35C3 - The Urban Organism

35C3 intro playing

Herald-Angel: So please welcome Michelle
for her talk about the urban organism

hacking in Hong Kong.
applause

Michelle: So thank you for coming today.
First of all, you could be anywhere right

now and you decided to come here, so, I
really appreciate it. This talk will

engage the practices and protocols of
hacking in the context of Hong Kong, and

the relationship of that with the socio-
cultural aspects of architecture and

urbanism. But why architecture and
urbanism? For a brief background, I'm

trained as an architect. But after about
10 years of corporate architecture, I

needed to kind of expand my tentacles. So
now I build buildings to maintain that

technical proficiency. And I work in
creative media which allows me to have

more instant gratification, and a more
personal contact with individual people.

And I teach in the faculty of Design
Environment at a university in Hong Kong.

So the Metropolis I'm speaking of refers
to Hong Kong. If it wasn't obvious

already. It is a city of contradictions, a
cultural pastiche of a colonial system,

Chinese traditions and with globalized
modernity. So if the city slogan, Asia's world

city, it maintains itself as a entrepôt,
or in other words, the intermediary

between China and the rest of the world.
So before, we were trading opium, tea,

sugar, textiles, and which now has
transitioned to focus more on the

financial sector, so cocaine, insurance
and stocks. For many of those just passing

through Hong Kong which is frequent and
obvious for anyone coming over to Asia.

There are several factors that make it
such an exciting prospect. So the hyper

density here is always a fascination. This
isn't super relevant, but the image on the

left is from the Leandro Ehrlich, it's
called "The Room". It's a surveillance

camera, many surveillance cameras on one
room and the other one does a

juxtaposition with our typical facades in
Hong Kong. So the exciting prospects: One

is the proximity to Chinese manufacturers.
So it's close enough where you can hop

over to Shenzhen, so the manufacturer hub,
for just a few hours. You could just take

a day trip. So if we have a MOSFET
emergency, you can run over there within

an hour, and grab everythin you need and
go back. But, we are also just outside of

a great firewall. We don't have any of
those issues, or, not most. And it's

culturally accessible, that's number two.
You won't feel incredibly left out with no

Chinese language skills. You will still be
a little bit left out, but not completely.

You can still function and operate there
happily. And then three is the stimuli. As with

any metropolis, there's a factor of hyper
activity that has this distinct scent of

infinite possibilities. Anything can
happen. And this is the difference that I

feel most because you can make anything
happen there if you're just willing to pay

a little bit. Sometimes it's not a lot of
money and I'll go into this detail later

actually. Excuse me. So in this socio-
cultural cornucopia, what gives way to

these contradictions and complexities, is
a notoriously wide income gap, the soaring

costs of real estate and as well as the
pressure towards commercialism. The more

we raise ourselves into the clouds,
exploring the limits of the upwards

trajectory, it also creates wider
separations from one another, and in that

segregation, it creates uniformity. The
defining characteristics of any post-

modern city is how control is leveraged in
the hands of the bureaucracy. Urban

policy, especially in Hong Kong, is a
stringent arrangement serving only the

private and the powerful. And without
going into the boring details, but for the

most part, the applied label here is
called crony capitalism. So technological

changes in the quality of public space
make it increasingly more evident that the

urban realm is a temporary experience that
has imploded by the changes in the social

contract. The enjoyment of public space is
normally governed by authority: public

transportation, parks, and even the most
mundane section of the pavement; some are

the responsibility of an organization. In
this respect, the city relinquishes itself

as a home or a collective space, but rather
a temporary flow of people, information,

and commodities. So did you know? The
parks in Hong Kong is nothing like the

parks in Germany. We have signs that say,
no smoking, no drinking - OK, fine - no

busking, no bicycles, no skateboards, no
hawking, so basically no fun. The pavements

aswell, if you've been to Hong Kong,
or you see in the video, the pavements are

about 1.2m wide before you reach the
façade of a building next to you. That's

because they are keen on maximizing 100%
site boundaries which reach up to there.

That's why we are all closed in because
the pavement in front of every building is

typically owned by the business in front
of it. So that is actually their section

of the pavement, not yours but it's
theirs. So while each technological

revolution allows us to offset mundane
tasks, we've also been offsetting the

responsibility of monitoring these
machines to large scale institutions.

