@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ _a workshop by Cristina Cochior and Joana Chicau for Constant's work session [Co
[Varia](http://varia.zone/en/) is a collective-space [^1] in Rotterdam focused on everyday technologies. We keep a [trail of photographs](https://vvvvvvaria.org/archive/) of what we've done.
Together, we try to experiment with various [tools](https://varia.zone/en/pages/collective-infrastructures.html) for collaborative processes, as well as collective infrastructure making and [self-hosting](https://varia.zone/images/variaecosystem.png).
Together, we try to experiment with various free software [tools](https://varia.zone/en/pages/collective-infrastructures.html) for collaborative processes, as well as collective infrastructure making and [self-hosting](https://varia.zone/images/variaecosystem.png).
In October 2019, we wrote our own first [CoC](https://pad.vvvvvvaria.org/coc).
@ -40,213 +40,182 @@ Varia members use [XMPP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XMPP ) as a chat protocol
Working on our own digital infrastructure allows us to adapt the tools to our own needs and behaviours; meaning that these bots make sense to us, but they may not make sense to someone else.
Currently, we use:
* [Streambot](https://git.vvvvvvaria.org/varia/xmpp.streambot): a bot that saves the images sent to the main Varia group chat and creates an [html page](https://vvvvvvaria.org/stream/) for them.
* [Logbot](https://git.vvvvvvaria.org/varia/logbot): a bot that [logs](https://vvvvvvaria.org/logs/) the quotes that are sent to it.
Currently, we use:
* [Streambot](https://git.vvvvvvaria.org/varia/xmpp.streambot): a bot that saves the images sent to the main Varia group chat and creates an [html page](https://vvvvvvaria.org/stream/) for them.
* [Logbot](https://git.vvvvvvaria.org/varia/logbot): a bot that [logs](https://vvvvvvaria.org/logs/) the quotes that are sent to it.
* You can find a genealogy of the bots around Varia in this footnote [^2]
<br><br>
<br>
### 15:30-15:45 - _bot as conductor or bot as conductive_
_Conducting: "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conducting]. There are many roles as conductors [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conductor] Also, in connection to the enviroment: "a substance, body, or device that readily conducts heat, electricity, sound"._
Looking into the bots [examples](https://git.vvvvvvaria.org/ccl/bots-of-conduct)
**_name:_** cross.py;
**_action mode:_**
**_situation:_**
* create an account and [choose nickname](https://conversejs.org/fullscreen.html#converse/register ) on conversejs
* once you are logged in, join the group chat named botsofconduct@muc.vvvvvvaria.org
<br>
**_name:_** gather.py;
**_action mode:_**
**_situation:_**
_Conducting: "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conducting. There are many roles as conductors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conductor also, in connection to the enviroment: "a substance, body, or device that readily conducts heat, electricity, sound"._
<br>
**_name:_** greet.py;
**_action mode:_**
**_situation:_**
Looking into the bots [examples](https://git.vvvvvvaria.org/ccl/bots-of-conduct)
<br>
**_name:_** spark.py;
**_name:_** transit.py;
**_action mode:_**
**_action mode:_** announces when someone enters or leaves the room;
**_situation:_**
**_situation:_** finding non-verbal ways of communicating through presence and absence; making presence felt otherwise;
<br>
**_name:_** whisper.py (we don't have this one yet)
**_action mode:_**
**_situation:_**
<br>
<br><br>
**_name:_** gather.py;
* split into groups of maximum 5 (mixed interest in code)
**_action mode:_** generates a shared language; it creates a collective document;
<br><br>
**_situation:_** a collective discursive setting that generates its own vocabulary;
_BREAK — 10 minutes ;)_
<br><br>
### 15:45-16:25 — _creating situations_
**_name:_** greet.py;
Imagine you are a collective-space with your group peers and you have been active for 2 years
**_action mode:_** sends a message when it enters the room;
* **create a name for the chatroom:**
**_situation:_** when there is a theme, for example: "send a reference to an existing or imaginary code of conduct, complaint, guideline, bug report, open letter, license or other social-technical protocol and explain why it is of interest to you."; how one wants to be introduced;
* to open up the imagination (rooms /sites of action/ environments);
<br><br>
* **imagine a situations:**
**_name:_** spark.py;
* from your own experiences working in collaboration, or with a collective, or having read a CoC, try to recall a specific moment which can define an action mode;
**_action mode:_** replies to a specific word; brings alternatives into the situation; tries to create new habits and terminologies;
**_situation:_** potentially in moments when a situation seems difficult and there is a need for more joyful interactions;
* which situation to think through? / if a code of conduct would exist for a situation?
<br><br>
* **embody the situation through a conductor / conductive bot:**
**_name:_** whisper.py
* in relation to the situation, does your bot act as conductor or as conductive?
