When we last checked Sitara’s Tumblr, she’d been kicking around some new art concepts for the DedSec revolution. This month, she shares more about her background – where she came from, and where she’s going. In case you missed last month’s content, read it here.
In her first post, Sitara’s got some thoughts on the melding of marketing and manipulation:
I know what marketing is. Everybody’s got something to sell, that’s life. But some of these “tech giants”, these hulking, bloated conglomerates? All they’re selling is a lie, and everybody’s stepping all over each other to buy in. Don’t do it. Open your eyes and you’ll be surprised what you see.
Recently I tried my hand at a take on Blume’s bullsh*t.
Too on-the-nose? Maybe. If you’ve got something better, give it a try. You can download the Blume logo here and remix it to your little heart’s content.
Show me your rebellious side.
This next post features a throwback to one of Sitara’s earlier works from last month:
The finished piece from last month. What do you think?
Any of you working on a piece of DedSec art right now? I think these will add to your final masterpiece ;)
In her next post, Sitara talks about why she left Los Angeles for San Francisco:
Leaving L.A.
I used to live in LA. Didn’t know that, did ya? I’m an Angelina, born and bred. But then I moved north, to the San Fran Bay Area.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to love about LA. The real LA, not Hollywood. But I was looking for my people. Other geeks who cared more about the latest open source software to hit the hacker nodes than about the latest workout routine for a flat stomach. And yeah, I found that. I found friends, allies, brothers and sisters-in-arms. But I also found CEOs who found start-ups claiming that it’s all about the freedom to invent, but really, it’s just so they can sell them to bigger companies and get a dumptruck full of money.
I found brogrammers driving artists out of their lofts because they could pay more. That one’s completely ironic. You have these kids fresh out of college, getting jobs that pay them $60k minimum as a starting wage, who want to live in “authentic SF” where the artists live. But the artists don’t live there anymore. They can’t afford to. Because these kids are pushing them out.
I found tech giants greasing politicians’ palms for tax breaks and turning their heads the other way.
There’s a lot of good in the Bay Area, which is what makes it so infuriating watching all this shit happen. But then, that’s what DedSec’s for, right? Fighting back.
Sitara might use Nudle’s search engine, but she’s no fan of the tech company:
Let’s Talk About Gentrification, Baby
You can’t say the word “gentrification” without also saying “Nudle”.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that Nudle is fun to work for. That Nudle cares about the community (gag me). That the goddamn toilet seats at Nudle are heated (I s#*%^ you not—see what I did there?) That Nudle is the future!
Sure it is. It’s the future of those neighborhoods where families used to live. Where artists used to live. Where latinos and blacks used to live. Where the gay community used to live. Where rich little white boys live now. Nowhere near the actual Nudle offices, but that’s what the Nudle bus is for.
I have a friend who’s a Nudler. He gets paid well, but he sees it, too. He sees how Nudle and its fellow tech giants are crushing the local population. How San Francisco is becoming bland and generic. How Emeryville is becoming more expensive, forcing families to move further into Oakland. Crowding up the iron triangle even more than it was already. He’s also seen the streets of Silicon Valley fill with dude-bros who don’t give a damn about other people, so long as they have the latest smartphone.
He’s also seen what they do with their data. How they watch us, all of us. Even you. They track our internet footprints. They know before you do what’s going on in your life. Is convenience worth it?
In her next post, Sitara goes on an adventure with Josh and Wrench:
Short Bus
Got stuck behind the Nudle bus again. Ugh. Josh really, really wanted to go see the ENIAC exhibit at the Computer History Museum. He dragged me and Wrench with him. We decided to use Driver for the first time (it was surprisingly non-obnoxious, but I’m guessing it’s hit or miss depending on who you get).
Anyway. The museum’s down in Mountain View, so we had to take the 101 down. (Yes, I said “the” 101. I’m from LA. Sue me.)
We get stuck behind a Nudle bus that’s broken down just past the Dumbarton Bridge exit. So close, and yet so far. We’re sitting there on the freeway--which is like a parking lot and giving me flashbacks to the 405 in LA—for like an hour. There’s even one of those super-fast electric sports cars stuck right next to us. All I can think is screw this. Next time I’m taking CalTrain.
At least Wrench had fun flashing different emoticons at the other people stuck in traffic.
***
No!!! The Psychic Cleaners sign is gone! It was awesome. There was a cleaning business and a psychic in this one strip mall in Mountain View, and the shared sign was so perfect. I loved that sign! Always wanted to get a selfie with it. We stopped on our way back up from the museum to take a photo with the ScoutX app, and the sign was gone!
At least I can find pics of it when I search on Nudle. :-/
Sitara shares her thoughts about Congressman Thruss and !Nvite:
Mark Fucking Thruss
Mark Fucking Thruss has announced his intention to run for Congress. Again. How long has that dips*#^ been our congressman? Ugh! Have you seen this guy? Have you seen the way !Nvite is kissing his lily-white corrupt-congressman-a**? You know they’ll rig the election for him. Wonder what he’s promised them. Tax breaks? Ignoring labor laws? Privacy laws? Gotta be something big.
I will bet you they put their algorithms to work and figure out just how often to flash his face at you when you log in to !Nvite. They’ll figure out the optimum number of times you need to see his s*#^-eating grin before you’re ready to place your vote for him.
!Nvite is dangerous. They’re controlling the way people think. Manipulating people. Someone else has to see this, too? It’s not just me? Not just DedSec. Please tell me you guys see it!
For live updates and content from Sitara, you can follow her DedSec Hackerspace Tumblr blog directly (please note that it is in English only).
As always, feel free to create your own DedSec-inspired art and messages using our DEDSEC_DESIGNS kits and share them with us using hashtags #DedSecCreations or #JoinDedSec.
