From 9e31b1713dedbfe3bfe06317e7678e6b3f7fdcc9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Katharina Fey Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2019 22:11:34 +0100 Subject: First draft of 35C3 post --- content/blog/104_35c3.md | 96 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 96 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/blog/104_35c3.md 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... + + + -- cgit v1.2.3