Prototyping/2025-2026/T2

During the prototyping sessions this trimester, we will focus on file sharing as both an ubiquitous thing in our day-to-day lives and as a socio-technical configuration to study, explore and prototype with! In that way, this approach continues our infrastructour at the start of this year: working from the middle of our day-to-day infrastructural realities. And, it hooks into the research on gossip within Special Issue 29 and the focus on forms of craft and resistance.

• file sharing and craft: Our relation to files and the file systems of our devices are these days totally mediated through apps, cloud services and layers of abstraction. Which tools can we use and what skills, habits and methods can we grow to make custom socio-technical file sharing configurations for specific situations, people and context? How can you use your current crafts when sharing files with others? And which crafts would you like to explore and learn?
• file sharing as resistance: What role does Big Tech play when it comes to sharing files with our peers, friends and family? Which strategies are there to learn from to counter their power, such as mirroring and peer2peer networks? How can file sharing be an intimate process? What limits do we want to embrace, in response to all the infrastructure that is needed to process an insane amount of files everyday?

Rhythm of this trimester

This trimester is split into 5 different angles from which we will explore file sharing protocols, tools, strategies, methods, experiments and artistic practices.

• During odd weeks (WEEK 1, WEEK 3, etc), we will spend a full day together to explore a new angle. During these sessions we will do a range of exercises and will continue to work with graphviz, HTML, CSS, Python, the terminal and nginx (+ possible more) as tools that allow making all sorts of file sharing prototypes.

• In the week after, we will come together in the morning for a fermentation session, to collectively, reflect, continue the conversation, ask questions and work on prototypes. This means that there will be no class in the afternoons, which leaves time for other things. (gossip time? continue with the prototypes? collective decision making? workshops across XPUB1 & XPUB2? other things?)

Assignments

Throughout this trimester, you are asked to continuously work on the following two assignments.

File sharing prototypes

Make file sharing prototypes in response to the 5 angles we will explore this trimester.

You can make these prototypes all together as a group, in smaller groups, or alone.

Be involved in at least 1 prototype for each angle, but you can make as many of them as you like.

Prototypes don't have to be fully finished projects (at all!). Try to keep them simple, follow your curiosities!

We will discuss and work on the prototypes during the fermentation sessions!

We agreed to collect links to documentation of these prototypes at the bottom of this page, in the section "#Prototypes".

One sentence file sharing systems

Every week, we will write descriptions of possible file sharing systems together. We will use a pad to collect them:

https://pad.xpub.nl/p/one-sentence-file-sharing-systems

By writing these descriptions, we formulate the file sharing systems that we dream off, we wish for, or those kind of file systems that are a bit more speculative, raise critical questions, expose problematic sides of file sharing, etc!

We will read the new contributions to the one-sentence pad at the start of every session!

Schedule

WEEK 0

Tuesday 6 January

No class

WEEK 1

Tuesday 13 January
with Kamo and Manetta

File sharing & mapping

• morning: introduction this trimester + mapping file sharing dynamics in SI28
  • mapping pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/mapping-SI28
  • mapping collectively on a pad, script: https://hub.xpub.nl/sergio/SI29/file-sharing/mapping/mappingtogether.sh
• afternoon: hello file sharing cultures/methods/tools + continue mappings

pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/SI29-prototyping-week-1

outcomes of today:

• SI28 file sharing mapping exercise: https://hub.xpub.nl/sergio/SI29/file-sharing/mapping/mapping-SI28.svg
• SI28 file sharing mapping + anecdotes web page: https://hub.xpub.nl/sergio/SI29/file-sharing/mapping/

OUTLINE OF TODAY

In class:

• Make a collective map with Graphviz that visualizes how you shared files with other people within the context of SI28
  we will use https://pad.xpub.nl/p/mapping-SI28 + /var/www/html/SI29/file-sharing/mapping/mappingtogether.sh
  which will output to https://hub.xpub.nl/sergio/SI29/file-sharing/mapping/

For next session:

• Add an entry to the one-sentence pad, with a description of a possible file system: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/one-sentence-file-sharing-systems

For the coming two weeks:

• Make a file sharing prototype: share files with someone else within XPUB1 in a particular way. Think about how the WAY you share the files effects the sharing itself. Document it in any way that fits, and add your documentation to the bottom of this page, in the section Prototypes.

