Guerrilla Servers: Gentoo Linux Server Project
07.02.04Streaming Content from the Institution Guerrilla Style on Custom Gentoo Linux Servers
In collaboration with 'socialmediagroup', we built, maintained and ran our own servers without institutional authorization from the Columbia University network.
Guerrilla Servers: Gentoo Linux Server Project
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The 'Gentoo Linux Server Project' was the result of a need for group and collaborative autonomy within the confines of the Academic Institutional superstructure. It became apparent to us that in order for expressive networking and server based experimentation to occur 'on the fly' we needed to bypass the bureaucratic 'Information Technology' machine that controlled a vast amount of the technological ecologies and networks through its own forced institutional protocol. Any experimentation with projects, code or networks had to be approved from the 'top-down' for purposes of 'security'.
The hierarchy in this scenario was difficult to penetrate. In order to accomplish even some of the most simplest of tasks, one had to navigate the hierarchy for project legitimacy and eventual approval/disapproval. This task could sometimes take months as emails would be exchanged and opinions on the legitimacy of the project could be expressed. Often question would arise: Why do you want to do that? Why don't you do it this way? Everyone wanted input, yet no one actually wanted to dedicate resources: labor time, expertise, hardware etc.
The artist does not work under this formula. They create and express. They help to evolve an idea and create new forms. They go from their gut to create something fresh. They experiment, they change code and hardware around - they make do with what they have.
We were not interested in the latest, fastest computer. We wanted to take what was old and figure out how to make it new again. The discarded computer as found object. The 'out of date' system as restored experimentation. the 'no budget' solution.
Why spend on the cutting edge (the newest technology) when we don't yet even understand the possibilities of 'old' technologies. Does 'free' systems such as the discarded remains of old g3's in place of expensive g5's allow for more unhindered creativity to occur? Is this an educational model for technology and technological systems? Use what we have - not what we don't have - make something new.
Below is a legitimizing statement of our 'Gentoo Linux Servers'. This was written in case we were 'caught' in the act of running illegal hidden guerrilla servers off of the institutional network. We were below the radar - but for how long? Just incase this statement was on hand......
The Gentoo Linux servers (Macintosh g3's) are running several academic
research projects for faculty, students and staff.
One of these servers exclusively runs "mailman", an open-source community listserv. One of these lists is "CSTC", an Academic Cultural Studies list that is used for communication of events such as the "Citizen Project: Bodies in Motion" hosted by Kelvin Sealey and other events, areas, subjects and discussions of interest to the over community participants including students and faculty. This list is coordinated by Professor John Broughton as well as moderated and maintained by Doctoral students Mark Grimm and Cyrille Adam.
This server, titled "papaya", runs several other lists and projects including a class list for "Intro to Art", a class taught by Kean University Adjunct Professor Mark Grimm. This list doubles as a research project component in a larger study of network pedagogy and communication in the college classroom.
Another list is the "socialmediagorup" list run for an experimental arts collective of the same name. This list discusses art, technology, politics and social theory and places them all under a "new media" lens. Participants include artist/media theorist/Professor John Broughton, artist/activist/educator/student Frank Shifreen, artist/student/Adjunct Professor Hugo Ortega, artist/student/AdjunctProfessor Jacob Roesch, artist/graphic designer Kelly Cheatle, artist/computer programmer/student/educator Daniel Rubin, artist/activist/Adjunct Professor Mark Grimm, artist/activist/educator Amy Cheatle among others.
In addition, this system also contains several other lists utilized for various discussions and research pertaining to education, theory and media run by students and faculty alike.
Our second Linux server, "watermelon", delivers web content via the apache web-server. This system contains many research projects including several electronic academic journals, personal student web pages, and spaces for web development and experimentation.
"SubjectMatters" is an online journal on media, culture and technology conceived and edited by Professor John Broughton. It is rapidly being developed by several of his students and plans to go "live" by mid winter.
In addition to this we also host several students research projects in the visual arts such as Frank Shifreen's "thedigitalmuseum.com" which documents the course of Franks artistic progress through organizing, curating and his own personal art shows. It will be used in his dissertation as an example of democratic "electronic" space, and the ability to use images as a global mechanism for activism, art and change. Several projects such as the "Anti-war Poster Show" held in Macy Gallery of last year, and "Anti-War Posters At the World Social Forum" in Mumbia, India that had an attendance of several hundred thousand is completely documented and hosted on him
site.
Another site that is in development is for a large upcoming (spring 2005) conference conducted and organized by student Cyrille Adams. This site will house video, audio and accompanying documentation from this conference that will be attended by keynote speaker and prominent critical theorist Douglas Kellner as well as New York University Professor and scholar Stanley Aronowitz. An interactive forum that is currently under development and written in PHP will also accompany the site for conversation and participation.
We also run several student pages on this server that contain artist portfolios, teacher portfolios, resumes and curriculum vitale's.
Our third g3 Gentoo Linux server has been designated as completely experimental hosting many different artist projects, group projects, open-source development projects, and other media such as audio and video. This server has been used primarily as the "sandbox" for our community development team of artists, theorists, and programmers.
We feel that its eventual use will evolve as projects and team deployment become more and more complicated as time goes on. This server is necessary for experimental purposes that proceeds final publishing.
Watermelon - This server was home to several artist websites and pportfolio as well as this site 'socialmediagroup.org':
• frank shifreen
• jacob roesch
• mark edward grimm
• amy catherine cheatle
• brett virmalo
• socialmediagroup.org
• socialmediagroup.com
• subjectmatters.org
Papaya - this server ran several of our mailinglists including our own mailing list for 'socialmediagroup' and the Teachers College 'Cultural Studies' group mailing list.
• Papaya Mailing Lists
Rhubarb - this server ran many experimental projects including net.art, wiki's, forums and experimental media. Many of these site may be inactive do to a constant rotation of experimental ideas.
• artoftheinsane.net
• artzglobal.net
• artopolis.org
• inthewires.com
• intheair.net
• nine-one-one.org
• hatedell.org
• sqwump.com
• sporble.com
• dionysic.com
• imapic.com
• inthepod.com
• artlaboratory.net
• slimeballs.org
• panarts.net
• iamthat.com
• smurb.com
• thedigitalmuseum.org
• thedigitalmuseum.net
• thedigitalmuseum.com
• mythus.net
• pixelocity.org
• inthevoid.org
• chitwit.com
• sexpixels.net
• voided.net
• imuri.com
• niceplacetovisit.net
• nohoarts.com
• bleepbleep.com
• trashbag.net
• autobiographical.net
• gottohavethat.com
• hereincyberspace.com
• shamansdream.com
• weartheweb.com
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