It’s about time a mobile phone with out of the box meshing capabilities existed. The cost of it could not be subsidized by a data plan, since communication with it would be free (no need for cell towers). The only ongoing cost would be the electricity needed to charge the battery, and any repair costs. In sufficiently dense areas it would be golden. Talk about network effects- the more people join, the more robust it would be, and the more distance it could cover.
network
Sketches: Twitter Network
Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011I’ve been playing around with the Python Twitter API and made a simple network visualization of people I follow. Links are made between people who follow each other. Surprisingly, its not as trivial as one might imagine to get a list of names of people one follows, if the number of followees is greater than 100. For ID’s the case is much simpler. Here is a sketch of my network in 2D, written in Processing. Disentangling a network, well, that’s the fun part. I’ll post again in the future as I develop better visualizations (maybe even in 3D!).
I’m doing this as a way to explore the information flows around me. In this case, its pretty easy to get the twitter data. But on a wider scope, once I have a map of where I am getting information, I can be more attentive to the diversity of sources I actively listen to. This is in efforts to create tools that seek to move beyond information silos that can be created by social software.
PDX I Love You
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Imagine the city covered in hearts on Valentine’s Day. So many people love this city, and here is a way to express that love. On Valentine’s Day, anyone walking alone in the city may see a heart poking out from a corner, and perhaps a smile will creep on their lips. A heart that is not commercial, a heart placed not for a single person, but for anyone who walks by. We want to give a medium for people, to encourage them to freely express their affection through this simple symbol, and re-conceive the purpose of Valentine’s Day, as not a huge commercial endeavor, but a chance to just show anyone- maybe even a city- you love them.
This was a collaborative project organized with Jason Edward Davis in Portland, OR. We organized a booth in the Love show to spread the idea and materials, and on the night of February 13th, 2009 we placed hearts around the city with dozens of Portlanders. The following are the notes preceding the project, and documentation of its progress.
Concepts
Ephemeral art is essential in this project because the intention does not involve littering or graffiti. Creating hearts that are biodegradable, or will come out in the rain is essential. Possible mediums include chalk, newspaper, construction paper, powder, and natural materials like sticks, dirt, or stones.
While exploring East Berlin, one can’t help but notice the wealth of street art. Its all around, and after wandering a few days in that city I felt the dialogue the artists had with the city dwellers. Walking in the city, daydreaming, thinking about different things, and these artists’ works would penetrate my thoughts. The street art is for the public, and its free to view. Its a similar dialogue and notion of art free for all that PDX I Love you seeks.
The intention is to cover as much of the city as possible with hearts. This is a large scale project, and in order to meet that scale we take into account the concepts of networks and how information and action flows through them. In order to scale to the size of the city, the execution is from the bottom up. We offer simple guidelines, without any core structure, to allow groups to grow organically. There is the option to meet at the love show, or to message us to find groups. With groups forming anywhere, and without reinforcing certain locations, it becomes possible to have hearts emerge all around the city without having a single individual put each one up.
Documentation
The messages sent out and development of the project was maintained on pdxiloveyou.blogspot.com
Soon after spreading the word of the project began, the curator of the Portland Love Show, Ben Pink, welcomed PDX I Love you into the show. We set up a booth there where we spread the message and also materials to heart the city.
On Valentine’s Day and for weeks after it was fun to look out for hearts and hear about hearts that were seen around town. For the most part the project was incredibly fulfilling because of its general uplifting outlook and giving nature. People became inspired about the idea, and we were excited by enthusiastic responses.
trees inter twine
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
The piece began construction on Thursday December 13th 2007 and was worked on each night until Monday, December 17th. The piece was be taken down soon after, and no part of it was permanent. The following documentation contains the ideas preceding its development and then documentation of its growth.
community and culture through public transport
Saturday, December 5th, 2009On some of the more frequented Trimet bus lines include a digital screen which displays culture or community events occurring on or close to that line, as well as beautiful photography, poetry and quotes. This will reduce some of the boredom and monotony of everyday waiting.
