Annotating the Constant on-line universe

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29 november

Homepage

https://lapaillasse.org/services#privatisations
http://www.towards.be/site/spip.php?page=diag-svg-chrono

7 November

Femke discusses etherpad purge with Newcleus on 15 November, Denis, Michael, Martino go from there.

Michael takes on the developments of 'mixins' (playlists etc)
Martino focuses on the 'sponge' and webdesign for the templates/situations here: http://framacalc.org/constantwebweeksschema

Denis, Michael, Martino coordinate on purge + search

29 November discuss new index-site with Newcleus, afterwards also with Denis

12 December: show site_dev to visitors Recyclart

19 January: Websprint three, finish for going live

20 october
Workday Denis, Michael, Martino, Femke

For end Friday 27:
- preprocessing pads finished, MiMu
- sketches article, project, transframe, transfeed, mm
- ToDo lists for websprint (day 1 and 2)

---


On texts and words August 9 ( AM + FS + mm )

Verlag: repository of texts and pdf's a la Gutenberg, planning to move from spip to static files or something else minimal, text archive, ideally a dump you can use to process. 
(project for 2019?)
needs export from Spip database of texts/metadata
needs to be searchable by author/year/license
thematic search can be done through the feed-pages

Keywords:
- pragmatic keywords using Spip http://constantvzw.org/site/spip.php?page=mot&id_mot=32 can become vvv / these can also be found in text of articles, are only added for newsletter, not corrected afterwards -> we use these keywords to create feed pages & leave them out of Spip
-> add a new technical category like 'type of event', f.ex. 'medium' (video, radio,...), this needs checking:
    * against the keywords list that is there
    * in a browser to see what comes up, f.ex. Open Source Video
    * in search box of the website (for archiving purposes)

- content keywords having a feed http://constantvzw.org/site/spip.php?page=mot2&id_mot=32 - they are generative keywords (not descriptive)
-> in announcements the keywords function differently than when we look back

keywords used for the flyer combine subject, type of activities and how they travel
f.ex. Books with an attitude (collection in LGRU 2009, title for an article...), starts with a gesture/intention/something you would like to happen and afterwards stabilizes

-> feeds can be keywords, projects, favourites, projects leading to a worksession, documentations, playlists
---- how to mark different feeds to be processed in different ways ----
---- how to reduce the amount of keywords ----


Summarizing webweekone July 7

https://stuff2233.club/padlife/p/constantwebreloaded

Summary from the worksession July 2017

* Try to map its infrastructural consequences

* Set an agenda for three upcoming moments: what things we want clear/ ready to test for that date?

* Distribute the related work over Denis, Michael, Martino, Femke (Constant?)

* think about if we need to include other people  in the process, and when
Nicolas M? Pierre H? Peggy? Antoine?

* Rearticulation of the proposal

* We have tested a preliminary workflow that allows the writing of articles "after the event"... By making "feed pads" it's possible to 

In the past, documentation has been difficult to add "after the fact". Once an event has finished, it's challenging to do the work of linking video, audio, photos, and other documents created during an event.
* Adding Documentation (the "dumps" of photos)
* Adding transversal links

Currently
* There are links in the SPIP pages to external files: videos, audio, directory listings.
* There is also the CSV made by Tom linking media to projects.

* What goes into the database (SPIP)?

etherdump+RSS flow
- unloading spip + adding another "entrance" to edit content on the site
-- 
- Telecommande/documentation/transversal feed
- interface proposal

- gallery??!
- verlag?


9 August
FS + mm + AM meet to discuss keywords + publications

20 October
- Look at specific examples (technical and graphical working mockup): mm
Consider also linked workflows (How do the above views come about -- what is necessary to write to make them happen)
- How much of prior work (in linking SPIP to outside resources) can be reused / automated. mm
- try to understand what tasks need to be done before December
- verlag/publication relation? mm
- decision/proposition for connecting gallery to articles mm
- Invite Nicolas for the end of the day

- technically:
    -semi-permanent structure for the 'link-collection' (json, database?) MM (transfeed index)
    -parallel beta (updated) spip installation, with migrated database from old site (DONE! http://constantvzw.org/site_dev/ )
    Use the constantvzw.org/site_dev/ "becoming site" to test things.
    * Test how "external" sites would show / work with the "ring" idea (Ex. if you start at the video repo, how do the transversal links appear -- also in a "federated" site such as Activearchives (where changes can be made to incoporate the "webrings") mm
    * Language (multi-language feeds?) ... see http://etherdump.constantvzw.org/p/video.feed.diff.html MiMu
- write/test manual for adding content FS
- find back Kris Rutten feed FS
- ask PIerre H? to make a feed FS

