I finally published the fist short story from my #GliderInk project: "Someone Like You" written in collaboration with the wonderful Ana Sun.

It should help people understand - why do hackers want to modify existing technology? - in a very human way.

https://glider.ink/stories/someone_like_you/

Glider Ink is a project aiming to create a new narrative about #hacker s and #hackerspace s. Initially aimed to be a graphic novel, now a series of illustrated short stories.

#writing #story #storytelling

@kawaiipunk

@InvaderXan @puffinus_puffinus@sunbeam.city @Curator

I would love a Solarpunk session at the Congress!

Regarding consumers: we should remember to still paint them as reachable people, not only geniuses. Thats the basis od the #gliderink Im writing

@cwebber https://www.peppercarrot.com/ is a wonderful free culture project which managed to get some funds thanks to David's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidrevoy/

I was aiming for a similar model with my #GliderInk ( https://glider.ink/ ) but found out that a lot of artists are very fearful about free licenses (CC-BY-SA), even when paid upfront.

@Alonealastalovedalongthe after two years of research I was honestly surprised how much both writers and visual artists base their work on just aesthetics and blindly copying someone else's idea in their own style. I know this is how they can produce something fastest and sell it, but this is no way of creating a thoughtful speculation.

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It's a shame that HSBXL doesn't have photos of their old hackerspace, I could use some hydroponic garden HS photos for my #GliderInk research.

@mmin @ondra

I want to make #GliderInk to be a slice-of-life story which is still interesting. #SuzanneTheInventor is struggling with the world not wanting to accept her without a prosthesis, but she's not about to die because of it. She is just fighting daily battles which we can observe and empathize without painting the whole thing in the utopian pink or dystopian black.

This way we can show people "a way" towards a better tomorrow and some goal, which is still real and achievable.

@skynebula @laemeur I shall :) Check out #GliderInk from time to time.

But first, the #HackerNarratives blogpost!

I just found out that most of the youtube radio animation loops I kept seeing in the last months are a work of one brilliant artist: Juan Pablo Machado - http://jpmachado.art/en/about/

Coincidentally, they would be absolutely perfect for #GliderInk

Added to moodboards.

Image copyright by jpmachado

#art #illustration

@djsumdog that's a price of a non-curated timeline. We could create several mechanisms to counter that, but the simplest is to relay on tags. For each topics I want to talk about I create one. You can check my novel ideas at #GliderInk and calls for hacker culture narratives under #HackerNarratives . That helps a little.

Not every baker and schoolteacher needs to understand HTTP or assembly language, but they all should understand why net neutrality is important.

For over two years I've been working on #GliderInk , a graphic novel which aims to introduce people to hacker values and create an aesthetic different from Hollywood's "black hat" stereotype or a grim cyberpunk future.

After reading stories like https://shawnstruck.blogspot.com/2014/08/open-letter-to-aaron-diaz-stop-hiding.html I decided to handle the female characters in #GliderInk carefully.

First, they are people. They have goals and wants of their own. That's important knowing how dangerous #sexism is in a lot of hackerspaces.

I want them to be varied as well.

#SuzanneTheInventor wants to be considered a person first and doesn't have time for romantic relationships. She wants to be an engineer and be able to adjust the world to her needs.

#writing #feminism

Another #GliderInk character - #AmandaTheAnarchist :

As probably the most socially experienced member of the 'space she loves communities and working together. Sadly, some of the hackers refuse to respect non-programmers, and she's "only" a competent sound engineer.

Amanda fights for #feminism and wants to show people the regenerative anarchism.

She's emotionally mature, sex-positive and open to talk about it. She wants to be a protective "big sis" for Suz and introduce her to adult life.

Long ago, when starting the work on #GliderInk I decided that I want to make it open source, and initially used CC-BY-SA-NC #license. I was afraid that if the project takes off, someone can use it for their company marketing.

It was only later when a friend explained to me how much -NC could hurt all the makers and writers who would like to translate anything I have, improve the cover or introduce any changes. I decided to change to CC-BY-SA.

Great text on that:

https://community.oscedays.org/t/why-are-non-commercial-licenses-not-open-source/569

@liliana thank you so much for sharing that with me! I haven't heard about kishōtenketsu before.

I was researching a good structure for my solarpunk-ish #GliderInk for some time and I liked the idea of a "social siege" as defined in http://www.lindaaronson.com/21st-century-screenplay.html . I think the "American Beauty" model would work really well in a story with some hackerspace or anarchist communities.

Right now I'm in love with https://adapalmer.com/series/terra-ignota/ and how the power struggles work in those societies.

@kavbojka one of my #solarpunk and #GliderInk arguments is that we should write about that as a virtue, and when done well, something heroic.

I really wish more activists and anarchist would push for these values in the popular culture.

Coming back to #writing #GliderInk I'm considering three options:

- Short, episodic stories with one illustration each. While possibly the least appealing, they could flesh out the world and the characters most in the long run.

- 3-10 page comics about each of the characters. Most visual, but may feel "torn", without written context.

- Focus on writing reporting blogposts and editorial work partnering with an experienced writer.

What do you think could work best?

One of the nicest realistic pieces of #GliderInk #art inspired by #34C3 . Officially you're not supposed to take photos, but you can still sketch people :)

While I'd like to limit how much visually dark themes there are, this one is marvellous.

For more, check out the moodboards: https://pl.pinterest.com/alxd7156/glider-ink-comic-inspirations/

CC-BY-SA Alicja Wilkowska

One of the characters I created for #GliderInk after a lot of interviews is #SuzanneTheInventor.

She was born without a hand and wants people to perceive her as whole. She doesn't want to wear a useless prosthesis just to fit in! Instead she modifies all the technology around her to be able to use it naturally.

That's a story which shows humanity behind the tech, real needs and struggles. It helps people understand hacker culture much better than a "tech whizz".

art CC-BY-SA Kimiooon

As someone who loved story-heavy #webcomics the whole childhood, making #GliderInk one was an obvious choice for me. How to better introduce hackers-as-people to the general public, if not visually?

Now I know how wrong I was, trying to force so many new ideas onto a medium which relies heavily on established cultural tropes.

Only the boldest visual artists try something totally new, most just remix. And those few brave ones have their own visions already.

Think https://www.yuumeiart.com/fisheye-placebo/