the sponge media innovation lab
TRANSCRIPT
interdisciplinary community != dream
interdisciplinary community != dream
(a coder's perspective)
Victor Nițunightsh.eu / [email protected]
Executive Director, Fundația Ceata (http://ceata.org)
match-making
interdisciplinary brainstorming
trainings
transparency in decisions
curiosity
match-making
* a lot of initiatives in matching skills and needs
* coming from people without the skills (or without the needs) it's a bit pointless
* we DO have both the skills and the needs
* working together is a win-win situation
curiosity
Coders: What's the journalists' workflow like?
Journalists: I'd like to see some feature implemented, but I don't know where to start... How does this technical solution work?
Activists: how are those free software communities managing themselves?
trainings
Geographers teaching coders how to build beautiful maps.
Programmers teaching journalists how to increase online security.
Journalists teaching all of us how to write good articles.
Legal experts showing us how broken is the system we rely on...
Free software activists demonstrating how the use of proprietary solutions is bad for us all.
interdisciplinary brainstorming
- Some bad surveillance law is about to pass and we'll all be f***ed!
- LOL no, let's do something!
Activists: We'll write a manifesto!Legal experts: We'll make sure all the legal aspects are covered! Coders: We'll write the platform for gathering signatures! Journalists: We'll write about it everywhere!
e.g. http://coliberator.ro/petition
transparency in decisions
We meet and brainstorm over internal problems.
We keep each other informed about all aspects.
We use our combined skills to solve whatever comes up.
We solve it.
Beer.
history lesson #1 Open Media Challenge–
http://omc.thesponge.eu
When: 2012-09-29..30What: 13 projects submitted 10 projects in development 8 delivered during the hackathon Who: Knight-Mozilla, Cyberghost, CRJI, Ceata, geo-spatial.org, ROSEdu, ApTI (The Sponge & sponsors)
Shortly after OMC:
* The Sponge community gathered in a decent-sized flat near Victoriei Square, Bucharest
* New ideas kept coming
* The Sponge members got invited to speak at various events and contribute to workshops in more European countries
* More local meetings
history lesson #1 Open Media Challenge–
Shortly after OMC:
* The Sponge community gathered in a decent-sized flat near Victoriei Square, Bucharest
* New ideas kept coming
* The Sponge members got invited to speak at various events and contribute to workshops in more European countries
* More local meetings
*
history lesson #1 Open Media Challenge–
history lesson #2 The Black Sea–
http://theblacksea.eu
“ We are a team of experienced and award-winning journalists, photographers, film-makers, information-designers and coders, using a platform that hosts in-depth stories in text, images, video and infographics.”
“ We are a team of experienced and award-winning journalists, photographers, film-makers, information-designers and coders, using a platform that hosts in-depth stories in text, images, video and infographics.”
history lesson #2 The Black Sea–
Some highlights:
* we (coders) got to work with non-technical people
* we actually loved it
* got instant user feedback, but well-documented feedback
* got some brilliant UX ideas (yes, we do suck at this)
* people wrote about our work!
* understanding the journalistic workflow helped us refine ours a bit
* wow, we built something useful AND used!
history lesson #2 The Black Sea–
Some highlights:
* we (coders) got to work with non-technical people
* we actually loved it
* got instant user feedback, but well-documented feedback
* got some brilliant UX ideas (yes, we do suck at this)
* people wrote about our work!
* understanding the journalistic workflow helped us refine ours a bit
wow, we built something useful AND used!
What are we doing now?
Monthly topics set by The Sponge members plus:
* blog posts
* one public workshop / training
* spontaneous brainstorming sessions
--
A hackathon every few months.
--
Weekly public meetings where one person from within The Sponge and one “outsider” come to show off their current (or past) project.
What are we doing now?
Coding business:
* The Knowledge Exchange Platform
* Forking, improving and maintaining stuff we like * identity.kde.org (Solena web based LDAP manager) * KCFinder (AJAX/PHP file manager)
* Building new stuff * a simple, UNIX-ish PHP framework * a hackathon organizing platform * a small publishing platform optimized for journalists
* Hacking on free databases published by governments all around the world * http://date.gov.ro * http://ted.openspending.org
What are we doing now?
Coding business:
* The Knowledge Exchange Platform
* Forking, improving and maintaining stuff we like * identity.kde.org (Solena web based LDAP manager) * KCFinder (AJAX/PHP file manager)
* Building new stuff * a simple, UNIX-ish PHP framework * a hackathon organizing platform * a small publishing platform optimized for journalists
* Hacking on free databases published by governments all around the world * http://date.gov.ro * http://ted.openspending.org
Current needs and future plans
Logistics:
* We still need a bigger place (a 2-3 floors house?)* We'd like to host our own infrastructure (blocked by previous need)
People:
* We're always looking for similar projects or like-minded human beings* We are doers. We like other doers, too.
Funding:
* Ideas we have. For some, money we need.* A house, rent money, infrastructure, tools, we can find an use for almost everything on this planet!
Logistics:
* We still need a bigger place (a 2-3 floors house?)* We'd like to host our own infrastructure (blocked by previous need)
People:
* We're always looking for similar projects or like-minded human beings* We are doers. We like other doers, too.
Funding:
* Ideas we have. For some, money we need.* A house, rent money, infrastructure, tools, we can find an use for almost everything on this planet!
Current needs and future plans
Logistics:
* We still need a bigger place (a 2-3 floors house?)* We'd like to host our own infrastructure (blocked by previous need)
People:
* We're always looking for similar projects or like-minded human beings* We are doers. We like other doers, too.
Funding:
* Ideas we have. For some, money we need.* A house, rent money, infrastructure, tools, we can find an use for almost everything on this planet!
Current needs and future plans
Current needs and future plans
* A big, interdisciplinary hackerspace in Bucharest
* A brilliant software infrastructure able to solve all problems :-)
* More hackathons
* More frontend developers!
* Improved academic outreach (e.g. universities, academic programs)
* Efficiency: accelerated growth from concept to prototype
* Independence: we like to think free and do things the right way
Current needs and future plans
* A big, interdisciplinary hackerspace in Bucharest
* A brilliant software infrastructure able to solve all problems :-)
* More hackathons
* More frontend developers!
* Improved academic outreach (e.g. universities, academic programs)
* Efficiency: accelerated growth from concept to prototype
* Independence: we like to think free and do things the right way
Current needs and future plans
* A big, interdisciplinary hackerspace in Bucharest
* A brilliant software infrastructure able to solve all problems :-)
* More hackathons
* More frontend developers!
* Improved academic outreach (e.g. universities, academic programs)
* Efficiency: accelerated growth from concept to prototype
* Independence: we like to think free and do things the right way
Current needs and future plans
* A big, interdisciplinary hackerspace in Bucharest
* A brilliant software infrastructure able to solve all problems :-)
* More hackathons
* More frontend developers!
* Improved academic outreach (e.g. universities, academic programs)
* Efficiency: accelerated growth from concept to prototype
* Independence: we like to think free and do things the right way
Thanks for your patience!
Questions?
Ideas?
Resources?
Send them to [email protected] or directly to me at [email protected]