the Commune Café

Trying to repair the broken internet...

2006-05-07T22:23:00.000-04:00

A great article from the Toronto Sun on 3 Canadian hacktivists at the University of Toronto working on a software solution for people to circumvent government-censorship internet filters in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, China, Burma, and various others.
The system won't be a perfect answer, but when completed will allow someone in a non-censored country to provide an easy way to allow their computer to act as a proxy for a friend or relative in a censored country. The system is ingenious and is a truly an expression of freedom in an increasingly oppressed digital world.
A link to the article is here.

site update - tech tips section

2006-05-04T15:30:00.000-04:00

An update to the tech tips section - the first of a series of how-to articles aimed at novice users without their own computer, or working on a computer which they can't download, install, or make changes to. (link)

This first article discusses how to store links and bookmarks online so they're accessible from any machine connected to the internet.

Stay tuned for more soon!

Candian Music Creators Coalition - an intelligent voice on music sharing

2006-04-28T11:59:00.000-04:00

Candian Music Creators Coalition - an intelligent voice on music sharing

It seems that finally someone up there is listening! A lot of major Canadian recording labels recently pulled out of the Canadian Recording Industry Association (the Canadian answer to the RIAA) and began a coalition of their own for the protection of both the artists, and the music lovers.

Groups such as the Barenaked Ladies, Broken Social Scene, Sarah McLachlan, Chantal Kreviazuk and Billy Talent are saying that they want to protect the culture above all else.

Their mandate:
1. Suing Our Fans is Destructive and Hypocritical
2. Digital Locks are Risky and Counterproductive
3. Cultural Policy Should Support Actual Canadian Artists

Check out their website at here and a great video interview with Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies here.

Buy these artists' CDs. When taking advantage of legally downloading music from the net in Canada, be liberal in your use of CD-R's, as currently 21 cents of each CD-R is paid for distribution to Canadian artists through SOCAN.

Culture shouldn't be bottled and sold by corporations. It should be enjoyed by the people that help to create it.

site update - photography section

2006-04-20T11:49:00.000-04:00

New photos up from our newest contributor, Dan. (link)

Special thanks to her and the excellent work. If you would like other examples, or would like to enquire about hiring her for her fine shutterbug eye, please contact us.

Welcome

2006-04-19T20:07:00.000-04:00

In our ever shrinking world, now is the time to expand our horizons, extend our spirits, and build the future we long to see. For all our advancements as a species, our technology, our medicines, our culture of constant distraction and spiritual detracting, it is time that anyone and everyone who wants better, who feels something better and more beautiful within themselves adds their voice to the growing network.

If we want positivity, beauty, art and community to flow and grow in this new millennium, we must work at least as hard as the corporations, ignorant, apathetic and hateful do to stunt our universal growth. We must make this revolution a reality of honesty and art, a community of like hearted people struggling against the status quo to build the world their idealistic hearts have always told them is possible. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and our drop in the bucket of this revolution is the inception of this site.

Welcome.

www.thoughtcommune.thruhere.net