Blog it Yourself

SXSW: The Revolution Will Not Be Digitized

No, I wasn’t expecting much for the DIY crowd at SXSW.  At a conference that charges hundreds of dollars to attend (even the low-end student rate is around $300) and refuses entry to anyone without a badge, there isn’t a lot for folks who prefer to do things their own way.  So this blog will be providing an alternative view on the SXSW conference.

One of the immediate ironies I spotted on the list of panel discussions was one titled How Social Networks Are Killing the Revolution.  It turns out the panelists had very different ideas of what the revolution meant, often referring to people as customers. They weren’t listed in the program by what movement they’re working on, but what company they work for, including a woman from the Detroit Red Wings!  Maybe they’ve got a secret commie agenda?

Some of the audience members actually expected some meaningful conversation to come from this panel, voicing dismay that they would recommend social networks that engage in questionable practices such as invading user’s privacy.  I could ask the same question to many self-identified activists who use MySpace and Facebook religiously.  Most seem to accept that to get our revolutionary message out there, we have to sacrifice our morals to some degree.  One of the panelists conceded: “We’re screwed.” Continue Reading…

Community Powered Wi-Fi

The Personal Telco Project is a Portland nonprofit dedicated to the idea that people should have a bigger say in how their electronic networks are operated.

They began in 2000 by turning people’s houses and apartments into wireless hotspots (or “nodes”), and then set about building networks in public locations such as parks and coffee shops. If you’ve tried to connect to a wireless network while at a local cafe, chances are you’ve connected to one of these.

Here’s a google map that shows the expansive reach of their current nodes (green) and also locations that are listed as a potential note (yellow):

View Larger Map

Zoom out and you’ll see that the network reaches into Gresham, Beaverton, and Vancouver, Washington.  There is a more interactive map on their website.

How does it work? Their website describes the network as simply local businesses and individuals who have voluntarily opted to share their wireless signal. Participants only need to modify their router settings to unlock access and let members of the community know that they are part of the Personal Telco network. This makes your network public but Personal Telco volunteers can help you if you want to keep parts of your network private. With a grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust, volunteers have also been able to initiate new hotspots:

Personal Telco believes that telecommunications should be driven by the community, not corporations. Companies like Comcast, for example, can set very high rates for their internet services, partially due to a legal loophole by defining what they offer as “entertainment” rather than communications. Legalese does a very good job of illustrating how the corporate world has no interest in the participatory potential of new technologies.

Like many cities, Portland has watched wireless initiatives come and go, with MetroFi being one of the larger services to end its operations last year. The private company won the city’s bid to cover the metropolitan area but their business model of using advertising to fund their service had failed. The network they began to build around Portland has left a number of their transmitters behind, which has led some to suggest that a community-driven effort, such as Personal Telco, put them to good use. The hardware will be considered forfeit if MetroFi does not remove them by April, which is very unlikely at this point. Continue Reading…

Beat Battles

What is a Beat Off?  Well maybe not what you think.

Recently, local joint Holocene hosted one of a series of these where electronic musicians are given a variety of short samples of music and are challenged to come up with some dope beats in one hour.  Wanna hear what it sounds like?

The challenge is open to the anyone who signs up (until capacity is filled – they cram as many people as they can onstage).

Those who participated include Techno Mike, Quiet Countries, Magnum PA, Dirty X Rated, Shrubbery, Demi Batard, Cutter Filtoff, Graintable, Demdranger / John Henry, Rude Boy, The DJ Nealie Neal, and Sedell Jones who was voted the winner of the battle.

Each contest seems to bring new musicians into the fold and inspire others.  Many use laptops with custom sampling software while others keep it old skool with MPCs – machines that run as a MIDI sequencer and drum machine.

Organizer Erik Beats has been setting the recent ones up and he came on to my music show to explain the process.  You can listen to that interview here with some samples of the performers music.

Giving eWaste a New Life

What to do about the growing amount of eWaste?  Free Geek is one organization who has stepped up to the task.

Along with sister organizations across North America, Free Geek Portland recycles used technology to provide computers, education, internet access and job skills training to those in need.

I took a trip to their large facilty to find our more.  You can listen to the podcast here.

Tapatio: High-tech Protest Communications

The Republican National Convention set new standards for conventions and for protests.  Not only was it the largest operation for both the RNC and protestors alike, but it was the largest instance of police infiltration and pre-emptive raids in America’s recent memory.  Eight organizers of the “welcoming committee” (protest coordinators) are facing serious charges.  As the Friends of the RNC 8 website states, they were originally charged with conspiracy to riot in the 2nd degree in furtherance of terrorism, a felony which is the first ever use of Minnesota’s PATRIOT Act.

One of the stories to be overshadowed by the crackdown was the ingenious use of cell phones and social networking to coordinate the mobilizations.  A small collective of tech groups and individuals gathered before the convention to organize the Tin Can Collective.  Among their communications efforts is a program called Tapatio.  Tapatio is a collaboratively-developed, open source computer program described as a communications resource for the radical anti-authoritarian community that was made for the RNC.

Participating in the Tin Can Collective was Hackbloc, one of many hacktivist groups that use their technological expertise for social or environmental justice.  Hackbloc states their mission is “to research, create and disseminate information, tools, and tactics, empowering people to use technology in a way that is liberating, and facilitate building of affinity groups that will support and strengthen their local communities through education and action.”  Among their points of unity are autonomous organizing, security culture, and internet neutrality.

I spoke with eVoltec, a member of Hackbloc, about their efforts during the RNC and the role technology can play in autonomous organizing.

Continue Reading…

Chiptune Music

There’s electronic music.  And then there’s video game electronic music.

While electronic musicians are known for their inventiveness, those in the chiptune community have created something else entirely.

Air Fortress on KBOO

I was able to record the Mircropalooza music festival held at Portland’s Ground Kontrol.  The bar/music venue also houses a variety of old-school arcade games so it was all too fitting to see chiptune musicians from across the region perform amongst the blips and blinking lights.

8 Bit Weapon and ComputeHer traveled from Los Angeles for their performances, while MC Firedrill came from Olympia, Washington.

Air Fortress was another musician and I brought him on to my electronic music show, Plugged In, that airs on the the local community radio station, KBOO. You can listen to Air Fortress give a live demonstration of how he creates his sounds.