WEEK 2

Tuesday 20 January
with Manetta

• morning: fermentation session

pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/SI29-prototyping-week-2

WEEK 3

Tuesday 27 January
with Kamo and Manetta

File sharing & my computer

Exploring our file systems

pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/SI29-prototyping-week-3

outcomes of today:

• our file systems scoreboard: https://hub.xpub.nl/sergio/SI29/file-sharing/our-file-systems-scoreboard.html
• the forest of personal folder stories: https://hub.xpub.nl/sergio/SI29/file-sharing/forest/

OUTLINE OF TODAY

In class:

• File sharing prototypes: what did you make last 2 weeks? (max 5 min each)
• Explore the file system of your computer
• Personal folder story telling exercise

For next session:

• Add an entry to the one-sentence pad, with a description of a possible file system: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/one-sentence-file-sharing-systems

For the coming two weeks:

• Work on a 2nd file sharing prototype, that responses in some way to yesterday's focus on the file system explorations. You can continue with the personal folder annotation exercise we did in class, continue or join one of the prototypes that were made in the last two weeks, or come up with something completely different. Follow your curiosities and see where it brings you!

WEEK 4

Tuesday 3 February
with Manetta

• morning: fermentation session

pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/Prototyping260203

WEEK 5

Tuesday 10 February
with Kamo and Manetta

File sharing & situated strategies

Gallery prototype

pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/SI29-prototyping-week-5

outcomes of today:

• variations on https://hub.xpub.nl/sergio/SI29/file-sharing/gallery/
• https://hub.xpub.nl/sergio/SI29/file-sharing/xtra-nice/

OUTLINE OF TODAY

In class:

• File sharing prototypes: what did you make last 2 weeks?
• Photo gallery making: generating web pages with Python + Jinja templates

For next session:

• Add an entry to the one-sentence pad, with a description of a possible file system: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/one-sentence-file-sharing-systems

For the coming three weeks:

• Keep working on a file sharing prototype, by yourself or with others, either a new one or in continuation of last weeks. If you want, you can depart from today's focus on generating web pages from a collection of files.

WEEK 6

SPRING BREAK

WEEK 7

Tuesday 24 February
with Manetta

• morning: fermentation session

pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/SI29-prototyping-week-7

WEEK 8

Tuesday 3 March
with Kamo and Manetta

File sharing & networks/nginx

• pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/SI29-prototyping-week-8
• wiki page: Bootleg bot

WEEK 9

Tuesday 10 March
with Manetta

• morning: fermentation session
• pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/SI29-prototyping-week-9

WEEK 10

Tuesday 17 March
with Kamo and Manetta

File sharing & networks (continued) limits

• pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/SI29-prototyping-week-10
• git repo: https://git.xpub.nl/kamo/bot-magic-words

OUTLINE OF TODAY

• we will continue our collective endeavor to make the bootleg bot! We propose to continue the collective work, add more features to the bot and install it on the bootleg library server, so other people can start to interact with it too! See the pad for a list of things we can work on.
• we will skip the prototype sharing round

WEEK 11

Tuesday 24 March
with Manetta

• morning: fermentation session

OUTLINE OF TODAY

• prototype sharing round: This is our last prototyping session of this trimester, and last file sharing prototypes sharing round (so much sharing)! So.. if there is still something you would like to explore this trimester, this is a last chance to make 1 more prototype and share it with the group. 📁✨
• documentation: We will also use this last session to include the prototyping outcomes of this trimester in the SI29 map!

WEEK 12

Monday 30 March + Tuesday 1 April

Assessments

Prototypes

Leave links (of wiki pages, web pages, web folders, ...) below to documentation of your prototypes!

