CMH 2014 - Critical Making Hackathon: Situated Hacking, Surveillance and Big Data

Big data is a burgeoning area of interest in Human-Computer Interaction, enabled by the convergence of several technological advances: the increasing ubiquity of embedded sensing technology, the ability to transmit data from almost anywhere, and the cheapness and availability of digital storage. It presents appealing opportunities for data analysis and visualization, and opens up fundamentally different ways of knowing the world and our own practices. At the same time, it raises questions around consent and privileged access to information.
The Critical Making Hackathon is a practical and critical exploration of data gathering and visualization, and the questions it raises, in the form of a two-day oppositional hackathon, followed by an experimental deployment during CHI. Critical Making emphasizes how hands-on making can supplement and extend critical reflection, especially on sociotechnical issues. Acts of praxis are used to illuminate conceptual ambiguities that aren’t readily understood through language alone.
We invite submissions around themes of data gathering, data visualization and visibility, accountability, openness or privacy, counter-surveillance, cracking, and subversion. Submissions are accepted in two possible formats (though the latter is preferred):
Participants may submit a 2-8 page paper in Extended Abstracts format. Submissions should address the workshop themes, but should also include a brief description of your own background and areas of expertise, to aid us in creating balanced teams.
Alternatively, or in addition to a written submission, participants may submit an example of a critical making project that they have undertaken, in the form of a photo album, step by step instructions, schematics, video, or Instructables project. Materials and/or tool lists should be included if applicable.
Submissions should be sent to karen.tanenbaum-AT-gmail.com by January 17th. Participants will be notified by February 10th.
All workshop participants must register for both the workshop and for at least one day of the main conference.