Usernomics 1.0 is a hacktivist workshop employing models of waste reclamation, recycling and reuse. This user-friendly workshop begins with discussion about the consequences (social, ecological) of the computer industry, and a discussion about how to reuse, recycle discarded keyboards, household goods and toys. Participants engage in hacking (taking apart and repurposing) the keyboards and reprogram them to make one-of-a-kind external computer controllers.
The few days before the March 15-16 workshop, Christine Lee from City Studio and I went on a mission in the Mission for discarded goods to use in conjunction with the keyboards to make the controllers. We perused the thrift stores. Anything with movable parts makes a good trigger, so we collected old children's toys, sports equipment, kitchenware and other random household goods.
The first part of the workshop took place that weekend. In addition to City Studio students, Tammy Ko Robinson (Studio program Director), Christine Lee (Assistant Director), Conrad Meyers (SFAI grad), Amber Cady (Nexmap) and Kamau Patton (Studio instructor) were on hand to help and create! We began with an overview of what electronic waste is and what we can do to intervene in technological obsolescence. The City Studio students had been investigating the prison industrial complex so we also talked about the use of prison labor in electronics recycling. Discussion about the computer user interface and how we can create new ways of interaction with our controllers that moved beyond dominant narratives became the focal point. Kamau led an insightful discussion about how the movable toys we were using (analog interfaces) were analogous to the keyboard and mouse (digital interfaces). Those movable parts on a child's toy had a specific function that caused a reaction similar to the joystick or computer keyboard.
The technical objective of the workshop was to get 2-4 keys working on the new controllers so as to trigger onscreen images and create a simple computer video game. Students later would create their own onscreen narrative and custom images for the game. Working collaboratively over the 2-day workshop, both students and instructors learned how to disassemble or rather "hack" the old computer keyboards supplied by a local recycler (Computer Recycling Center). We soldered, taped and brainstormed ways to integrate the "detritus" with the keyboards to create unique controlling devices.
The weekend was a successful experience for all and introduced new ways to think about our role as consumers and consumer agency in terms of our interpersonal relationship with computer technology.
Since the March 15-16 workshop, City Studio has continued to work with the controllers and develop interactive narratives that will be exhibited and presented at SJ01.
In Part 2 of the workshop summary (forthcoming), City Studio students will be posting text and images from their experience.
Disassembling keyboards
Rewiring the keyboard to extend the circuitry
Making a controller from a basketball hoop
Controllers in progress
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