2 + 3<APERO!> + 6 + 7 november: editorial sprint + bug hunting
3 november, 17:00 web apero with members
- update constantvzw.org DdV
- manual stabilized with clear recipes for all Constants to add, re-organise content FS
- check browsers/devices Co
- check exceptions, missing elements Co
- Start writing a short article/essay on the work: trying to make choices legible/explicit. FS, mm

14 december
Finish essay, translate FS
Launch Constant Reloaded (Recyclart)


Notes webweekone, mainly 30 June

week preparation:
http://pad.constantvzw.org/p/constantwebweekone

Notes from Nucleus, 14 June

Dona spoke with Denis last Thursday. Even we don't see the server at All2all is still regularly stopping. It is not good most of all because Denis will soon go on holiday (not sure yet when).
It could be the alimentation cable, but also not, no way to know. Suggestion of Dona + Denis: let's buy a new one before everybody goes on holiday.
Denis is ok with keeping one server in all2all depsite some difficult communication with them (no valuable alternative in Brussels) but it is important to diversify, to have different servers, that's how they are doing it now with Domain Public.
The question is : we stay with OVH or do we look for some less commercial hoster? What? Where?

We'll buy the new server-machine for all2all (300 euros or so) and keep investigating what other options we have besides OVH, looking for servers in Belgium or more interesting projects in France.

Notes Michael + Martino + Denis 22 June

Installed sedna plugin on constant... http://www.constantvzw.org/site/?page=sedna adds an "aggregator" interface to SPIPs collected feeds
tools / pseudo standards

RSS sketches
-- a potential way of doing editorial work.. also as a way to go through the archive
http://fetchrss.com/manual

var_mode=inclure debug

proposals for the 3-7 July

How to activate the SPIP keywords ... make them work in other contexts (the RSS feeds for instance)

(File drop a la pzi ? ... thinking here about wendy's framadrop

NEED to fix RSS user's default "dashboard" to include "project activity" (as this then influences the RSS feed contents)

Example:
    towards.be... http://towards.be/site/spip.php?article271

      thumbnail URL: 

"Reissuing via Feeds" .... Imagining an interface that lets you create a new feed, say CODEPERFORMANCE.RSS...
or a care-curatorial option of inviting some guest to select some materials from the archive

via etherdump?!

FOR EXAMPLE, 

CODEPERFORMANCE.RSS
============================
Mapping me / Mapping you
25 april 20??
http://towards.be/site/spip.php?article271
http://towards.be/site/local/cache-vignettes/L150xH113/00057-9a7df.jpg

Rosalie on Re Touches and knitting machine
http://video.constantvzw.org/Splinter_fields/SplinterFields_Rosalie_on_Re_Touches_and_knitting_machine.ogv
http://constantvzw.org/site/re-toucheren.html?lang=en

Potlatch
http://parlezvous1060.be/w/Potlatch
http://parlezvous1060.be/media/files/000100/potlach-p.mp3
http://parlezvous1060.be/media/files/000100/apotlatch.mp3

Looking back and not behind. On the concept of Performativity
http://constantvzw.org/verlag/spip.php?article94

Media mediate: on performativity
http://archive.constantvzw.org/events/vj7_archives/000309.php

--

SEE: http://pad.constantvzw.org/public_pad/constantweb.test.feed

TODO:
1. put in place the "observatory" style pull + make to process pads named ".feed" for instance into an RSS.
2. script to convert  (pad) text to rss
3. How to display the feed in SPIP


Meeting Michael + FS + Martino + Denis 27 April 2017

Linking the words to the projects -- two layers: grid of words with floating projects, or grid of projects with floating words
It means re-activating the words

How to activate the projects (and their interrelation):
- relations = referrers + feeds + links
- words/speaking
- materials (video+sound+verlag+gallery)

Now: links are made from the article, not around it. 
Use regex, other tricks to automatically insert references (maybe not the content itself) of materials that are already there

Proposition:
Find the relations through the help of ... wording inside the project, the articles in the project.

http://pad.constantvzw.org/p/constantaanzee -- projects are keywords (concepts? terms?)

Constant language vs. general language. "constant speaking"
Speaking? Naming? Constructing language? Active process of redefining words, language ... Constant mutterings :-/ ?

Ma: And if I click the All button? Mi: Please don't do that!

Vandalist transitions!?


What elements are in each project:

Title

Description
Words
Documentation
Articles/Events
Media
Feeds in
Documents
Code

?

