• transhackflyer_side_a.pdf: Introduction flyer - printable version - side A

• transhackflyer_side_b.pdf: Introduction flyer - printable version - side B

Contents:

Welcome to the Transnational Hackmeeting!

Below are bits of information you need to know when joining the transhackmeeting process, so that it can be a pleasant and enriching experience for all!

MAKING IT HAPPEN

$ chmod a+x thk.sh && ./thk.sh

THK is a self-managed gathering, which relies on the active participation of all. Organisation is meant to be an open and transparent process, allowing everyone to take part through collective discussions and horizontal decision-making. Thus all participants are kindly invited to join thk assemblies, that are to happen everyday at 8pm.

Collective structures & tasks such as welcome infopoint, human DHCP, food processing and whatever needs to be done... depend on everyone's participation! Please register for shifts, by adding yourself to the planning posters, available in the transhack café.

COMPILING FOOD

$ cd /usr/src/supplies && ./configure && make

THK aims at merging technology and politics, by extending computer hacking to the physical world, and by bringing political concerns to digital activity. THK will allow to experiment with such reality-hacking, by letting us all code recipes and compile food, in turns.

Plans are to release breakfast at 11am every morning, and dinner at 6pm every evening. Meals will be vegan so that everyone can eat. Food hacker Shapo will coordinate a cooking workshop every afternoon, to code dinner together with a team of volunteers, that is to be renewed everyday! So please register for cooking - breakfast and dinner - no food processing experience is required!

GETTING ONLINE

$ dhclient human0 && ping -n 1 transhack.taz

THK is about people meeting each other, connecting projects, putting their intelligence and ressources together. Though this does not require an Internet connection, limited bandwidth will be available for reading and sending mail, through imaps, pops, smtps and ssh (https to webmail servers available on demand). Needless to say we expect people to "behave": be responsable, and don't do shit that could endanger the locals hosting us!

Focus will be put on the local network and direct communication instead. In order to plug onto transhack.taz, you have to send a voice packet to the "human DHCP" desk, that will kindly provide you with an IP for your computer. Gateway is 172.16.0.1, DNS 172.16.0.10 and domain transhack.taz.

SLEEPING

$ echo -n 4 > /sys/power/state

THK takes place in and around the Rojc building, which can hardly provide any sleeping place indoors. If you people have brought tents as advertised on the website, you can plant it on the camping site outside the building.

If you really don't have a tent, it might be possible to arrange some mattress dirty hack. Ask around the infopoints.

WORKSHOPS & SKILL-SHARING

$ screen -x thk pts/skyroom

THK provides three rooms for workshops, lectures and various skill-shares on a number of subject, ran by volunteers for everyone interested. A workshop schedule is available at the infopoints, but there still might be empty slots available for you to submit content at the last minute. If this is the case, double-check if the slot's empty, add yourself to the plannings and shout around.

TAKING DECISIONS

$ irssi -c irc.transhack.taz ; /join #meeting

To allow efficient discussion and horizontal decision-making processes during physical meetings, we have experienced the following techniques:

- To avoid voice packet collisions and discussion flooding by one big mouth, people should speak one after another, raise their hand and wait until the previous speaker has finished. This helps generating a comfortable atmosphere for everyone to express his/herself.

- Someone acts as a facilitator, scan people for raised hands and gives voices accordingly. S/he also keeps the discussion in focus, by regularly suming up the situation and asking for consensus whenever an issue's been discussed.

- Another participant should take minutes and output a report, to be posted on the mailing-list (thk@autisticiNOSPAMNONONONO.org) and published on the local wiki (http://wiki.transhack.taz/), to ensure everyone can learn from it and join the process.

- All participants can use hand-signs for easy communication: wave both hands for approval, raise hands to ask for speech, as well as others to ask for translation, incite a speaker to move on or speak up.

This is all very easy to implement and use, and has proven to be very powerful over general chaos

-- DarkVeggy? - 25 Jun 2004