2023 report
This report is part 2, read part 1 here!
Bollenpandje.nl is online
We’re delighted to announce that the first draft of bollenpandje.nl is online! There’s still work to be done to make the public programme and initiatives more visible. We also set up a shared inbox (info@bollenpandje.nl) and personal emails (e.g. tonny@bollenpandje.nl) for XTC (Ximena, Tonny & Carolina).
Biobulkbende server on Schiedamseweg
Biobulkbende is a food co-operative in which members come together to bulk purchase organic food at cheaper prices from local suppliers. Each member joins a workgroup and does some voluntary work each month.
Biobulkbende has recently moved to BoTu and now meet once a month at Huis van de Toekomst for the pick-up and give a general introduction for those interested in joining. See the website for more details if you’re interested.
Biobulkbende uses a open source software called Foodsoft. Members can visit bestel.biobulkbende.org, log into their account and make their order. The software also helps with financial and administration work, all the things that you need to run a DIY supermarket!
Luke is a member of the systems workgroup and runs the Foodsoft software on a server at home. With a small second-hand server and his home internet connection, it’s possible to host this software and make it available for members. This means that members data remains in BoTu and learn about DIY technology in their volunteer work in the neighbourhood.
Internet access for everyone
We have been discussing and experimenting with the idea of sharing internet connections in the neighbourhood. From a quick test on Schiedamseweg, it seems that there are around 103 wifi networks available. Each one is password protected and private.
However, do we really all need a private internet connection at home? Can everyone afford 30/40 EUR a month? What are the possibilities for sharing an internet connection?
People often have privacy concerns about sharing internet connections. However, there is legalised mass surveillance in this country. In this sense, sharing access could open up possibilities for actual privacy on the internet by making VPNs more accessible.
Our first idea was to try to open up one of our home internet connections, without a password. Anyone can use it! This wifi network has been open months now without issue. However, it has limited range and it can’t be accessed from the street.
We then tried to use a device which can “beam” the home internet connection over a further distance. You connect it to your router at home and then point it in a direction to share the connection.
We were able to share the connection further up and down the street on Schiedamseweg. However, there are so many wifi networks on the street already that the airwaves are “crowded”. The signal strength was not really great and the connection is quite slow.
We will continue experimenting! If you’re interested in this idea, please drop us a mail @ bakkie@botuservetje.nl.
Local-first radio experiments
The internet seems to be always on, WhatsApp is always working and we can always message each other. However, sometimes, it goes down. We’ve been looking into alternatives to smartphones for staying in touch. And specifically for those that work well on the neighbourhood level which don’t require the internet to function.
One simple alternative is unlicensed radio. These are radio frequencies that you don’t need a license to broadcast on. There are small and cheap radios you can buy that let you talk on these frequencies. For example, construction workers and security guards often use PMR radios.
We managed to borrow some of these radios from Varia and did some tests! We had success chatting with each other within a radius of 1km within BoTu. For example, we tested in the direction of the Lage Erfbrug towards Marconiplein.
One of the interesting things about talking on the radio is that it when one person is talking, the others must wait until they’re finished. Also, it is a public broadcast, from one person to many. It’s a very different way of thinking about communication than we’re used to with smartphone apps.
Organising to prevent e-waste
Despite what we are being told, IT can’t be “green” and is inherently unsustainable due to reliance on fossil fuels. The greenest thing we could do would be to stop making more computers, laptops, phones etc.
We are interested in trying to stop older devices becoming e-waste. And stop buying new devices and use what we can find locally in the neighbourhood and in the city.
There is an incredible amount of technology being thrown out on the street in BoTu and around the city. For example, we found 6 desktop computers on mathenesserdijk recently. These computers can be repaired and used again and we are working on that.
We are looking for a place to store what we find and would like to try organise a Repair Café. If you’re interested in this idea or know someone who might want to help, please get in touch @ bakkie@botuservetje.nl.
Conclusions (for now…)
In our original Open Call text (Dutch), we proposed a 5 month period of action-research. This month, we’re finishing up the project and we would like to share some reflections from this period.
We’ve had a great time and learned a lot doing this work. We’re super grateful to the organisers and neighbours involved in the Open Call who supported us.
People were very enthusiastic to work with us but often had very little spare time. Everyone is really busy in BoTu! We often struggled to find time to meet or have follow-up meetings. We’re still thinking about how we can adjust our working methods to accomodate this.
Several people didn’t find the idea of “BoTu Servetje” easy to understand. This makes sense because we were also doing an action-research and discovering ourselves what this project could be. If we do apply to the Open Call again, we will make a more concrete proposal based on what we learned.
We tried to avoid the idea of becoming a IT service provider for the neighbourhood. However, people need help with that. They need a website, email, calendars etc. but don’t want to be very involved in the technical details. We’re thinking about how to engage with that need but also have space for experimenting and continuing to be amateurs.
Thanks to everyone who engaged, discussed, thought along and supported us during this project 💝