big push

content/Section 1 - Digital Infrapunctures/1-introduction.md

@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ Summary: *Digital infrapuncture* is a speculative term that can help reframe the
 
 *Digital infrapuncture* is a speculative term that can help reframe the perception of the stress points that an infrastructure could have. In a talk she presented in 2016 called *Identifying the point of it all: Towards a Model of "Digital Infrapuncture"*[^DigitalInfrapuncture], Verhoeven develops this concept in relation to the field of digital humanities.
 
-Informed by the work of scholar Nowviskie (Nowviskie 2015)[^Nowviskie], Verhoeven asks for a rethinking of digital infrastructures in terms of capacity and care, by *"developing an appreciation for where it hurts, where the sense of pain is in the worlds that we inhabit and study"* and creating small scale interventions which can enkindle transformation on a larger scale.
+Informed by the work of scholar Nowviskie[^Nowviskie], Verhoeven asks for a rethinking of digital infrastructures in terms of capacity and care, by *"developing an appreciation for where it hurts, where the sense of pain is in the worlds that we inhabit and study"* and creating small scale interventions which can enkindle transformation on a larger scale.
 
 In her presentation, she describes digital infrastructures according to their:
 
 * capacity to create the **conditions of possibility for connection**
-* their capacity for **repair** (Jackson, 2014)[^Jackson]
+* their capacity for **repair**[^Jackson]
 * and their capacity to **bring things (back) together**
 
 ![A screenshot of the last slide from Verhoeven's presentation.](/images/slide.png)

content/Section 2 - Harm in Computational Infrastructures/1-introduction.md

@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 Title: Introduction: Harm in Computational Infrastructures
 Slug: 01-s2-introduction
 Date: 2020-11-01 12:00
-Summary: How to correct, shift or expose harms in computational infrastructures?
+Summary: 
 
-<!-- What are computational infrastructures? -->
+Computational infrastructures are complex entities consisting of different technological, social, economical and political dimensions. As is the case with any type of infrastructure, also computational infrastructures come with embedded values. Their configurations shape the possibilities and restrictions of the system, defining what could be build on top and what not. 
 
-<!-- Who designs them? What values do they embed into digital systems?  -->
+[note: This could be a good place to introduce a definition of what we mean when we refer to "computational infrastructures", also in relation to "platforms".]
 
 In this section we will unpack how computational infrastructures operate and what impact that has on the digital systems that are being built on top of them.
 
+<!-- Who designs them? What values do they embed into digital systems?  -->
 
-
+<!-- What types of harm do they cause and who is effected by it? -->
-<!-- Her work focuses on privacy enhancing and protective optimization technologies (PETs and POTs), privacy engineering, as well as questions around software infrastructures, social justice and political economy as they intersect with computer science. -->

content/Section 4 - Bot Logic/1-introduction.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Summary: Bots as computational infrapunctures.
 
 *Infrapuncture* is a helpful term at a time when there is a lot of discussion around the political roles of automated agents in communication platforms. Making a bot can be a way to probe and understand potential forms of interventions, create new imaginaries or deflate existing hegemonic structures. 
 
-A bot is however always relying on the technical restrictions and possibilities of interaction defined by the infrastructure. In order to run a bot, a technical understanding of this infrastructure is therfor required. The API (Application Programming Inferface) is an important entry point here. This technical framework provides a programming interface to communicate with a system. The API can be understood as a *door protocol* that is designed by the owner of an infrastructure, which eventually defines the technical imaginary of a platform.
+A bot is however always relying on the technical restrictions and possibilities of interaction defined by the infrastructure. In order to run a bot, a technical understanding of this infrastructure is therfor required. The API (Application Programming Inferface) is an important entry point here. This technical framework provides a programming interface to communicate with a system. The API can be understood as a *door protocol* that is designed by the owner of an infrastructure, which eventually defines the technical imaginary of a platform. (*We dive a bit deeper into API's in Section 6, [click here](/02-s6-step-2.html#APIs) to go their directly.*)
 
 Before launching a bot into a digital environment, the bot maker does not only need to find a technical entry point, but also a social one. Writing a bot does not only imply technical knowledge about an API of a platform, it also implies a thorough understanding of what determines the possibilities of interaction and the social norms established within a social environment.
 

content/Section 5 - Infrapunctural Imaginaries (exercise)/1-introduction.md

@@ -1,24 +1,32 @@
 Title: Infrapunctural Imaginaries (exercise)
 Slug: 01-s5-introduction
 Date: 2020-11-01 12:00
-Summary: While keeping in mind that different groups use different tools all differently :-), it is important to take some time to focus on a specific context, to zoom in and work with a specific context in mind. What digital tool does a group use to communicate with each other? What are the norms of the conversations and who decides what is normal? 
+Summary: What are the norms and values of different communication infrastructures?
 
