CTP server is an experiment into research infrastructures, initiated by Winnie Soon and Pablo Velasco, and now also involving other members of DARC. Through building and maintaining a research infrastructure we explore affective infrastructures, 'minor' technologies (as opposed to 'big') and alternative technical practices within, and beyond, institutions. It is run and operated by DARC members (often in their spare time) using Free Software, who share feminist values and practices. We aim to build shared knowledge and resources, also across researh institutions, which operate in small scales and as grassroots community networks.
The aims are also to understand the negotiation between institutional procedures, policies in IT department/support, research and teaching needs; and to build partnerships with organisations that hold similar values (e.g. Constant, Lurk, Varia, Open Source Publishing, Syster Server, Experimental Publishing | Piet Zwart Institute, Hackers & Designers, CSNI, London South Bank University).
Unlike big tech operations with standardised procedures and protocols, we are not a 24/7 service. Sometimes the server is not working and might not be able to keep up with users' expectations. Maintaining the CTP server requires special care, in which socio-technical decisions do not always follow generalised standards of efficiency, scalability, productivity, accessibility, optimisation and immediacy (as in capital logics). We are learning about caring for a server and human-human-machine relations through everyday activites and maintenance (especially following 'do it with others'), and we radically question the conditions for serving and service.
Infrastructures include:
Related server resources:
