CNET Friday Seminars

Ifny Lachance

FREE GEEK | CultureNet Friday Seminar Series

5 February 2010 | Cedar 148 at 1pm | All welcome

An adventurer, educator and co-founder of Vancouver’s
FREE GEEK Community Technology Centre, a computer re-use and ethical
recycling non-profit. The FREE GEEK model lashes technology to integrity
and interdependence, promoting ethical computer recycling, community
empowerment, and sustainable software.

With roots in remote northern Canadian communities, Ifny has since been
active on the global stage in diverse capacities. In Japan, she taught
experimental music and public relations; in Iran, she lectured on war
and photodocumented everyday life; in Lebanon, she taught photography
and solidarity computing.

Ifny Lachance - FreeGeek

Her uses of technology reveal a strong commitment to transparency,
accessibility and environmental accountability. Her creative
community-building approach has improved refugee protections in Japan,
increased access to technology for Iranian women, and sparked numerous
local projects and events in the Cascadian cycling community.

CultureNet Friday Seminars

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 | FREE GEEK

Free Geek: Helping the needy get nerdy since the beginning of the 3rd millennium.  Who are they? What do they do? And why do they do it?  Learn more about FreeGeek and their mandate at this Friday afternoon guest lecture.  Guest speaker: Ifny Lachance.  All are welcome. Light refreshments served.

1pm | Cedar 148

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 | VCN Webteam + Community Access

What is the digital divide? Who are the local players determined to assist in overcoming it? Meet Julia Kozlov and Melissa L. Garcia of the Vancouver Community Network (VCN) Webteam describe the roles and goals of the Vancouver-based VCN WebTeam.  All are welcome. Light refreshments served.

1pm | Cedar 148

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 | Libraries in the 21st Century

What is the role of the public library in the digital age? Chris Koth, Supervisor – NonFiction/Electronic Services – North Vancouver City Library, and George Villavicencio, Capilano Systems Librarian, will be weighing in with his thoughts on this topic in mid-March.  All are welcome. Light refreshments served.

1pm | Cedar 148

FRIDAY, APRIL 23 | CULTURE + TECHNOLOGY:

An Undergraduate Journal

Production on Culture + Technology began in Fall 2009 with the students from CNET English 100.  The journal will include editorial commentaries + reviews and research articles by Capilano students.  The inaugural issue will be published in April 2010 complete with a launch party celebrating the work and accomplishments of the CNET English 100 students in getting this new journal up and running.  Come celebrate with us.  All are welcome.  Light refreshments served.

1pm | TBA

Coming Attractions

CNET Friday Seminars and Beyond

FALL 2009

OCT 16 | RIP: A Remix Manifesto

Culture Always Builds On the Past: Did Muddy Waters build on the blues? And did Led Zeppelin build on Muddy Waters? Does Girl Talk need permission to build on all of it? Join CNET English 100 students in a Friday afternoon screening of Brett Gaylor’s provocative NFB documentary on copyright, creativity, and the future. A moderated discussion will follow. Light refreshments served. Running time: 1hr 26min.

1pm | Location TBA

OCT 20 – NOV 5 | E-LIT Fall Forum, 2nd edition

CNET English 214 students will be cozying up with the ELC1 (Electronic Literature Collection, Volume 1) later this fall. They will also be taking a lead roll in the second edition of our electronic forum with digital writers from around the globe. Last year’s contributors included J.R. Carpenter, Donna Leishman, and Brian Kim Stefans.  This year we will be working with Megan Sapnar Ankerson, Sharif Ezzat, and Chris Joseph.  The E-LIT Forum will be hosted and archived on CultureNet @ CapilanoU.  For more information see or contact Aurelea Mahood: amahood@capilanou.ca

OCT 23 | PAYING HOMAGE

Join CNET English 100 students in a Friday afternoon excursion to the Contemporary Art Gallery for a guided tour of Paying Homage.  This CAG exhibit explores the relationships between artists and what it means to pay homage to the past.  This tour will build on many of ideas introduced in RIP and take them into a gallery setting.

1pm | 555 Nelson Street | RSVP: Aurelea Mahood, amahood@capilanou.ca

NOV 13 | WHAT DO EDITORS DO?

In preparation for the production of the CNET English 100 student e-journal, a team of local editors – including Jenny Penberthy and Tamara Lee from THE CAPILANO REVIEW – will be answering the question “what do editors do” at a Friday afternoon panel discussion.  All are welcome.  Light refreshments served.