Technology has been an extension of
ourselves for a long time but very few pay

mind of what part of us that amputates.
The quote from Gary Taubes where he writes

about sugar, like candy, the sugar: "It's
a substance that causes pleasure with a

price that is difficult to discern
immediately, and painful only years and or

decades later." That's from the case
against sugar, 2016. And if we consider

cities moving more into the virtual realm,
into cyber urbanism with smart technology,

we're heading into a world that is
shackled by algorithmic conformity. For

one example, by mass implementation of
self driving cars. And within these

networks of organized complexities, we
were never meant to be in concrete boxes,

hovering in the sky, hermetically sealed
from one another. For thousands of years,

our genetic programming had us living in
tribes. And while the world seemed to

shrink in distance, with steam engines,
airplanes, and the Internet, the space

with and between each other expanded even
more. So machines replaced our fingers,

and we no longer needed each other to meet
our needs, but instead on a system.

pause

Hopefully, I set the stage now for this
very dystopian Blade Runner view-esque of

the city. So a certain level of uniformity
is inevitable. And to me, uniformity is

not so bad if we can translate this to
cooperation. And to begin our detailed

understanding of similarities before we
implicate and find the changes within the

cracks. We have this inherent quality in
us, the small children, with such joy in

playing with switches and boxes, pushing
buttons, and identifying objects as mine

and yours. But because of this innate
desire to make changes to our

environments, and leave a mark in this
world. So our ability to make collective,

(Two images disappeared, sorry)
So our ability to make collective,

inflexible cooperation in large numbers is
our strength in this world. And I mean

that's why we're all here in this amazing
event, built by so many hands that are

sometimes organized and sometimes not.
Together, we're finding a balance between

the ecological and the engineered, or the
organic versus the designed. And to me,

the metaphorical link between the city and
hacker spaces also have something in

common with termites, ants, birds,
mussels, and mold. It's the experimental,

harmonic composition that arises from
spatial self organization.

So it shows something that's difficult to miss,
once you crossed your path. It's a horde of

termites animating a still branch, both
building and destroying the physical

environment at the same time. And I enjoy
observing termites and ants for their

emergent complex co-operative, yet
primitive behaviour. And so in this line

of thinking, the macro and micro of our
environments. And that is one of the

aspects that draws me to hacker spaces
because they too are part of this greater

concept of collective, distributive
action. Although part so to this very

messy human factor called the hacker
community. So, Dim Sum Labs, Hong Kong's

first and only hackerspace. Started off
like most hacker spaces, with a few people

getting together in informal places to
chat about all things geeky. And then the

official location was secured in 2011 with
about 10 different cofounders in a

commercial building in Sheung Wan which is
near the center. So super convenient for

people to access, but also means, there's
a scarcity of space. It's kind of a funny

name. The red part means Dim Sum, touch
your heart, literally. But Dim Sum

naturally refers to a particular cuisine
or an activity in Hong Kong where you can

potentially spend hours nibbling on things
in bamboo steamer baskets and whatnot. And

when lots of people join together, you
have this very diverse opportunity to

taste and experiment so many different
things. It's cute, right? (Oh, I lost another

image. So is the image of Dim Sum. And
I'm going crazy now.) OK. So, as I described

earlier, our proximity to China, because
of our limited space, because of the

context where money is king and we are
fools in this court, it shapes the culture

of our space in ways like affording
ourselves really cheap equipments and

components. For example, our laser cutter
was 4000 RNB, which is about 500 Euro,

and components, so it's about a 1000
resistors for half a Euro. But instead, we

spend the rest of the money on rent
instead. And also, what changes the

culture is very transitional
atmosphere of people that move onto their

journeys, their hobbies, or their
lifestyle. And in Hong Kong, like the rest

of the world outside of Germany, hacking
has a very different connotation than we'd

prefer. So as I define it, it is the
intellectual activity of exploring an

object, system or protocol beyond its
intended means. Of course, most people

don't see it that way, which is why (oh,
get out of here termites, okay) which is

why there is a book called "The Field
Guide to Hacking". It's a handshake, if you

will, to the greater community. How can we
encourage others to hack, without showing

them how? So the book contains a
collection of projects in an instructable

manner, sort of. Essays and snapshots of
the activity in our nebulous community,

And is ordered into 6 sections, each
prefaced by essays by someone who can

explain some peripheral topics of hacking.
It begins with a foreword by Mitch Altman

because if you're going to talk about
community, how can you not involve Mitch?

And if anyone doesn't know who he is, he
also yearly organizes a hacker's trip to

China, so many of you have come to visit
some labs in Hong Kong which is amazing.

Some of the projects, we start off with
something very simple, like a button badge

that you can solder yourself, with links
to github repository and all your

components that you need to do it, and
potentially teach you how to solder it. Some

projects are a little more functional.
This is the kilowatt countered that we

have in our space where we monitor the use
of electricity in the space. And that also

helps if someone has left the air con on
and it's empty, so we know. Some of the

products are a little more polemic. This
is Neomi "SexyCyborg" Wu. She's quite well

known. If you follow her on Twitter and if
you want to check her Twitter, you'll find

out yourself. general laughter And there
are some projects that are a little more

artistic. So this is fields by me and
Savio. There's one here which maybe I'll

show you later if I have time. Mine is not
very instructional but I teach you how to