-While keeping in mind that different groups use different tools all differently :-), it is important to take some time to focus on a specific context, to zoom in and work with a specific context in mind. What digital tool does a group use to communicate with each other? What are the norms of the conversations and who decides what is normal? 
+What are the norms and values of different communication infrastructures?
 
-To dive into these question and further explore how communicative tools are transforming and being transformed by groups, we will now switch modes and do an exercise.
+What are the norms of the conversations? 
 
-So far, you have encountered different digital infrastructures throughout this module. In this section we will focus specifically on *communicative infrastructures*, which for example include micro-blogging platforms, groupchats, discussion forums, mailinglists, etc. 
+And who decides what is normal? 
+
+To dive into these question and further explore how communicative infrastructures are transforming and being transformed by different groups, we will now switch mode and work on a dialog-writing exercise.
+
+So far, we encountered different computational infrastructures throughout this module. In this section we will focus specifically on *communicative infrastructures*, which for example include micro-blogging platforms, groupchats, discussion forums, mailinglists, etc. 
 
 # Why an exercise?
 
 Doing an exercise will create space to engage with the term *digital infrapunctures* in a playful way, allowing us to speculate about possible bot interventions or infrapunctural actions.
 
+While keeping in mind that different groups use different infrastructures in different ways, it is important to take some time to focus on a specific context, to zoom in and work with a specific situation in mind. 
+
 [note: insert prototypes as arguments]
 
 # What is the exercise?
 
-Imagine that a specific group is working with (or on) a bot as infrapunctural intervention. Choose a communicative infrastructure that is used by the group for this intervention and imagine what is happening. 
+1. Choose a communicative infrastructure that is used by a specific group. 
+2. Imagine that this group is working on a bot as infrapunctural intervention. 
+3. Come up with a scenario and write down what is happening in the format of a dialog. 
 
-At the end of the exercise, you have written a script of a speculative dialog, that displays how the bot operates, what its attitude is and what it would say. The format of the dialog will challenge you to also think about possible responses and reactions to the bot, which are obviously a piece of fiction as well. 
+At the end of the exercise, you have written a script of a speculative dialog, that illustrates how a bot operates, what its attitude is and what it would say. The format of the dialog will challenge you to also think about possible responses and reactions to the bot.
 
 

content/Section 5 - Infrapunctural Imaginaries (exercise)/2-step-1.md

@@ -3,21 +3,34 @@ Slug: 02-s5-step-1
 Date: 2020-11-01 12:01
 Summary: Start of the excercise.
 
-Please answer the following questions, you can write below them.
+<br>
 
-When we talk about digital infrastructures for communication, which ones come to mind?
+*Please answer the following questions and write your answers down.*
 
-Pick a digital communication infrastructure and answer the following questions:
+------------------------
+
+When we talk about communicative infrastructures, which ones come to mind?
+
+-----------------
+
+Pick one communicative infrastructure and answer the following questions:
 
 * Who can make decisions about the infrastructure?
 * Who maintains the infrastructure?
 * What groups come to mind that use this infrastructure?
 
+-----------------
+
 Pick a group to work with in this exercise. 
-What kind of group are you interested in (that you are possibly even part of)? Ideas for possible groups:
+
+What kind of group are you interested in (that you are possibly even part of)? 
+
+Ideas for possible groups:
 
  * Exhausted protestors
  * Striking academics 
  * Radical librarians
  * Long-distance learners
  * System administrators of a platform that is increasingly used by alt right groups
+
+------------------------

content/Section 5 - Infrapunctural Imaginaries (exercise)/3-step-2.md

@@ -3,10 +3,22 @@ Slug: 03-s5-step-2
 Date: 2020-11-01 12:02
 Summary: Continuation of the excercise.
 
+<br>
+
+*Define the norms and values of the infrastructure you choose. Read and answer the following the questions, write your answers down.*
+
+------------------------
+
 What are the conversational norms of the group you have selected?
+
+------------------------
+
 What are the norms of the infrastructure?
 
+------------------------
+
 How are these norms shaped by the platform on which the communication is happening?
+
 Look at the questions below and try to describe your group further. 
 
