What would the Internet look like without hackers? What would
computing look like without free and open source software? What would
the culture look like with DRM and closed media channels everywhere?
Where do art and technology merge? Would Gilbert Simondon be happy if
he were alive today? Many questions will be debated during the first
Hacker Space Fest from the 16th to the 22nd June 2008 near Paris, in
the industrial outskirts of Vitry-sur-Seine.

The first Hacker Space Fest (HSF) will be held at the /tmp/lab near
Paris, France in June 2008. The goal of this festival is to bring
together people from many cultural and technological backgrounds and
from different Hacker Spaces and Autonomous zones in France and Europe
(and from beyond, if they can attend) to share and show what’s going
on.

The broad term “hacking” is understood in this context as “creative
use of technology” and not “illegal computer break in” (we don’t buy
the political & media terror-inducing FUD).

This festival is autonomous, non-profit and collaborative. We
encourage you to contribute in any way to this adventure by joining
our team for this event, submitting a conference, proposing a workshop
or organizing a live concert, a performance, an art exhibition or a
sister event at your home location.

The language for the festival speakers is English or French (depending
on submissions, we’ll have either one combined track or one conference
track per language). You can reach us for any question on
irc://irc.freenode.net/frlab (French version below)

1/ Submissions

Each submission is expected in one of the following formats:
conference, workshop/demo, or performance (live/sound/video/…)

1.A/ Conference

Presentation format:
* 45 minute talk + 10 minutes of questions
* Video-projected slides
* Internet connectivity possible

Topics we’re interested in:
* Hacker spaces & hack labs around the world
* Arts & Technology
* Media-related performances
* Cyberpunk counter-culture and underground philosophy
* Sound / Music / Video & technology
* Street art & urban invasions
* Viral artforms
* Cultural mutant activities
* Hackers and innovations
* Education & technology
* Development through technologies & novel social organizations
(in developed and developing countries)
* International relationships in covert / underground communities
* Privacy tools
* Mesh WiFi and Mesh-everything
* Reverse Engineering (hardware and software)
* P2P networks & applications
* Freedom-respecting VoIP (confidentiality / covertness)
* Security testing
* Circuit bending
* Making technology easier to modify / understand / mutate / create
* DIY Alternative energies
* Fun technologies
* Covert / Stealth communications networks & tools
* Current issues and trends in Copyrights, Software patents combats
and mass network surveillance
* CCTV and ways to protect your privacy
* Interactive / sensor technologies or cultural practices
* Free/Open hardware
* Autonomous zones
* Rural technology applications
* Lightweight Operating Systems
* Food, nature and health in a modern / contemporary world

1.B/ Workshop/Demonstration

Format:
* 30mn to 2 hours workshop/demonstration (demos tend to be shorter)

Topics:
* All topics specified in the conference submission (see above)
* DIY electronics
* Operating Systems installations & usages (Linux & other FOSS
distributions, innovative OSes, …)
* Network discovery tools
* Wifi / Bluetooth / Zigbee / CPL equipments & DIY techniques
* Content management solutions for communities

1.C/ Performance

Performances with Music / Artwork / Sound / Video

Format:
* Public-inclusive performance, performative demonstration or exhibition
* Indoors or outdoors
* Any kind of medium
* Musical performances with be held in a “placard” format: music for
headphone festival, with 1 hour slots (cf. http://leplacard.org/)

2/ Evaluation

All the proposals will be evaluated by the Program Committee using
the following criteria:

1. Innovative topic
2. Open technology
3. Demonstration / Live oriented
4. DIY reproducibility
5. Fun potential

The Program Committee:

* Sebastien Bourdeauducq (/tmp/lab, OpenPattern)
* DecereBrain (2600 Lille)
* Vanessa Brunet (VSS, Le groupe sans nom)
* Xavier Carcelle (OpenPattern, /tmp/lab, OLPC France)
* Ivan Chabanaud (Paradigme.org, selfworld.net, chabalab.fr)
* Florian Fainelli (OpenWRT, OpenPattern, /tmp/lab, OLPC France)
* Emmanuel Ferrand (Institut Mathematique de Jussieu, Universite
Pierre et Marie Curie, Art sonore et post-musique, Labo Technologies
Libres, La Generale Nord-Est)
* Emmanuel Gadaix (ZCAV, Telecom Security Task Force)
* Jim Geovedi (Bellua, Electrojunkies)
* The Grugq (Pirates sans pantalon)
* Jaromil (dyne.org)
* Philippe Langlois (/tmp/lab, TSTF, Le groupe sans nom, OLPC France,
Bricolabs, PSP)
* Aymeric Mansoux (goto10.org)
* Lyle Mars (/tmp/lab)
* Xavier Martin (IT Crowd)
* Raphael Massi (Interstice)
* Marion MASSON (Grep|grrls)
* Erik Minkkinen (Leplacard.org, Ba