide the usage and re-use of computers. Join
-a union, join an environmentalist group, join a citizen science lab, etc. It's
-also important that users of hardware and software feel confident enough to
-voice their opinion, specially when the development of these projects is done
-in a relatively open way. For instance, issue trackers can be important
-activation sites to voice struggles beyond reporting technical faults.
-
-* **Organizing**: Consider starting a local group around permacomputing. You
-don't have and should not try to work on this topic on your own! Talk to local
-cultural organisations, hackerspaces, squats, town councils, schools and
-universities to help organising some events, workshops, skill-sharing sessions,
-show&tell, etc. Try to bootstrap a small permacomputing community. Make use of
-our [[code of conduct|terms]] to get you started with questions of moderation,
-make use of the wiki, communicate on the existing lists, chats, or start your
-own!
-
-* **Reading/learning**: The question of literacy in relation to computational
-culture is often reduced to staying in the loop with the latest development of
-the ICT industry and acquiring technological skills. Of course if someone who
-is not a programmer or frequent user of computers want to dive into
-permacomputing related practices, some minimal knowledge and jargon could help
-a lot. But we rarely talk about the other way around. A lot of the radical
-thinking in computer science, software and hardware engineering, seems to be
-too often stuck on the same old 60-70s US countercultural ideas. We think that
-it's important that people with a strong technological background start to
-catch up with decades of the various strands of computational critique
-discussed in feminist studies, gender studies, software studies, cultural
-studies, and also arts and humanities.
-
-Finally, and most importantly:
-
-* **Breaking the monoculture**: Like any other community of practice that
-emerged from contemporary computer tech circles, permacomputing suffers from
-very poor cultural diversity. How can we make this space more accessible and
-inclusive? Like, really. Not just empty words. How can the privileges that some
-of us have to be able to dedicate time on such topics can be generative of
-activities that can contribute to breaking the tech monoculture and how can the
-permacomputing space, including this wiki, can become a platform for less
-privileged groups to be represented *and* supported?
-
-
-
-
-Note: the first version of this document was motivated by, and in part inspired
-from, discussions and contributions from participants of the LIMITS 2023
-workshop. THANKS <3
-
diff --git a/index.mdwn b/index.mdwn
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ In a time where computing epitomizes industrial waste, permacomputing encourages
If you want to know more, please start reading about what is [[permacomputing]] in essence, and then dive into its [[principles]].
-If you want to help, [[here are some suggestions|help]].
+If you want to help, [[here are some suggestions|getting_started]].
Wiki