Timeline
---

Projects
similar hyerarchy with projects and articles
lourds, can't see which articles are more dense, etc..
self-referential, missing links to other elements from other projects
missing temporality

-

How to have a time view for Constant
these are not git commits
combine different pulses:

- events
- pads
- commits
- feeds
- gallery
- video/sound
- 

Long term choice
Work from maintenance, not from change/shift
political choice of keeping history

Peggy: It is hard to be confrronted with loss of histories. Stay with a tool could be seen as a way to not let go.
Michael: you need to separate the history from its tool, why not export/snapshot. There is a reason why old pages often do not survive new templates.

How to keep parts of Spip? Not to be dependent.

Legacy aspect is not about the articles.
Something that goes across
Search still a relevant issue that spip deals with




- timeline /events -- 




Report Dona on state of the server, discussion w. Denis 13 April 2017

Jans-Ingo brought it home and checked it; the hard disc was totally  dead. 

Since Jans-Ingo was going on holiday and we have still this unsolved  question of leaving the server at All2all or not, Denis decided to try  another step. So we bought a new hard disc, Jans-Ingo replaced the  server and Denis is now updating it. Basically we have now an old  machine with a new hard disc that gives us some time to reflect about  the next steps. 

If the hard disc was the problem, could be that this new setting will  solve the problem and stay long. 

Denis will keep us updated with his discoveries. All should be again  functional from tomorrow on. 

Meeting Michael + FS + Martino + Denis 23 March 2017

mini projector is not in the miniprojector case! surprise!
maxi screen is the solution.

Thinking Constant site as a collection of HTML pages -- important in the sense of archives, static versions. They can be generated through spip, but how are they connected, how to navigate.

The role of the CMS has a bureaucratic, evenement management .. how to find other ways of 'making site'.
Seems spip has a place, but as one of the elements.

Etherdump as an other way in to the site, as a way to produce ... HTML pages. 
How can multiple people work on indexing, when an event is over.

Ethergit! Using Markdown to prepare html pages, fe. diversion
Makes us think of how gitlab pages can be edited.

How to bridge between Spip/CMS and makeserver

A CMS is usually  'autistic'.

How to link things:

Editorially (organise moments, develop tools). This is another moment than publishing articles.
How to link

* Different moment of publications.
The moment of publication is mostly around newsletter events etc, more management/burocratic moment. Not really a space for editorial choices. How to organise this second layer.

How to make linages between the different kinds of documents. Keywords? (But that's maybe not the solution)

* SPIP is a bit autistici for people that are not in the constant loop to edit/contribute..  not like a wiki/pad that is somehow more welcoming to make changes etc. A restrict group is responsible for the material.

(Simplify what SPIP does to  what SPIP does well: Limited editors, Multi lingual descriptions of all projects )
PROBLEM: how to make the gap between SPIP and the other activities less large.

* SPIP is thought as the index for "all constant", from there go other places. Can this be rethought? Now it is a bit an island with other site on the side. no back and forth with the rest. Gap in between now is too large.

Can SPIP be not central, but in a way peripheric or on the side, with certain functions as calendar mots-cles etc..h

How to generate an index of the different subdomains/projects/ things maybe not in SPIP

Do we need a central structure, to deal with the 'folie de Constant'.

Is the site the material or a structure

MM: curated stories of stories.

Small boats:
- a list of all sites on Constant! (Denis)
- some experiments to 'reveal' connections through Spip
- SPIP stays, for comm, calendar, ... but would be nice to decentralise (Martino)
- Rethinking the editorial process (different interfaces, different editing moments) MM, Martino
- plugin(s) (that work in spip, but potentially also in other systems/CMS) for embedding video, image, sound MM

-----

In the background:

Question: who edits. Where? Maybe keywords, and also etherdump

- Proof of concept replace gallery3 (makefile) MM
- Etherdump / ethergit / makeserver MM
- How to make better use of gitlab

----

https -- Constant double choice. 
PZI has done harddirect, problems with blocking through browser
possibly problems with gitlab (sth with the avatars)
etherpad a bit harder, but will be ok.

http://culturesnumeriques.erg.be/ -- 'modern'-looking spip

Meeting FS + Michael + Martino 16 Feb 2017

Discussing cms infrastructures, and the overhead of keeping them working.
static versions/local versions are nice. so ... no spip? or statify?

mm currently working on tools to archive cms pages as static html files, generic ones -- not adhoc solutions.
it is nice that in general, statifying is not depending on what is running the site/generating the pages

but how does this talk back to spip?

issues with spip:

sticking to spip:

what Constant needs:

discussing the current situation

discussion
SPIP as the "card catalog" to serve as the "central" page.
Now workflow is connected to the newsletter.
what is the function of tags? (how) does tagging matter?
thinking about indexing tools for files, timelines
kurieniemmi workshop -- it has queer - archives as keywords, mm thinks that is wrong

Where's the problem
NOT with TAGS per se: 
    more the SPACe of SPIP as a writing space around the tags.
    think about schaerbeeksetaal -- a dictionary project, more interesting work on vocabulary?
    also an issue of temporality-situation in which the tagging process happens. can it be not framed in the 'burocratic-public' moment of updating the website-doing newsletter?

