First draft of 35C3 post

1 files changed, 96 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/content/blog/104_35c3.md b/content/blog/104_35c3.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c631512
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/blog/104_35c3.md
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+Title: Hacking is political
+Category: Blog
+Tags: /dev/diary, CCC
+Date: 2018-12-31
+
+I'm just coming back from the Chaos Communication Congress,
+a four day event just after Christmas.
+It was my fourth one in total, and now the third in a row
+(the first being 25C3 as a smol girl).
+
+It's hard to describe the C3 (abreviation for the congress, opposed to the CCC, the club).
+Some call it a "hacker conference" which is...in some ways accurate,
+but often doesn't manage to capture what it is.
+Not to mention relies on the external definition of a "hacker" to describe it.
+Other's call it a "tech event" or "tech conference" which really isn't accurate either.
+There are lots of artists and non-tech people represented
+and I feel these experiences shouldn't be ignored.
+
+The C3 has been in Hamburg for quite a while but was forced to move last year
+due to the congress centre there being remodeled (read "torn down").
+After remodelling the venue would also not be suitable for the event anymore,
+meaning that a semi-permanent move had to be initiated.
+
+**I didn't enjoy last years Congress.**
+
+Not only was it plagued by loads of logistical problems and bad adaptation of the new space,
+there were political issues around the organisation of the event and how decisions were made.
+Last year's congress showed off that the CCC (the club) had a problem with apoliticality.
+
+## Apolitical Hackers
+
+I've been rather loud about the apolitical or centrist parts of the hacker movement.
+Conflation between the terms "maker" and "hacker" have further undermined the movement
+with capitalist and neoliberal ideas.
+
+It's true that a movement as large as the hacker scene will have room for less political people,
+or even viewpoints from the less-left spectrum.
+Yet, I have always found it dangerous to attempt to leave politics out of hacking.
+
+This includes a critical stance towards capitalism and discrimination against minorities.
+Hackers, by definition, are the political left!
+Anyone who isn't and still claims to be a hacker has successfully co-opted the word
+and is attempting to undermine the movement for their own political gain.
+
+It's not always obvious how the existence of apolitical hackers impacts the movement
+or the technologies that they build.
+But just like Tech in general has a racism and sexism problem,
+so does the hacker movement.
+Society does, really. There's no way to remove a community from time and space.
+"Stuff" happened before we got here, and pretending that it didn't, won't help anyone.
+
+I could talk about the impact of apoliticality on technology
+and new communities that are being built for a very long time but I really don't want to today.
+Instead I want to focus on something else.
+
+## A very political congress
+
+I very much enjoyed this year's congress!
+
+Maybe in part that was because of the people I was attending it with this year ( *wink* )
+but in no small part, it was also because of a general atmosphere that seemed to be lurking around.
+This isn't something only I noticed.
+I had conversations about this with others, who apparently also noticed this change.
+
+The first thing you saw when entering the venue was a huge Antifa flag,
+setting the tone of the event as being very left-wing.
+Apart from that there were a lot more assemblies this year,
+many were dedicated to squatting, anarchy and dismanteling the capitalist system
+that we are all forced to live in.
+There were a few queer assemblies, scattered around the hall,
+making it so that queer and leftist issues weren't all bundled in one spot
+but were present all through the venue.
+This changed the atmosphere quite significantly.
+
+It wasn't perfect. Just like last year, it was plagued by logistical problems,
+some larger, some smaller.
+There were people who had their stuff stolen.
+There were speakers who made problematic jokes on stage.
+There were still apolitial and centrist people present.
+In fact, there were people complaining about C3 "having gotten so political",
+which really is a good thing.
+We want the centrist and right-leaning "hackers" (read: libertarians) to feel uncomfortable.
+
+But despite all that, the air, the general atmosphere of the event was different.
+
+I welcome this change.
+And I hope that it sets a new tone for the CCC and the C3 in general.
+I would very much enjoy going back next year and finding out that the event has become even more overtly anarchist.
+
+Because we shouldn't forget our core motivation as hackers, inspired by "Hackers":
+**being queer, and doing crimes!**
+
+The only downside from 35C3? I don't really know what to think about birds anymore...
+
+
+