OpenLife

Extremely beautiful music for melancholics suffering in the grey Danish winter: Bill Evans: The Paris Concert Vol.1.

Through a reference in Tor Nørretranders’ new book Det Generøse Menneske I learnt about Linked: The New Science of Networks by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi. The book gives a brilliant introduction to the rules of networks of all types: Cells, World Wide Web, Personal etc. The most eye-opening book that I have read in 2002.

Harry is a much-liked figure in Denmark these days. Harry is a kind of teddy bear puppy that is the main character in a continuous row of commercials for the Danish Railway System. Just before Christmas this year, one of the new Harry episodes was shot in our Poets’ Inn in Admiral Gjeddes Gaard. In the episode Harry is supposed to visit a typical German bierstube.

I was recently appointed by Helge Sander - the Danish Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation - as member of the newly established Danish Council for IT-security.

Read the press release of the Ministry here (in Danish).

World Sousveillance Day: http://wearcam.org/wsd.htm. (”sousveillance” is inverse surveillance: accountability from below)

An international coalition that includes artists, scientists, engineers, scholars, and others is declaring December 24, to be “World Sousveillance Day”.

THE SHOT SEEN AROUND THE WORLD:
At noon on Tuesday, December 24, 2002, ordinary people all over the world will call into question the growing and dehumanizing effects of increased video surveillance, automated face recognition, and Covernment (Corporate+Government) tracking in public places, as well as private places.

Often Covernment officials that use video surveillance try to prohibit others from taking pictures or video within their establishments or regimes, but on this day, many people will photograph these officials, their establishments, and their security systems.

As high noon sweeps past various time zones, the shot heard around the world will be that of clicking cameras.

Rather than protesting by carrying signs, or by marching, citizens will protest by going on shooting sprees. Armed with their own photographic or videographic cameras and recording devices, ordinary citizens will dish out some accountability.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?
All you need to do is bring a camera — any camera (even a fake or broken camera, or one with an empty film magazine) — to a place where video surveillance is used.

HOW WILL I KNOW WHO I SHOULD SHOOT?
Taking pictures of the surveillance cameras will cause models to appear very quickly for you to photograph. When you point your camera at their cameras, the officials watching their television monitors will very quickly dispatch the models for you to shoot. This is a universal phenomenon that happens in nearly any large organization where video surveillance is used. Models often carry two–way radios and wear navy blue uniforms with special badges.

Why December 24th?
This is a day when security forces are very busy watching for shoplifters, and it is also a time when folks are reflecting on the year’s activity and it’s something to do rather than merely buy something. For more info, see http://wearcam.org/wsd.htm.