User:Miriam/Final presentation
Individual contributions to the Special Issues
SI16
My role
- Worked with my subgroup on the code for the language filter of "...and I wish that your question has been answered."
- Creating altered versions of our origin text
- Printing and binding of the "...and I wish that your question has been answered." zines
- Organisation and set up of the launch with the launch event team
- Proof-reading publication texts
Subgroup project
...and I wish that your question has been answered. https://hub.xpub.nl/soupboat/si16/projects/and-i-wish-that-your-question-has-been-answered/
Our tool is a filter to process and alter texts. By targeting specific words and replacing them, either for another word, for specific characters or for blank spaces, the reader or user of the tool can change the text in many ways. The tool includes three functions The function “respell” receives as input a text (string type) and substitute all the occurrences of a target word with a replacement chosen by the user. The function “stitch” is very similar to the previous one but replaces all the occurrences of a target word with a single character (it can also be a blank space) that is repeated as many times as the length of the target. The third function “reveal” also works very similar but deletes all input text except the target word(s) and replaces the deleted text with blank spaces.
SI17
My role
- Taking care of the SI17 finances
- Creating a card game as well as a collection of life hacks for the loot box content
- Creating the loot box reveal audio track: File:Loot Box Reveal (online-audio-converter.com).mp3
- Making a game music playlist for the launch
- Organisation and set up of the launch
- Creation of Fage Not Pound timezone with Kim, Emma, Chae: Fage Not Pound
Final project
This box found your for a reason: https://issue.xpub.nl/17/index.html
SI18
My role
Final project
Development of reading/writing practice across the 2 years
Development of prototyping practice across the 2 years
1st year
2nd year
My thesis
Miri's XPUB2 thesis outline
It all started with memes...
In the beginning, memes amazed me by the way they replicate, go viral, and serve as a way of communicating. I wondered if it might be possible to define a set of rules for memetic success that could be applied to activist strategies; using the power of imitation to reach most publicity. Then, I went down the rabbithole and learnt that the dissemination of memes is already very much a political tool on its own - but mostly used by far-right extremists. My thesis and project got more specific. I asked myself:
What can we learn from the alt-right's meme war and how can we counteract?
File: PDF thesis
Screenshot thesis
Screenshot thesis
Screenshot thesis
Thesis structure:
- Introduction
- The definition and concept of memes
- The Great Meme War of 2016
- Counteraction strategies - From a leftist, for leftist.
Grad project
Research
The original idea of making a guide to memefy your life transformed into the idea of making a guide for leftist meme-making and eventually became how to be a social justice warrior.
I didn't want to publish a set of ultimate rules on how to be activist. Rather, I wanted my publication to be a collection of multiple things: activist strategies, educational material, interviews, memes, trolling experiences, interesting stories, book recommendations,... One big potpourri that serves as a source of inspiration instead of dictates one right way.
Research on Swiss leftist meme makers
Interviews with leftist meme pages:
@linkefotzen
@linksversifft
Petarde
At that point, I still thought I am working towards a printed publication, a small book. But it didn't seem right to print memes. So I was looking for alternatives...
Is it a book?
Your world of text/Is it a map?
Mural/Is it a map?
Is it an Instagram account?
Is it a box?
Is it a book? Is it a map? Is it an Instagram account? Is it a box?
In the meantime, I started experimenting with text-based photos about the topic. There's this memetic trend on Instagram, that activists use this text-based "pastel panel" slide-show aesthetic. Regardless of what the format of the project will be, I wanted to talk in the native language.
With those poppy colors and the catchy text, I decided that this aesthetic only works digitally. I didn't want to deal with the politics of other platforms, so I knew that if I want to have an independant platform, I need to make it myself. That's when I decided that the format will be a website. howtobeasocialjusticewarrior.com was born!
I started making more of these text-based slide-shows, memes, and the website. I used very mainstream softwares and tools as this made the most sense for a project on memes.
Process
Photoshop
MemeGenerator
MemeGenerator
Instagram
Instagram
Word
Cooltext
Giphy
Tenor
Gif compressor
Imgflip
Dafont
Know your meme
Gandi
Outcome
https://project.xpub.nl/howtobeasocialjusticewarrior/
https://howtobeasocialjusticewarrior.com/
If the far-right is able to mobilise people to be politically active in real life, to attend white supremacist rallies or to storm the capitol by means of memes, what could the left learn from the far-right’s cyber tactics? And how can anti-fascists counteract?
That memes are not only silly images but can have a political effect has long been understood by the far-right. When it comes to the creation and dissemination of weaponised memes, they are unquestionably ahead of the left-wing. Backed up by a powerful network and well-coordinated organisational structures, fascist trolls have not only managed to infiltrate political neutral spaces, but also the ones of the left. When white supremacists are manipulating elections by means of memes, sockpuppet trolls are paid to spread disinformation online, and right-wing troll armies successfully conquer online territories, the battle against fascism extends beyonds the streets.
"How to be a social justice warrior" is an online platform that dives into the digital propaganda strategies employed by the far-right, and explores possible counter-action strategies. It's a website packed with printable guides, memes, gifs and educational material, ranging from tips for leftist meme-making, to information about trolling strategies, up to instructions on how to install an Instagram report bot. Pick whatever suits your activism best.
This publication is an attempt to equip you with tools to identify, address and combat cybertoxicity and fascism, in the digital realm as well as in the analogue world. If you decide to use any of the activist strategies presented, I suggest to ask yourself what exactly you want to reach with your actions, and to set your moral compass. Not all strategies may be without risk, nor can they guarantee success. The fight against fascism depends on broader societal efforts and requires stamina and collective action. Use this publication as a source of inspiration for your activism and as a resource to support your journey.
Content Warning: This publication includes racist, sexist, antisemitic, and other discriminatory content.
Grad show and further plans
- Screen installation
- Continue website like a blog! There's so much to talk about!
- Start making videos?
- Stickers
- Printable sticker sheets
- Milieudefensie