hack it and how it works which I suppose
is more important. And then the essays not

only provide the spike from the sea of
projects, but also a gesture for those who

would like to know more about hacking but
perhaps not participate into it,

participate in it physically. So this is
when I write a little bit about urbanism,

and surveillance capitalism. This is from
Dr. Daniel Howe who teaches a class on

hacktivism at the school of creative media
in the city university whose essay ponders

the relationship between artistic freedom
and expression in Hong Kong. And Scott

Edmunds who founded the Bauhinia genome
project. He works on a different kind of

code. It's a four letter code of DNA. And
while cultivating a stronger relationship

between locals and Hong Kong's history, by
way of citizen science. And on

inclusivity, Sarah Fox writes about
technology and recognition with respect to

the feminist space. And then we round it
all off with Luis Filipe R. Murilo who

writes about this from an anthropologyst
perspective and empirically as a former

member of Dim Sum Labs. So I hope that
throughout this talk and the book, that it

provides some insight into the backdrop of
some of the issues that face Dim Sum Labs

every day. It's not the easiest task to
have people on the other side of the world

to have this empathetic sharing of our
Zeitgeist, but we try. Some of the things

that have been asked to me, is where can I
find the book? So there's the website,

and there's the email. The next question
is actually, can I buy the book? Well, not

really, because I ran out, and because the
publisher is called Dim Sum Labs Press

which isn't just me. So if anyone knows a
publisher that would like to help me?

Because right now I'm just printing it
from Taobao. And if there's going to be

another version, I kind of need more
content. So if you want to be part of

this, and you are kind of part of the
community, please let me know. Contact is

there. So this is not really a conclusion,
but I'm just going to assume it is. Hong

Kong has become part of this geopolitical
experiment. So we are on this precarious

edge between maintaining its openness, in
this sense where individuals can maintain

their cultural roots, and are osmosis with
Shenzhen or China, a city where it lives

under the guise of China's rules and
regulations, but as well as, breaking

beyond its limitations in the physical and
the social sense. In Hong Kong, the type

of travelers that I come across, always
have the same fascination towards the

city. It's this kind of magical wonder as
one travels up the escalator in the center

of the city, leaning over the edge just to
catch a glimpse of the sky as the towers

are leaning towards each other. It's
amazing on one hand. Because it's a

massive scale of structures that we built
with this comparatively tiny hands, and

it's similar with electronics and whatnot.
We are encapsulating and embedding our

perspectives within these artifacts that
perpetuate around us. But I also see it as

relinquishing our dominion. We are
complicit to our own detriment by not

really addressing who our environments
belong to. So in all respects: the

physical, the temporal, and digital strata
that our streets are paved upon.

That's it.
applause

Herald-Angel: Thank you very much,
Michelle. We now have time for Q and A's,

and I can see that we already have one
question from the microphone number 2.

Microphone 2: So, thank you for your talk.

What would you say to a inaudible
laughter

Michelle: I'm thinking of how to say this.
Number one, you can't just calm, there's

plenty of Europeans there, you'll fit
right in. Number two, there's - I just

tell you - there is a way you can get your
own visa because it's very easy to start a

business in Hong Kong. And then you can
kind of hire yourself and give yourself a

visa.
M2: Thank you.

Michelle: Don't tell anyone I said that.
Herald-Angel: Just between you and the

internet. And speaking of that, do you
have any questions from the internet,

Signal-Angels? No, no, it's no. So,
there's still two microphones and we have

time for questions. So please if you have
it, we have a question from microphone

number 1.
Microphone 1: Well, it's not a question,

it's more, there is a publisher called
"No Starch Press", and it's for geeky stuff.

So if you are looking for one, I
would suggest that one.

Michelle: Ah, I did look at them. I
haven't gotten that far, yet, because as I

pointed out, I kind of doing everything
myself, so. But if you know a contact.

M 1: Will have a look.
H: And microphone number 2.

M 2: Where do you see the difference
contact between Hong Kong and in Europe?

Michelle: The fundamental activity of
hacking, I think, is not that different.

As in, we are all people trying to explore
things: What cool thing can come out

of the stuff around us? The difference, I
find most, is how we spend our time, and

how generous we are with ourselves.
Because if you live in a very commercial

city that is dominated by this mentality
of finance, and money, and how do I pay

rent, and whatever, then your time becomes
money, and you do feel, or you get the

feeling that people don't want to extend
so much because they're too busy with

work, or they have to go to dinner, or
they just have better things to do, than

to basically volunteer in a space.
H: And question from Microphone number 1

Microphone 1: Hi, question: How famous are
hacker communities in Hong Kong, or the

region in general? So if I would be
looking for an alternative to the Chaos

Computer Congress here, what would I be
looking for in Asia, like, if not Hong

Kong, then Singapore, or Tokio, like Asia.
Michelle: Can you rephrase your question?

