Re: <nettime> The Gentrification of Hacking: How yuppies hacked the

["xDxD.vs.xDxD" <xdxd.vs.xdxd@gmail.com>]

   hi!
   spot on the topic, in Rome's university La Sapienza yesterday researchers and
   students were protesting with a peaceful sit-in... against the Maker Faire!
   http://ilmanifesto.info/alla-sapienza-contestata-la-maker-faire-una-vetrina-per-il-business-sullinnovazione/ on the topic: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fabberintialia/permalink/976572735741364/
   a large discussion (in Italian) about the protest, hosted in the
   "Fabber in Italia" Facebook group, maybe Italy's largest community for makers
   it's a bit of a shocking conversation.
   most of the members of what is, in their words, is a "movement", with
   "social values" and a focus on the approaches of "openness" and
   "solidarity" share the following thoughts about the protesters:
   "4 sfigati in cerca di pubblicità "
   ("4 loosers in search of visibility")
   "il biglietto di ben 5 euro?"
   ("all this for a ticket of 5 euros?")
   "secondo me sono dei poveri imbecilli.."
   ("if you ask me, they are sad idiots")
   "...non è interessato alla fiera, semplicemente perché non
   interessato all'innovazione"
   ("they're not interested in the fair, simply because they're not
   interested in innovation")
   "non hanno argomentazioni"
   ("they have no argument")
   "stiamo dando peso ad una cosa da non prendere nemmeno in
   considerazione"
   ("we are dedicating effort to something which does not deserve it")
   "roba da pazzi! un gruppo fb per lamentarsi di 2 giorni di chiusura
   dell'ateneo? ma qui siamo alla follia!"
   ("it's crazy! a fb group to protest about a 2 days closure of the
   university? it's madness!")
   "Quando cercheranno lavoro cambieranno le loro teste"
   ("when they'll go looking for a job, they'll change their mind")
   "L'innovazione senza business non esiste [...] Nelle aule universitarie
   dovrebbero iniziare a spiegare con sempre più insistenza che i soldi e
   il business non sono il demonio! Sono lo strumento per migliorare la
   ricerca, l'innovazione, i territori e le vite delle persone.
   Liberalizziamo la ricchezza anche in Italia!"
   ("innovation without business does not exist [...] In university
   classes, they should start teaching with insistence that money and
   business are not the demon! They are the instruments to do better
   research, innovation, to makes territories and people's lives better.
   Let's liberate richness in Italy, too!")
   "Mi sembra autolesionismo"
   ("it looks like self-harm")
   some even express opinions about the education system:
   "I ragazzi che vanno all'università , nel 90% dei casi, ci vanno
   perchè costretti dai genitori o perchè vedono un futuro nero davanti
   a loro, non perchè gli piace studiare e annessi.  [...]  non vedo
   nemmeno perchè dovremmo sforzarci a far apprezzare a persone
   disinteressate cose che dovrebbero affascinare già di default tutti,
   dal bambino all'anziano? va benissimo così, pensiamo a noi stessi,
   dentro troveremo solamente persone consapevoli ed interessate e magari
   nascerà qualche dialogo costruttivo (per noi). Gli altri lasciali
   manifestare, sprecheranno voce, tempo e salute."
   ("the kids who attend university, 90% of the times, go there because of
   their parents, or because they see a black future in front of them, not
   because they enjoy studying [...] Â i don't see why we should dedicate
   efforts to them, because they are not interested in those things which
   should be of interest for everyone, from children to elderly, by
   default. It's fine like this, let's think about ourselves; inside we
   will find people who are aware and interested, and, maybe, some
   constructive dialogue (for us) will take place. Let the others protest,
   they will waste voice, time and health.")
   "le università italiane, ovvero i docenti italiani, ancora di fab lab,
   sharing economy, fabbricazione digitale non come "fine", ma come
   "strumento" di studio, ricerca e lavoro, ancora non sanno cosa farsene,
   non ne conoscono i motivi, non ne apprezzano le potenzialità "
   ("Italian universities, italian professors, don't know what to do with
   fablabs, sharing economies, digital fabbing, not as a tool, but as an
   instrument for study, research and work, they don't know the reasons
   and motives, they don't appreciate the potentialities")
   "a me pare ovvio che la cosa vada interpretata come [...] un atto di
   appropriazione da parte dell'Università sulle tematiche di MF"
   ("it seems to me that it is obvious how this thing should be
   interpreted as [...] an appropriation of the themes of the maker faire
   by the university")
   "L'Università guadagna in immagine Sua e dei suoi ricercatori e
   studenti [...] contatti con le aziende per il loro placement dopo
   laurea insomma grande maquillage per tornare nei ranking
   internazionali"
   ("the university gains in terms of its own image and the one of its
   researchers and students [...] contacts with companies for their
   placement after graduation, a great maquillage to be back into
   international rankings")
   someone from the organization of the Maker Faire replies:
   "La Maker Faire porta il mondo di fuori dentro La Sapienza. Â [...]
    le attività formative non si fermano: si estendono [...]
   L'università ha fatto una call per Maker Faire trasversale a tutte le
   facoltà , per dare l'occasione a tutti di partecipare con un progetto
   innovativo [...] Sponsor che si aprono al movimento maker che sta
   cambiando proprio i paradigmi dell'economia capitalistica..."
   ("the maker faire takes the outside world into La Sapienza (the
   university) [...] the educational activities don't stop: they extend
   [...] the university has placed a transversal open call to take part to
   the Maker Faire, to give everyone the possibility to participate with
   an innovative project [...] Sponsors are opening up to the makers
   movement, which is changing the paradigms of capitalistic economy")
   and there are many, many more.
   no solidarity. little to none desire to open. a very precise certainty
   about what is "good" and "bad". no instruments for critique.
   the impression, if you ask me, is of a set of people (a "community"?
   "culture"? you decide) with no critical reflection. They seem sincere
   and passionate. But they don't express â even when explicitly asked â
   any thought, apart from the corporate slogans, about the transformation
   of labour, of the evolution of the industry, on privatization and
   enclosure, and more. Most of them don't also seem to express any idea
   about the industrial processes which are the drivers of this
   "movement". (I found myself wondering, again and again, if they don't
   express critical reflections because they are "in the movement",
   feeling the pressure of the industry from which they draw their
   revenue). It reminds me of a religion, at times.
   Up to now, no one of the "Maker Faire, per chi?" protest have taken
   part to the conversation, even when asked.
   salvatore

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