**_action mode:_** takes what someone says to it in confidentiality and echoes it to a group chat, thus anonymising it;
**_situation:_** there are remarks or complaints in the room, but the person does not feel comfortable to bring up the issue themselves;
* what are your "action modes" (for eg.: sitting; dancing; witnessing; listening; gathering; greeting; sparking; whispering; reminders is a specific kind of action); action modes that create (or perform within specific) situations (for eg.:conversation is unbalanced);
<br>
Split into groups of maximum 4-5 (mixed interest in code).
* how can bots be embodied / physically enacted? what gestures would it perform?
<br>
**_BREAK — 10 minutes ;)_**
* what apart from language can be used as a way of conducting? what other modes of expression (non-linguistic)?
<br>
* other possibilities for bot behaviour:
### 16:10-16:30 — _creating situations_
Imagine you are a collective-space with your group peers and you have been active for 5 days;
* **create a name for the chatroom:**
* or rooms /sites of action/ environments ..to open up the imagination of what a chatroom may be like!
* iteration, repetition;
* **imagine situations:**
* lack of memory
* from your own experiences working in collaboration, or with a collective, or having read a CoC, try to recall a specific moment which can define an action mode;
* other temporalities (duration / tempo);
* **action modes: embody the situation through a conductor / conductive bot:**
* in relation to the situation, does your bot act as conductor or as conductive?
* what are your "action modes" (for eg.: sitting; dancing; witnessing; listening; gathering; greeting; sparking; whispering; reminders is a specific kind of action);
* action modes that create or perform within specific situations (for eg.:conversation is unbalanced);
* what apart from language can be used as a way of conducting? what other modes of non-linguistic expression?
* will your bot perform in other space extensions? speaking to other (chat)rooms? to other spatial formats (file systems, like the glossary and the txt file);
* **further questions:**
* how could the bot be physically enacted? what gestures would it perform?
* some (non-exhaustive) attributes of bot behaviour: iteration, repetition, lack of memory, other temporalities (duration / tempo);
* will your bot perform in other space extensions? speaking to other (chat)rooms? to other spatial formats (file systems, like the gather.py which uses a txt file for adding words to a glossary);
* will your bot be a channel between private to public? semi-public to semi-public? semi-public to private? private to private?
* will your bot relate to other bots?
* thinking of distance and proximities between members and bots: is it listening to a specific member? is it listening to other bots?
* will your bot relate to other bots? thinking of distance and proximities between members and bots: is it listening to a specific member? is it listening to other bots?
<br><br>
### 16:25-16:40 - _round of ideas-sharing_
### _installing and running the bots_ (optional)
**For computers running Windows OS**
* install [Anaconda](https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/install/windows/) with python 3
**For computers running MacOS**
* open the terminal
* check which version of python you have:
> python -V
* if you have a python 2 version, you could install [Anaconda](https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/install/mac-os/) with python 3
**For computers running Linux OS**
* open the terminal
* check which version of python you have:
> python -V
> python3 -V
* if you have a python 2 version, you could install python 3
> sudo apt-get install python3
> sudo apt-get install python3-pip
* download the bots from this page
* go to the folder where you have installed them
* run the following commands in the terminal:
> pip3 install slixmpp requests
* to run a bot, you can copy paste the commands which are already mentioned in the bot file, but a general command looks like this:
* if you dont have a code editor, we can suggest (among others) [Sublime Text](https://www.sublimetext.com/)
* to install the conversations app on your phone, you could use either Conversations or [Quicksy](https://quicksy.im/) for Android phones (among others)
<br><br>
### 16:40-17:10 - _installing_
* create an account and choose nickname on converse: https://conversejs.org/fullscreen.html#converse/register
* once you are logged in, join the group chat named tuwazap@muc.vvvvvvaria.org
_optional_: for anyone who would like to install and run the bots:
1. are there any Windows users?
2. open the Terminal application on your computer
3. install python3
dependencies (pip install slixmpp requests, install python3, pip3, text editor)
3. download the bots: https://git.vvvvvvaria.org/ccl/bots-of-conduct/src/branch/master
5. run a bot in the terminal (be sure to be in the same directory of the files):
4. show & explain the parts where one can intervene
* if you dont have a code editor, we can suggest (among others): https://www.sublimetext.com/
* if you don't have python3 installed:
* to install the conversations app on your phone [click here](https://quicksy.im/)
<br><br>
### 17:10-17:30 - _bot in the situation_
### 17:00-17:30 - _bot in the situation_
* experimenting with bots: either adapt the ones we provided (experiment with code) or enact the bots' behaviours iteratively (bot behaviour);
* bot behaviour: iteration, repetition
* bot behaviour: iterations, repetition, ...
<br><br>
### 17:30-18:00 - _present and perform_
### 17:30-18:00 - _discussion and performing_
<br><br>
### Footnotes
**Link to reference's [pad](https://pad.vvvvvvaria.org/Bots_of_Conduct_References) — further references and materials assembled by Joana and Cristina - feel free to add your owns!**
**Link to reference's [pad](https://pad.vvvvvvaria.org/Bots_of_Conduct_References) — further references and materials assembled by Joana and Cristina - feel free to add your own!**
[^1]: Varia is not merely a collective, nor merely a space. Varia is an interdependent concatenation of both