I don't know..
Microphone1: So, question is, if I'm

looking for a hacker event in Asia. What
do I look for? Which city, what event?

Michelle: We don't have very many hacker
events in Asia. There is some in

Singapore, and I suppose the Tokyo Maker
Fair is pretty cool in terms of like

artifacts and stuff. But we don't have as
much of this community because hacking is

very much so a Western concept, and the
way a lot of Asia, if we include China and

the rest of it, it's not necessarily
considered hacking. I mean if you

understand the way Chinese do things, if
we bring in the concept of Shanzhai, they

don't think that's hacking. That's kind of
just part of the culture. That's what you

do to make things work for yourself. So
it's a little more dispersed and it's not

under the umbrella term that is easy to
find here.

M 1: Shenzhen Maker Fair?
Michelle: Oh yeah, Shenzhen Maker Fair is

also really cool.
Herald-Angel: We have a question from

number 2.
M 2: Meeting here inaudible it's really cool

How do you reach outside the community,
beyond the hackerspace, beyond the

industry. How this works. Around Hong
Kong, if you do it? How do you do it?

Michelle: You mean reaching the community
outside of the hacker space?

M 2: Artists inaudible
Michelle: So I'm hoping that's what the

book accomplishes. Since I have pushed it
through a non-profit architectural design,

yeah, non-profit, so that's reaching a
different network. Unfortunately, by doing

that, and same with architects and
education, hacking and hacker spaces is

kind of this counterculture underground
thing where it's cool now. So that's

another thing I have to negotiate because
I don't want it to be just a trend, or a

toy that someone says like, your
alternative version of whatever, but more

as a way of life, way of thinking type
thing.

Herald-Angel: We still have time for more
questions. There is a question from

Microphone number 2.
Microphone 2: Hello from a fellow Hong Kong

citizen. So I'm just wondering what the
inaudible Hong Kong is inaudible politically?

inaudible just an example.
Michelle: If you say, do you mean

politically like, just directly against
China and Hong Kong then I wouldn't say so

much. Because the current member base is
not very local, and they have their own

politics to establish. Although, if you
consider politics as in Open Source then

there are people that do that.
It's a very vague answer, I'm sorry.

Microphone: The question i've had, the
number of educational programs...

I'm just, I couldn't keep on reading the

inaudible from Hong Kong.

I don't think hacking, or learning about
coding is such a marginal thing, it seems

that it is the trend... It's that a lot of
rich Hong Kong parents, they are very

eager to put their kids into learning
coding and stuff, maybe there is something

there that spaces can look into?
Michelle: I agree with that idea that it's

very big now to... kids' camps and coding
and whatnot, although I still believe that

because you're introducing these kits to a
child, that you develop this and this is

what happens, that they still maintain
that mindset. And what I'm hoping is that

they have... they can change their
thinking into: What do I need this kit for

when I can mix up all these other things
that are outside of it. So it's... that

idea's based on the educational system in
Hong Kong as well, where, you know that

it's mostly about regurgitation and less
about critical thinking. So that's what

I'm kind of pushing them more towards, in
terms of actually doing it in education.

I try to do it with my students but I can
really only do so much.

Herald-Angel: Please don't be shy. There
is still time for questions and I'm quite

sure that Michelle has more to offer you
in terms of dialogue. So get up behind the

microphones if you have any questions. And
also do we have any questions from the

internet? No, no questions from the
Internet. You, Michelle, you brought along

a thing that you have on the table. Do you
want to share it with us?

Michelle: This is just in case I talk too
fast and I didn't finish my presentation.

Then I brought this thing. So this is the
book that I was talking about. It's covered

in stickers because it is my copy.
So there's two pieces of copper on

the front of the limited edition version.
I'm sorry you didn't get one.

The limited edition version.

And in the back there's supposed
to be a PCB embedded into it.

So how it works is that as you draw a line
with a graphite pencil connecting the two

pieces of copper it changes the frequency
of the sound that's coming out from the

back PCB. So then this version was turned
into a through hole mount version so it

can be presented at Seoul or Hong Kong. So
this is the through hole version. So I

guess I'm just going to play with it for
you a little, wind this up. Also this was

built because the Dim Sum Lab's logo is a
cha siu bao, so a barbecue pork bun, on a

5-5-5 IC timer, so this whole thing is
built on, is based on that 5-5-5.

Just to be inaudible.
device emits sound

So this is volume...
Michelle adjusts volume on the device

Then we can change the pitch...
Michelle changes pitch from high to low

And then the inaudible
device emits sound

And then we have switches that can change
it from a continuous manner

to a step fashion...
device emits changed sound

Yes, that's kind of it.
laughter

Applause

Herald-Angel: Thank you very much, Michelle.

And I think we should give Michelle
another round of applause

for her excellent presentation.

Applause

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