Utopian thought: an ideal index is one that allows CURATINg a collection of MULTI_FORM resources...
for instance: "CyberFeminism" as a tag in SPIP shown as "random" (ish) search results, with no text ... and there certainly are MULTIPLE texts that could be interesting to lookup.

How could the keywords on Constant be a space for curation?
for example: cyberfemnism http://www.constantvzw.org/site/spip.php?page=mot&id_mot=32&lang=en
should it connect pads, pages from other websites, ...

mm showing leaflet. flatness, all materials on the same place.
only year tags for now. backend is a wiki
mixing streams and editing

wiki means that other people around constant to co-author, more generous authentication
this can be important for example in case of archives

SPIP as generator for financial reports, newsletters, etc...
Troubles now:
Difficult to do double work
Difficult to distribute the work

what would it mean to replace spip by wiki? How can we test? how is the radical flatness (is it) of a wiki actually real in relation to Constant. ie spip reflects the fact that Constant has a core, some institutional practice
or do we like the limitation of spip?

How it could be different.
mm would be interested to contribute.


* SPread the work to the larger community : How can files / images / documents / editorial work / texts / revisions come from the larger Constant network.
* also possible to have a structure as a wiki as a backend, but have a different interface/appearance
* it is not about getting constant on wikipedia, but making our own
* think about the description page of Constant, and its history!

* Constant Wayback timeline
* FEED Management
* Translating the SPIP structure to medawiki
* SPIP is EVENT-DRIVEN -- calendar generator... 

ideal solutions!:
* a very fluid wayback machine..

https://hackeragenda.be/   seems to be pulling the RSS

Femke: not convinced by WIKI (per se) ... but by the questino of "WHO EDITS?"
How to make the editing process more inviting.

* Archival work: editing things that have happened.

Instead of technical experiments, what about attempts at creating social moments to test ways to share/open the editorial work... Example:
    Editorial brunches where tagging occurs.
1. How the files, sites, dumps ... link up / become legible (gallery + video + sound ...) how to WRITE with the loose dropped material  
2. Re-think the editorial space of the website? Who writes, in what moments (now and possible futures?)
3. Appearances, revealing the infrastructure and the heterogeneity (technical and of constant...) WYSIWYG , galaxy. This 'appearance' will need to be a mix between showing, activating the archive and current/anouncements.

specific tasks..
. integration (?) verlag and constant site

SPIP + VIDEO PLUGINS
different moments / tools / malleabilities
How do the infrastructures reveals themselves.

keeping things as files
a frankenstein body
how to show the body and its different parts

any WIKI would need to show RSS / EVENTS / MULTI-LANGUAGE
Next meeting to look at some tests
Can other editing systems provide some of SPIPs bureaucracy
In what ways can the Frankenstein body be shown?
SPIP to do forward thinking, then EXPORT to wiki to write the past.

POC: Writing a PODCAST, writing an Slideshow
Editable XML Feed ipv Directory LISTING (makes a directory into a PODCAST)

----

specific conditions for collective archival work to happen.. what type and amount of work can happen in 2-3 'sprints'. need planning and preparations.
July 2017 -- a "sprint" could occur -- what could happen in that time?
maybe OCT 2017 another one.
Launch NEW infrastructures for early 2018?

(MM technically: would be very nice to find a file-based wiki alternative to MW)
* CALENDAR
* Export To Newsletter
* Export To Report

If we decide to move away from SPIP:
    NEED a working / documented / 
    KEY ITEM: How does it work to announce an event.
    (1) Document how it works now (in SPIP, with the Newsletter)...
    and eventually
    how does it mesh to the ARCHIVAL.

