User:Artemis gryllaki/Py.rate.chnic

Py.rate.chnic Sessions!

Cha Cha Chat

Rita & Artemis

In this workshop, we will look into alternative tools for communicating online, by experimenting with a locally installed chat-software. Through this process, we will talk about the issue and appeal of popular chat applications.

We don't claim that there is an ideal instant-messaging tool to serve everyone's interest. Rather, we aim to discuss how distinct tools can fit different contexts and circumstances. What situations demand the use of alternative communication tools, and why is it useful to try them?

Join us and let's chat using our own network!

Title

Cha Cha Chat: Chat about Chat, through an Internet Relay Chat :-)

Who is leading the workshop

Rita & Artemis

Format

Workshop

Key topics

Chat protocols, social media platforms, social aspects of networks

Short description

Relevance to our own research.

(Artemis) My research focuses on feminist hack & tech initiatives. I have observed that activist and feminist communities primarily choose alternative/self-hosted/non-commercial tools for their everyday communication. An interesting case is that of the Internet Relay Chat. “Why these contemporary user groups – widely considered as disruptive innovators and early adopters – stick to a museological chat technology despite its obvious limitations within the current technological landscape?” (Maxigas, 2017). While practically testing an unpopular instant-messaging tool like IRC within a group, I want to discuss how this choice is useful and/or important for participants in feminist hackerspaces. What attitude towards technology does it propose and what comment does it make on the fallacies of mainstream social media.

(Rita) For me is about amplifying strategies on social media to research and practice agency. The exercise of several actions and people demonstrate a wish for users to be heard and stay in control. One of these movements is decentralised networks, such as the IRC chat we will use today.

What will happen

In this workshop we will:

• Talk about alternative chat protocols. Which ones do we already know? What chat/apps/platforms do we use every day?
• Provide printed instructions for the tool we'll use and a list of existing tools to explore later.
• Build and/or try basic chat tools (e.g command-line, basic local network to share ip, python, IRC etc); activities e.g. Create ASCII nickname etc.
• Discuss these tools. Compare to mainstream chat apps we use every day; potential, purposes (education, awareness, experiment, privacy issues etc) We will have prepared questions to guide the conversation, especially important if the group has little experience with the topic.
• Use the chat as a documentation tool to document the discussion.
• Have a printer connected to our local network to directly print that is being written in the chat. (e.g. dot-matrix) Or save it first and then print.

Why (relevance)?

• Get our audience to know chat protocols, apps and platforms besides the mainstream ones.
• Give and receive input about chat applications in our lives.
• Experiment with low-tech or alternative ways of creating/using chat tools.
• Open up discussions about why alternative tools exist, e.g. for privacy, surveillance, self-education, gain agency with technology, autonomous communication.
• Discuss for whom is this useful and/or important.

Outcome: what will be goal of the session?

We will use the tested chat tool to document and publish our discussion. We will save the chat logs in a text file, and instantly print it using a printer connected to our network.

maximum amount of participants

10

Prerequisites: reading list, software installs, material to bring

Computers from school? In this case, software could already be installed. Do participants bring laptops?

Pad in Progress

Other Ideas for workshops

https://pad.xpub.nl/p/Py.rate.chnic_Artemis