Source Code Berlin

Podcasting has existed now for close to 12 years, and in that short time we’ve seen success stories, waves of popularity, beloved programs that come to an end, and all kinds of attempts to move the medium forward. Of all the initiatives ever to be brought to podcasting, today’s guest spearheaded one of the most revolutionary from his personal media recording studio in Berlin. The initiative is known as Podlove, the person is named Tim Pritlove, and perhaps most importantly, today on the program he and I discuss how the project has matured and its lasting impact on podcasting throughout the world.

The Tactical Technology Collective, known lovingly as Tactical Tech. For more than a decade they have been at the forefront of training and tool development for not only journalists but also rights advocates all over the planet. How do they do it, what does their work include… today on the program we have the voices that can help explain it all… Still to come today on the program, a conversation with Allistair Alexander director of publishing and production (fresh from the Paris Climate Talks), we will also hear from those who use the tools to spark change as part of TT’s Exposing The Invisible program, but before all that we begin today by listening to co-founders Marek Tuszynski and Stephanie Hencky, experts from their recent talk at the Elevate Festival in Graz entitled “The Politics of Data in Quantified Society”. Don’t be fooled by the title, this is a conversation that goes beyond the activists and the journalists, today’s program always comes back to you and me and the devices, apps, and services that we use everyday.

Today on the program we’re re-focusing on the idea of place and how places can be used - specifically as spaces for playing.. having fun.. enjoying… and a legal framework to preserve that right. In a world, especially the urban world, where so many of our activities are subject to rules and penalties for violating rules… there is a group of people in Berlin and around the world, who are exploring and promoting the concept of find ways to play in everyday lives. Why play? And how to play in the major cities of this world.. we will get into that as well. With help from one of the pioneers of the playful commons concept… Sebastian Quack.

Game Jam: a concept that brings together game designers and game enthusiasts for anywhere between 24 and 72 hours with the purpose of planning, designing and creating a game. Since they started more than a decade ago, Game Jams have been going on regularly, all over the world often with specific themes. More Recently at Wikimedia deutschland in Berlin, there was the Free Knowledge Game Jam; were participants were once again challenged to create a game - only their games should make use of publicly accessible free and open licensed data and tools. A concept with far reaching impact, ot only for game makers but for society as a whole. Today on the program, we’re walking around the Free Knowledge Game Jam learning about these talented participants and their unique projects.

Today on the podcast, we talk about tools for refugees, or as I’ll refer to them from now on in this program: newcomers.. recent arrivals.. those who are trying to start a life in a new place. What tools are they using and who is developing these tools. Specifically in the Berlin area, where hundreds if not thousands of volunteers are busy in so many ways, helping people arrive and get settled. They, like many of us, are learning as they go, and today we’re going to hear about what they’ve learned, what they’re creating, and how it is making a difference in this unprecedented moment in history.

Beyond the big brand names and the poor labor practices, there is a less famous but ever growing and socially concious fashion industry built on collaboration and a spirit of openness when it comes to the what, how and why of making garments. And wouldn’t you know it, right there, arguably in the middle of it all, there is Berlin, as a hub where some of these important initiatives develop and interact. Today on the program, we’re talking about opening up the fashion industry and garments that have a social impact, at the annual event that takes inventory of it all, Meshcon.

In a city like Berlin, there are of course specific apps that people like to use in their daily lives. Apps that help you find things and know things related to your needs and interests. Today on the program we’re looking at essential Berlin apps, with a focus today on the ones that help you get around, with help from two developers who are very much pioneers in that world, Andreas Schildbach and Torsten Grote. This was also the week where we asked you the listeners about your app choices for Berlin life, and we will hear what some had to say.

This summer at Chaos Communication Camp 2015, C-Base celebrated its 20th birthday and today on the program, that celebration continues, as we introduce the space and here from some of its crew as they recount their first experiences at C-base, what it means to them, and some wonderful or odd moments that they will never forget. From wikimedia Deutschland, Im Mark Fonseca Rendeiro and this is Source Code Berlin.

Every 4 years, a massive collection of curious and creative minds from all over the world make their way to a green space outside of Berlin where they build a temporary physical community made up of what for most of the year, is only a virtual one. It is here at hacker camp, over the course of a week, they share their work, inspire one another, learn something new, relax, play, swim or simply drink tea with friends. The event is the Chaos Communication Camp, an open-air even where the ideas go far beyond the tents and blinking lights, to a larger world where questions of privacy, information, rights, and more, are so often being decided for us behind closed doors. Today we explore this event and what it is about and what impact it has.. well.. on everything.

Today on the program we look at a Berlin based initiative that could further change how we approach our health. A open source platform with case specific data that makes language and statistics more under stable and accessible. How does it work and why choose this path, and what does it mean for patients and doctors everywhere

It is an old discussion for a very young industry. How to reconcile the needs and demands of parenting, with the needs and demands of programming, developing, or working at a startup. Whereas employees so often cheer at the innovative work arrangements and environments that encourage things like playing, relaxing, and working from anywhere… what you won’t hear much cheering for is how these environments address employees who are new parents. In the past few months alone we’ve seen lawsuits between big names in the tech industry and former employees who felt belittled and harassed over their commitment to their children over the alleged demands of the company. Whereas other industries have been fine tuning their approach to this important issue, the world of programming is still new territory. And as today’s guests will explain, it isn’t easy, and it is a tremendous task to be the first in your company to have a child and teach your boss how to manage this. MY guests today work or have recently worked as programmers and developers in Berlin, but their experience is echoed around the world. Parenting and Programming, different experiences, different approaches, but one underlying message that should be a concern for all us, parents, programmers or otherwise.

Although there are many examples where social entrepeneurship is just a buzz world or a marketing tool, in Berlin, within the startup world, there is a strong emphasis on running a business that does some good for the world. Spend any time talking to founders and CEO’s of startups in this town and chances are you will hear how they both meet their needs as a business and as a part of a community or society, often starting out with some social issue that they want to address through their work. Today on the program we explore Social Entrepeneurship done the Berlin way, or running a successful business while making a difference in a community/society. And to do that we bring you two experienced voices, Fabienne Riener of Source Fabric, and Evgeni Kouris of Toywheel and Gamewheel, who will help describe how they see and navigate this combination, in this town, at this particular moment in history.

A few days ago EnthusiastiCon at Wikimedia Deutschland brought together a group of energetic and inspired individuals who love programming or are interested in programming at some level (from the most basic to wow my brain hurts so good right now). Together, over the course of two days, they presented what they love and explained why they love it. They inspired one another and there was plenty of laughing, learning and entertainment along the way. On today's podcast we present to you some of the voices from EnthusiastiCon!

Today on the program we explore the state of the cyborg, or to phrase it more accurately, we conduct a measuring of where we are as a society when it comes to changing ourselves using technology. With the help of someone who isn’t just talking about it, he’s living it.

At the height of the hacker space movement in 2008, technology enthusiasts around the world were busy creating spaces for co-working, experimenting, and learning.. among other things. Many of the design layouts and organizing methods they were using came from the established hacker spaces in places like Berlin, Hamburg and San Francisco. Of course what works in Berlin does not necessarily work in Baghdad, which is an issue today’s guest has been tackling for the past few years. Beyond cultural differences, as an organizer and fascilitator of co-working and hacker spaces throughout the Middle East, North Africa, North America and beyond, Bilal Ghalib believes there is a fundamental re-evaluation needed in the quest to make creative spaces for people, a new way of thinking that goes beyond having cool devices or making things and instead focuses on community and the idea of supporting one another.