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  • Nomadic Markup Language (Nochalking)


  • Founder: michael2019

    Nomadic Markup Language, Nochalking,

  • Who We Need
    We need artists, graphic designers, some sort of network to get this information out, community leaders and towns people to help get the word out and possibly even with the help of local officials set up a sign post for each city/village so that it can be easily displayed.
  • How to join
    If you have any ideas contact me. If you are an artist-sketch something out and send it to me.
  • Mission

    Warchalking is the drawing of symbols in public places to advertise an open Wi-Fi wireless network. Hobo signs were a series of symbols also drawn in public places to warn other hobos about the town they were entering-wheather the town would put up with hobos-feed them-Etc. In our world of 2019-there are many displaced people, many nomadic families and we should develop a similar pictographic language for them. To let them know if the town is safe or if it has ReDS. Some examples of the hobo signs can be found here:http://www.worldpath.net/~minstrel/hobosign.htm This is the look I'm going for-something simple, easy to remember.

  • What we can accomplish
    • Create a system of symbols for the homeless and nomads to find safe homes for food and shelter, and for those who wish to share their resources to provide in a safe and trusted way.
  • How this superstruct works
  • Other information
      • ANNOUNCEMENT-The nochalking website is live-go to http://nochalking .toadstar.net explore, create, have fun.
      • I am making a nochalking website-details to followM.Livre was kind enough to share his forum with us-please feel free to sign up and join in the conversation at: http://metastructure.tommaillioux.fr Also if you have a twitter account and you have something you want to share with us you can tweet the link or thought with either the hashmark #nochalking or just nochalking and it will be posted to the site.If you have something larger that you want to post to the site send me a pm and I post it for you.Thanks-Michael 2019

         

        My group of techno-nomads would be willing to spread the word about the new language by whatever means makes sense. We need someone to come up with a strategy for spreading knowledge of this language around once it is finalized.

         Also - the proposed meetup of nomads in the Utah desert on November 12 would be a great time to introduce this language.

         - Steve Puma 10/27/2019

      • I have been wondering how to interface this initiative with efforts towards resolving the Ravenous Superthreat.  One of the major challenges that occurs to me here is that a "designed and disseminated" language (a sort of graffiti esperanto, if you like) can so easily be manipulated -- as opposed to the emergent, secret and coded communication of a subculture, which is what this idea is modelled on. That is, a widely known sign meaning "Food here" for instance could easily be misused to lure hungry and desperate nomads into a trap; or "ReDS infected area" a great way to scare people away from an illegal enterprise, like a slave camp or brothel.  The electronic (augmented reality) and version makes sense because items could be made visible/accessible only to authorised members of a network, but it loses the lo-fi appeal of being human readable at all times. Not sure if there's a solution to this tradeoff. But we could encourage and enable families/communities to develop their own languages/codes -- analogy to the way we used to get advice about what makes a reliable password -- (e.g., the  Smith family plans to return at a certain time), and train them how to share information safely and selectively within their trusted circles.  Suggest linking to Wildstyle Heraldry superstructure to work on this  //futuryst 28oct19
  • Discuss this superstructure

    • So what would the signs be?

      The way I see it, there are major signs for

      • Shelter
      •  Food
      • Needs/disabilities
      • The type of person, or how the hostess or nomad would prefer to be treated

      I also wonder about where these signs would be placed.

      On nomads, i would suggest making pins or patches, and on houses maybe in the window, like those "Child in this room" stickers for firefighters, but something more discreet.

      is this any use - Virtual geocaching: the signs could be hidden in plain sight (using the ubicomp network, but encrypted) by using a network of cheap / free basic mobile phones the information could be accessed and vital / quite specific information could be passed on. The encryption also prevents anyone from accidently blundering across our data - promising or far too complicated?

      *from the sound of it, and again, i may be confused about this, but do you mean one of those square barcode images people can capture with the cameras on their phones? like [http://tinyurl.com/2dcp9m]

      Introducing encryption also inculdes the problem of some hacking asshats to leave fake signals, or change the meaning of signals or something else in a possible can of worms.  This isn't to say it's impossible, but there needs to be human verification, or some assurance that these signals are truth.  It's good as a way for nomads to look for a possible place to stay, but there also needs to be a way to contact the hostess, either going up to the door or some method of communication that's part of this system.  whatever it is, it should also provide safety and a sense of trust on both sides.

       

      As a collaboration with the New Pony Express, I think we should also have signs for postal node/mail drop. 

       

      Have you guys read Bolo'bolo?  It\'s an old book (circa '80s,) but it has a pretty good list of important symbols.  I'll try to get some of them in here.

       _______________________________________________

      Originally I had pictured a pictograpic language-for example an R in a circle meaning that there is no ReDS here or an R with an X through it meaning that people here have ReDS and then you would know to avoid the village. I was picturing that written on a wall or fence post with a sharpie or something along those lines, much like the original hobo signs were used.

      But I have to say I love the idea of geocaching. That way people could leave their information there and people like the New Pony Express could pull up the information and say - oh this person is in this town or whatever.

      As far as encryption-perhaps we could organize keyparties all across the world, like in Cory Doctorow's Little Brother.