IN-Between tools:

How do you publish an announcement on constant:
http://pad.constantvzw.org/p/constantspip

-----
schema of constant's servers and so on?
gitlab.constantvzw.org @ OVH .. 51.255.203.168
pad.constantvzw.org @ OVH .. 188.165.201.158
www.constantvzw.org @ OVH ..188.165.201.158
etherdump.constantvzw.org @ ALL2ALL 79.99.202.57


meeting Denis + FS, February 9, 2017

The Constant server at all2all has lately been causing a lot of trouble; according to Denis the same problem came back that we had spring 2016. It looks like something is wrong with the way energy-use/CPU is managed. The update to the latest version of Wheezy did not help. Difficult to test. Denis temporarily now moves crucial materials to OVH, in order to be able to re-install Jessie (newest Debian) on the all2all server. Not sure this will help -- if not, we can consider buying a new server (the current server is 7-8 years old, and needs to be replaced anyhow in 1-2 years); this will cost between 800-1000 euros.

The trouble might be partially related to the many different historical but still 'active' applications that are running and consuming power. We will need to develop policies and practices for "retiring" those (turning them into static html).

Right now, etherpads are already at OVH (since 2011?); gitlab is installed on a separate OVH virtual server because it needed latest Debian/Jessie. According to Denis, there are no other alternative providers in Belgium, maybe openminds https://www.openminds.be/en (need to check their policies, seems it is merely "green roofs", can't find a data-policy) so our options are limited.

Advantages of moving everything to OVH:
- Up to twice as cheap (ref. Domaine public)
- More efficient (updated infrastructure), faster
- Additional access/rights
- No Jens-Ingo to deal with
- Domaine Public has decided the same move
- ...

Disadvantages of moving to OVH:
- Its a farm, not a project; they are not part of https://chatons.org for example
- Its under French jurisdiction (check what are concrete differences between BE and FR)
- We de-invest local infrastructure
- We cut Constant loose from (Brussels) history
- ...

PLANNING

9-10 February: 
13-17 February: 
Until end of February:
    Denis re-installing server, testing all2all hardware
First week of March: 

---------------------

meeting 17 nov 2016
femke denis michael martino

VERLAG? http://constantvzw.org/verlag/
http://gitlab.constantvzw.org/
newsletter
http://etherdump.constantvzw.org/
http://constantvzw.org/

is there a  directory the self standing websites? ie http://www.vj13.constantvzw.org/site/
= "Constant Galaxy"

Hotglue?

https discussion w. Seda, Miriyam, Jara

Denis

what are the problems?
what are the choices to make?
what do we want with the site
problems now: site makes people wonder "what is constant" ... "it's a mess" (ok maybe that's my paraphrase) ... lots of stuff hard to understand the links.
what is constant, ha!

spip development is slowing down, but still there.
some associations in bruxelles dropped it?
Denis: we still do a lot of sites in spip, now.
we like the people, we know it well, politically we align, trnquility: not too many updates
squelettes are "square" (=more comfortable for who works on the backend) (wordpress lets the author work./(shifts some labour to, in some non-explicit ways))

Michael

pas spip ou non --- many ways to work. spip vs. etherpad: structure vs none
etherdump arrives in-between
important to make links between.

(demo)
http://vj10.constantvzw.org/A-situated-reporter.html
not static pages, still working old spip, au debut in the same spip installation of the main website, maintenant on a separate spip.

trying out with ten years of LGM videos (different sites, systems, different years)

instead of a new site, to make links - to embed the archive in the situated media-player

contrast with youtube -- videos not on a central place, but embed videos "site-specific" with links to other appearances. Backlinks.

spip can stay as a stable element, and the situated player can connect between different elements.

Constant TV
http://automatist.org/2016/10/constanttv/ now not a stream, different for each viewer (needs backlinks too)
A way to discover materials.

it is a process, to put things in parallel.
different interfaces on the same materials
how every becomes html

backlinks and edited links, using the logs of Constant site 
.htaccess: add descriptions to apache listing

an index of the latest videos, an rss feed. search!

flux rss

Martino

How to show, how to make the density more tangible
First page is a facade
How to show continuity

What is a site, what does it mean to publish on-line, ...

To show the network -- not just Constant

Discussion

Using mediafiles as a way to reconstruct the temporality, and horizontality

Django -- how to turn pages into html

how to describe media when the pages are static

Preferring one page per file; a player (a possibility to make groups). A playlist of different things.

a flux of everything does not mean so much if there is no context

need to add other editing tools. 

"it is a bit style constant (= too much info at the same time)"

---------------

Prototypes of how the rss feeds could work.

curated and less curated feeds?

Now it is really geek (Denis)

relation between media element , feeds and spip pages? upload form with linking to specific spip pages?

still system with single spip elements for each projects / events?

temporality: now either the calendar, with punctual events in the future, or the projects that are a bit out of time.
also projects shown as in http://constantvzw.org/site/-Projects,1-.html do not transmit the way that the projects form a networks and are connected to each other..
can spip convey a bit the way in which constant works?

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