Slacktivist Brief

Since December 2024 we have been engaged in new research program to investigate the practical use of LLM and RAG systems, for augmenting access to database API and web UX.

Our development partner of some years Dermot Finn has been leading this RTF research which has been boosted by kind sponsorship from local tech firm EX-Networks.

We regularly meet with them to discuss our experiences and update on the state of our progress with a view to more specific future development commissioning.

Meanwhile with their hardware support we have also been able to investigate many DIY AI hosted options and have a couple of dedicated servers set with compute powers to test some of alternative models and methods.

From the outset it was clear that despite the hype of mega corporate tech AI with all it’s fast moving innovation and huge capital funding, there is a shortfall of comprehension and practical experience clouding progress. We feel a responsibility to understand better how to offer more sustainible access in support of existing social enterprise and where there is development potential for the rest of us!

After a lengthy residency at TSOhost, SPC will be migrating some websites to Ecowebhosting where we will continue to support subscriber project development and foster involvement and engagement in a nest of DIY network publishing activities.

So it’s less a change but more of the same with refined and applied SSL and general security improvements for all the inevitable lazy WordPress and legacy flat HTML.

Meanwhile the distillation of autonomous network publishing, using Mazi and it’s siblings on the Raspberry Pi or other SOC hardware continues at Uniformed.

It’s latest manifestations are being considered and constructed as Digital Markers by a collaboration of Kings Cross neighborhood residents and CSM design students.

Something of a gap between reports here is a consequence of project conclusions and the twist of fresh activity gaining momentum.

The catalogue of active, sidelined and recently concluded work stretches out over a 5 year block which culminated with exhibition of DDBC alongside the other five Collusion commissioned artist projects, on the square outside Cambridge Junction.

This month we penned the first in a series of project development funding applications with CSM’s 3D staff, to explore Digital Markers – autonomous media repositories and community archives, that draw on the rich experiences of ; ‘Distributed Spaces‘ research and action in Sao Paulo, studio practice development with 3D students at CSM and the MaziZone EU consortium product.

Several threads of the Mazi pilot in Deptford Creekside continue to express the enthusiasm of local awareness and homespun enterprise. Aside from scandal of air pollution at record levels throughout the area, there is little awareness of other environmental conditions.

We have been engulfed in an electrosmog of security, signalling, telecom and IOT microwave communications. SDRX is a small group working to innovate wideband RF mapping for the SE8 area to generate a foundation of data for the public record that monitors relative power and interference of use.

At the CDC slipway a temperature array already records the ebb and flow of the tidal creek.

We seek an expansion of this installation to monitor the composition and contamination of the water sources and effect of the tidal cycle on aquatic and plant life. Using a low tech process of spectroscopy a stream of river water can be continually assessed using optical scanning and image matching.

2018 holds much promise although started out with the shock withdrawl of access to SPC base and subscriber medialab Deckspace.  Health and safety concerns for this Royal Borough of Greenwich building has now forced it’s shutdown.

Bitspace

We began March away at the Collusion Commisions

must now also close so the search is on for the next move!

We began March away at the Collusion Commisions opening event in Cambridge on 2nd to introduce DDBC, then hosting a Mazi workshop at Datafest in Edinburgh on 19th. Mazi Monday meet-ups resume with contributors along Deptford Creek until July when Mazi project gather again for summer school in Volos Greece.

 Project collaborations continue to feature as we extend our support and development activities with 3D fine arts at Central St Martins and Favalas of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Interest in the Mazi toolkit grows at La Cambre in Brussels as the print department sets out plans for a Kinshasa student exchange and field trip at the end of year.

We anticipate a leading role in opening of HOLD a new social space in Pepys Estate SE8 but in the meantime will continue to offer PCL development support for it’s growing educational program and community action xCHANGE

SPC.org is  based at Deckspace media lab in Greenwich from where it organises the MAZI pilot for Deptford Creek – Creeknet.

During three years working together, we hope to support local people and their DIY networks and encourage greater experimentation through a series of regular meet-ups, workshops and symposium.

We are working with Open University to review and report on the experience of extending the senses and promoting autonomy and action in this Mazizone.

Across Europe many groups have also begun the process of expanding their awareness and seeking sustainable innovation with their own CAPS initiatives.   At the recent DSIfair in Rome representatives of MAZI met with other CAPS projects to hear first hand about the progress being made, share some insights and enjoy the time for cross fertilisation of ideas and experiences.

 

 

In April 2015 we began a collaboration with Nethood and partners from around Europe on an EU application for research funding from CAPS – Horizon2020.

Mazi begins in January 2016 with a kick off meeting in Volos Greece. Representatives from all partners have two days of meetings to describe respective projects and agree on a program of activity to start.

This followed by a field trip to Sarantaporo.gr just south of the Olympus mountains where village 2 village network developments are linking neighborhoods with high speed wireless networks and where improved interconnection and broadband access have been transformative.