      I have also set up a tumblr blog for this project. Send me a message if you want to post something and I give you the email and password so you can upload any thoughts or ideas there. Feel free to upload anything-pictures, sketches, thoughts, ideas.

      Thanks.

       

      What about some sort of time and location sensitive tag?   You\'d arive at a location and check the tags.  If yo found the information to be correct you\'d re-tag it.  Each tag would decay in validity over time.  The most recent tags would carry the most weight.  Not sure how you\'d cope with bots though, maybe some sort of trusted user system?

       I mentioned earlier the prospect of Virtual Geo-caching, somebody, quite rightly mentioned hacking. Wondered if this solution might work - Biometric Dongles given out by trusted sources to individuals. When arriving at the virtual Geo-caching point the dongle could be plugged into the Phone / PDA etc and would verify the data. The next person to access the data sees the previous biometric confirmation and so on. Any break in the data could indicate intrusion by outside forces, or might indicate a fault that needs immediate repair - What do you think? if this seems to be obviously flawed, I apologize, I'm not a techie, just a concerned citizen.

       *

      Time-tagging sounds great!  I'm less enthused about electronic rather than physical media.   To my mind the easier this is to read or access, the better.  Literacy, let alone computer literacy, will be a factor for some elements.  -DanielSchwartz

      To Daniel Schwartz - You felt that that a dependency on electronic methods might have it's drawbacks, I brought up the idea of Virtual Geo-caching and having thought about the matter I must say I agree with you, my plan does presume some technical knowledge and equipment. So if the messages have to be secured what about a slightly older concept: write the messages with an Ultra-Violet Marker Pen (we used to use them to mark property with addresses etc, helped to identify items if they got stolen) and to read the messages Ultra-Violet Chemlights / Lightsticks (cheap and low tech) As to the type of Nochalking - what about using stickmen and smileys (remember them) they are very simple pictogram's and could convey simple, strong messages (the figures might indicate food or accommodation and the number of happy faces could indicate a trusted source, verified by several different nomads. Curious to see what people think. - Freelance Generalist

       

      Technology is all well and good, but given the widespread activities of hackers, we need analogue back-ups. Technology breaks, runs out of power, or simply gets lost when wandering. I suggest spray on chalk board. Here's an old website that advertises: http://www.dickblick.com/zz014/12//. Nomads can spray baords where-ever they go, leaving large areas for multiple tags. Sure, they'll get hacked, erased, etc. But the system is public, cheap, and adds an element of designed redunancy (and therefore stability) to more tech-oriented methods. - Archomaroon

       We could mark thouroughfares leading to town, much like freeway exit-ramp signs.  We would need to focus on the primary boons of an area and mark those, then mark the location of the bebefit on-site.   -Omar Gutierrez

      *************

      // Different symbols for different nomads 

      There are many different types of nomads / some might be more analogue-based, some more techno-savvy. If whole populations need to relocate, you will get both high and low educated individuals who will not share the same spaces. In some instances the virtual signals might be even more enduring than the physical: graffitti, advertising and other visual clutter may hide physical marks. Sometimes it is the virtual which stays forever. (when something enters the Online space, it stays there).

      Therefore a logo, symbol or email-sig might be good enough for virtual-world tagging, and there may be extensions onto roaming services.  A combination of augmented-reality tagging might also be an option if Next-Generation mobiles with GPS and googlemaps are as basic and common as a watch: even the poorest nomads have easy access to one.

      In fact, maybe the first stop in a new city might be the Cybercafe to check out what the city has to offer? 

      I can imagine different communities and areas spawning: couch-surfers, work-for-shelter websites, passing-jobs... I can imagine intercultural communications might become quite important (get in touch with people from your same background who are already in a better situation), and even centralised (voluntary) help to assess the skills and situation of the newcomers and assign them areas and places to search...

      Going to the lower end of exiled, how about Urban Exploration groups? Between them and the Squatting movements, something interesting could happen. The Urban Explorers are not driven by any agenda other than to discover and recover lost spaces... and the Squatters have a whole culture dedicated to making themselves at home wherever they are... maybe a match in heaven? 

       

      I like the idea of geo-spatially tagging an area such as with GPS or Lat/Long. (using a compass for the lotek), and combining that with an as of date.  In the military it is common to have rotating RECE points.  This is accomplished by using an agreed upon schedule/time table and predetermined grid coordinates that coorespond to the time table. 

      The security that is built into this system is that the schedule can rotate itself based on a pattern or algorithm.  this algorithm/pattern of timing can be shared between members in good standing of an organization.  The other bit of security that is added into this system is the grid.  Not using actual latitude and longitude numbers makes it imperitive that any outsider know what grid numbers correspond to actual lat and long numbers.  This grid is predetermined within a group and again can rotate. 

      With good procedures and proper communication you can have a list of safe houses or whatever that need not have any physical markings.  This technique will lessen the chance of discovery by unwanted outsiders.  It has the option of supporting both hitek GPS or lotek navigation equipment to identify the place of interest. 

      Of course upon entering into the safezone, a sign/countersign ensures that all is well.  --abodadu 

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