 * How do these norms relate to power, gender, or race?
@@ -14,3 +26,5 @@ Look at the questions below and try to describe your group further.
 * How does the group greet each other? How do you say goodbye? 
 * How does your group celebrate?
 * What modes of communication can be used next to textual ones?
+
+------------------------

content/Section 5 - Infrapunctural Imaginaries (exercise)/4-step-3.md

@@ -3,16 +3,33 @@ Slug: 04-s5-step-3
 Date: 2020-11-01 12:03
 Summary: Continuation of the excercise.
 
-Outline a bot that tackles a specific stress you have identified in the digital communication infrastructure you chose previously. Follow the following steps.
+<br>
+
+*Outline a bot that tackles a specific stress you have identified in the digital communication infrastructure you chose previously. Follow the following questions, write your answers down.*
+
+------------------------
 
 Identify a hurt concerning (lack of) agency, impact or power in relation to how your group communicates.
 
+------------------------
+
 How could a bot intervene? In other words, how could it punctuate?
 
-* Some (non-exhaustive) attributes of bot (programmatic) behaviour: iteration, repetition, storing, versioning, amplification, ... 
+Some (non-exhaustive) attributes of bot (programmatic) behaviour: 
+
+* iteration
+* repetition
+* storing
+* versioning
+* amplification
+* ... 
+
+------------------------
 
 Look at the questions below and pick a few to answer. 
 
 * What roles can be picked up by a bot? Is the bot for example a janitor, gardener, reporter?
 * In what way is the bot conducive to the well-being of the group?
 * What modes of interaction does the bot use? Is the bot for example witnessing, listening, gathering, greeting, sparking, whispering, reminding, shouting?
+
+------------------------

content/Section 5 - Infrapunctural Imaginaries (exercise)/5-step-4.md

@@ -1,16 +1,28 @@
-Title: Step 4: Dialogue Writing
+Title: Step 4: Dialog writing
 Slug: 05-s5-step-4
 Date: 2020-11-01 12:04
 Summary: Last step of the excercise.
 
+<br>
+
+*The scene is set up now. Follow the last questions below and write your dialog.*
+
+------------------------
+
 Describe the scene in a few sentences: 
 
 * What is the platform? 
 * Who is the group? 
 * What is the role of the bot?
 
+------------------------
+
 Describe the characters that take part of the conversation in one line.
 
-Start writing a dialogue script. 
+------------------------
+
+Start writing your dialog script. 
 
 You can use the following document to depart from: [insert link to document here].
+
+------------------------

content/Section 6 - Critical Interventions Through Bots (exercise)/2-materiality-of-bots.md

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ If we look at the digital materiality of a bot, we can say that a bot is a scrip
 
 There are a whole range of programming languages that a bot-maker can use to make a bot. Popular programming languages are Python and Javascript. The choice for a specific language is often based on the preference of the programmer, it is a bit like picking your favorite flavour or color. However, the choice for a programming language can also be based on the availability of a so called *library*: a friendly wrapper that enables a programmer to interact with an API. 
 
-### API's
+### API's {#APIs}
 
 If we talk about the relationship between platform and bots, we cannot escape talking about the **API**. 
 

content/pages/start.md

@@ -32,4 +32,4 @@ The module is developed in the context of the *Tool Criticism* course at the [Ut
 
 This work is kindly supported by the Utrecht University and (© Varia 2020) published under the XXX license. 
 
-The sources of this module can be found here: <https://git.vvvvvvaria.org/mb/bots-as-digital-infrapunctures>
+The sources of this module can be found on <https://git.vvvvvvaria.org/mb/bots-as-digital-infrapunctures>.

themes/default/static/css/main.css

@@ -80,11 +80,14 @@ article button {
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-	article button a{
+	article a button{
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+	article a button:hover{
+		cursor: pointer;
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 article h2.page-title a{
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@@ -102,10 +105,6 @@ h1.category{
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-	/*h1.category em{
-		font-style: italic;
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 /* next & prev buttons */
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themes/default/templates/index.html

@@ -7,12 +7,16 @@
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 	<article class="page">
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+			{% if loop.index >= 2 %}
+				<h2 class="page-title"><a href="{{ SITEURL }}/{{ article.url }}" title="Permalink to {{ article.title|striptags }}">{{ article.title }}</a></h2>
+			{% else %}
 				<h2 class="page-title">{{ article.title }}</h2>
+			{% endif %}
 		</header>
 		<div class="entry-content"> {{ article.summary }} </div>
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-				<button><a href="{{ SITEURL }}/{{ article.url }}" title="Permalink to {{ article.title|striptags }}">Start</a></button>
+				<a href="{{ SITEURL }}/{{ article.url }}" title="Permalink to {{ article.title|striptags }}"><button>Start</button></a>
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