villainous.biz

with the winter break on the cusp of conclusion (i hope everyone had a good and safe holiday this year), i managed to mozy on down to the internet today to check my mail, get some slash and do that internet do. so with a laid-back saunter, here begins another year of amateurish participatory dabbling into this web2.n0 sh!zznat.

 

 

that sweet spot between xmas and new years (also known as the busiest time in the box office film industry) plays host to the chaos communication congress brought to us by the chaos computer club, where many of those same box office hits were being torrented, i might add or so i hear. This year was the 23^rd annual itineration of the event and was also the most visited one in the history of the congress with +4200 visitors.

 

 

There were geeks and nerds everywhere and i was one with the hurd, club mate in hand. people where fully maximizing the volume of the space. i even got a chance to sleep in saal 1 on 2 chairs (i hear that animation students have a special affinity to the sleeping in 2 chairs style) just to get a hard line into the switch, only to wake up with people on mass sprouting from all around me to set up temporary hack-stations as lectures reconvened.

 

 

This year i was fortunate enough to participate as a herald for the congress, which basically meant i had an opportunity to steal a few words from the guest speakers, if only for the sake of introducing those in a proper and un-fugly like fashion to hundreds of people.

 

 

There were some good people present and i had a chance to see some friends sorely missed. Martind of desktop.de fame was organizing the heralds for the congress this year and showed me the ropes of being a herald. My old collaborator and comrade b1nary.k0a1a was there too, and got to meet some new and interesting folks.

 

 

The most interesting talk of note this year for me was Lawrence Lessig’s presentation - On Free, and the Differences between Culture and Code. It was the first time i had seen him live. He apparently has a distinct style of presentation. All i have to say is that he is definitely a powerpoint/keynote expert. Check out the google video stream below and judge for yourself at 400×326 pixels-per-inch of glorious resolution:

For my second time around i have to say that i love this congress more and more. I look forward to next year and will remember to again, bring more hard drives!