File sharing & mapping

WEEK 1 + 2

• Lea, Sibyl, Barbara: Our house—our garden: A prototype for intimate P2P file sharing
• Youjung: User:Youjung/SI29:_Gossips#Week_1-2._Collective_zine_making_using_bash_script
• Robin: bit cat, mesh network chat over bleutooth
• Daan + Valentin: USB DJ file accidental sharing network, initiated in WORM last week!!
• Tommi: QR code maziness
• Luca + Ema: Sharing SVGs between Brazil and the Netherlands

File sharing & my computer

WEEK 3 + 4

• Barbara, Youjung, Lea: Campfire: A prototype for local-first file sharing
• Valentin + Daan: shadowshares
• Kiki + Sybil: Potluck Files workshop + https://hub.xpub.nl/sergio/~kiki/workshop_web/tree.html
• Robin: generating invoices with Eleventy+Paged.js and storing them with Git: GIT set-up with remote on a server
• Ema + Soda: infrared file transfer explorations

File sharing & situated strategies

WEEK 5 + 7

• Ema + Soda: infrared experiments
• Youjung + Barbara + Tommi SI29/Our Digital Home for the SI workshop
• Youjung + Barbara + Sibyl Campfire group is still going on!
• Robin: custom keyboard explorations, overlap with the SI workshop
• Luca: mysterious €0.02 transfers with gossip in the description (still to be found by the receivers!)
• Luca: wax based file sharing from the 1800s, interview with friend and researcher, to be published on the XML website?!
• Phillip: drawings and annotations on gossip Sketches_and_Annotations
• Daan + Valentin: midi web api explorations are ongoing, and the shadowshares USB too!

File sharing & networks/nginx

WEEK 8 + 9

• Ema: Equivalence Languages -> translating stylesheet, CSS is a language, from English > Italian > English, CSS poetry!

File sharing & limits

WEEK 10 + 11

• Lea: Ferment Sharing

References

Strategies

Actors involved

We can explore file sharing practices considering the actors involved, and their choreography.

example: when I'm sending a file via SwissTransfer to someone, who are the actors involved?

    me --> file --> swiss transfer                   me ---> link ---> friend
           swiss transfer --> link --> me                          swiss transfer ----> file -----> friend

there are at least three actors involved!

example: when you are uploading a file to sergio via scp, who are the actors involved?

    me ---> file -----ssh connection------
                                         |    xpub hub / vpn
                                         ----------------> sergio ? 

again at least three actors involved!

Directions

We can explore file sharing thinking about who is giving and who is receiving.

One to one

• copying a file to sergio via scp
• sending a picture to a friend via chat

One to many

• uploading a book to annas-archive
• uploading an image to the wiki
• sending a picture to a group chat

Many to one

• mhhhhh working on a web to print publication in a collaborative way and then printing it and publish it ?
• i dont know about this one cannot think about examples please help
• this could sound like surveillance if many are us and one is th estate

Many to many

• uploading some file in a shared drive folder
• using a p2p such as torrent, emule
• contributing to an open source project?

Temporal aspect

We can explore file sharing thinking about the temporal aspect!

 syncronous
 asyncronous
 
 relatively slow
 relatively quick

• syncronous quick --> a friend send you a file via chat
• syncronous slow ---> p2p practices such as downloading the entire Bach discography lossless from torrent (four packs, each 430 GB)
• asyncrounous quick ---> getting a file from wetransfer
• asyncrounous slow --> downloading an entire mirror of libgen

(i mean to be honest there is no such a thing such as syncronous transfer so maybe this diagram is a bit misleading. the disclaimer could be: perceived syncronicity.)

Projects

• USB in the wall, Dead Drops (2010–ongoing) https://arambartholl.com/dead-drops/
• El paquete semanal - Cuba, Ernesto Oroza https://thepiratebook.net/el-paquete-semanal-cuba/
• Storing large files on youtube as videos (not sure if this was ever a thing or just a funny meme)
• lose/lose, shoot-'em-up-game (2009) http://www.stfj.net/art/2009/loselose/
• distribusi + file.gallery: static site generators based on folders and files (examples: https://ururu.cloud/ (distribusi) and https://kevin.garden/ (file.gallery)

Readings

• https://thepiratebook.net