“Relationships are the only way to store data safely in the long term”- Tyson Yunkaporta, Snake Talk

If the sun isn’t shining, you’re not reading this. These words are coded into fragments of silicon in an unimpressive plastic box, bolted to the roof of Copenhagen IT University across the street from Bybi. 

Luis, the Bolivian technician who set it up says that it still works 90% of the time, even in winter. It feels good to put a human relationship on this kind of technology. We owe Luis a few glasses of honey to thank him for his help. 

The atmosphere in the IT University might surprise you. You are as likely to find soft robots, scissors, sequins and zines as humming computers, glass and polished steel. Students and staff seem well aware of the ruptures and damage that technology is creating in the wider world. Finding ways to improve accountability, engage with communities and create more spaces outside the control of big tech is a shared concern.

We have connected and collaborated with staff and students at the IT University on student projects, academic research and in discussions about technology, design and community. This solar-powered website isn’t just about reducing the footprint of our energy demands. It is also about embedding personal relationships in physical infrastructure. It matters to us that the physical materials can be touched and observed, and that the social relationships need to be looked after with gratitude and respect.

If you’re not reading this … try coming back on a sunnier day. We know it’s inconvenient, but we think that sometimes we benefit from a little more friction.