1pm | Cedar 237

NOV 20 | PKP + OJS, An Introduction

The CNET English 100 student e-journal will be produced using the Public Knowledge Project‘s open-source software named OJS (Open Journal System).  The PKP is jointly supported by scholars, librarians, programmers and developers associated with Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, Stanford University, and Arizona State University.  Local PKP member James McGregor will be joining us for a Friday afternoon talk designed to bring the newly introduced up to speed on the world of PKP and OJS.  All are welcome. Light refreshments served.

1pm | Cedar 237

Access, Surveillance and Other Absurdities

The past few classes of CultureNet have really got me thinking. Learning about the Community Access Program, reading the conclusion of the Slack and Wise Primer, media discussions in Communications 112 and hearing Dr. Sharla Sava’s talk about surveillance have totally altered the way I look at society and our relationship with technology. As a person who enjoys a good science fiction novel, I definitely feel like I am living in one now. It feels kind of surreal.

The idea of access to technology, specifically the internet, has come up several times over the term in a couple of my classes. I wrote a paper about it in Communications; I have to admit doubts originally that internet access was something that people “needed” to have access to, at least not like food, shelter, clothing and health care. But when prompted by the ideas from Postman that there “winners and losers” every time a technology was introduced, I actually changed my perspective. I thought back to my own experiences when I was working for Provincial Health and was taking free computer classes offered by the government. At the time the kitchen and laundry services were getting outsourced, and my class was filled with people desperate to gain computer knowledge before being laid off. Many of the people didn’t know how to turn the computer on. I was frustrated. Then I realized that these people were going to be completely screwed trying to find another job. They had many barriers, such as language, education and (primarily) financial. It made me feel anxious and my stomach hurt.

The talk Dr. Sharla Sava gave on surveillance was spectacular. It always blows my mind when something so familiar to me is disseminated, analyzed and given language. Every time I open my Facebook it now makes me laugh, awkwardly. The whole act is so weird, like I am marketing myself and making advertisements about my life (as if any of it is interesting and glamorous). Learning about media in Communications has added to the whole absurdity of it. I always felt like my punk rock sensibilities would keep me safe from becoming a sell out poser, but I am just kidding myself.

The last few chapters of the Slack and Wise Primer really made me think about the effects of technology on people. I happened to be reading about biofuels in Time Magazine, which is a great example of what Slack and Wise are touching on. People want “clean” alternative energy, but the impact that has on farmers and therefore food costs has the potential to cause global crisis. Now when I think about it I think the issue is so skewed; we focus so much on how we can continue to live the same way and not make any changes in our comfortable lives while waiting for some scientist to come up with a new technology that allows us to do so in an economically viable way that will also assuage our minor guilt. The solution to the oil situation is don’t drive your car so much, not biofuels. When time says biofuels are a scam I have to think about Postman’s winners and losers. But doesn’t every technology have positive and negative effects, or unintended effects or revenge effects? I guess it s easier to pick on the new guy on the block than the older guys who are established.

Overall I think that the four months I have spent in CultureNet have been the most interesting I have had in a while. I am very glad I quit my cubicle job to participate in this program; it is so great to be gaining the ability to clearly discuss these issues that I had previously identified but was unable to analyze or vocalize effectively. I drive my friends nuts with my constant enthusiastic media and technology analysis. It really is fascinating though; I highly recommend it.

Finishing Up February

1. CNET Film Series – Wed, Feb 27th
The Spring 2008 Film Series features an exciting array of student screenings, faculty speakers and guest speakers. This term students and faculty from CultureNet and the Capilano Film Centre will be collaborating at our three noon hour events. The screenings + talkback sessions begin at 12:30 p.m. and run for 50 minutes.

This Wednesday explores “The Art of Seduction – Films for Cell Phones”. Jim Wallace (Film Centre) and Andrew Klobucar (English/CultureNet) will be screening and talking about the art and science of making short short films for delivery on mobile phones. Bring your phone – you won’t be asked to turn it off!

2. CultureNet Program Infomation Night – Thurs, Feb 28th

Explore Capilano + CultureNet Learn. Discover. Explore Capilano.

Join us for our next program information night and visit our beautiful North Vancouver campus.

Thursday, February 28th, 2008
7:00 – 8:00p.m.
Capilano College, North Vancouver campus
Library 194

For more information contact Aurelea Mahood. Phone 604.986.1911 ext 2290 or email amahood@capcollege.bc.ca