HAR 2009: fully reported

I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code

HAR 2009 is a place of contradictions. International visitors are here together to all follow the spirit of creative playfulness and anti-authoritarianism. They are often referred to as Hackers. Hackers have a tendency of creating amazing products, having a lot of fun and showing impressive skills.

As representative of HANQ, Chantal is at HAR 2009 to get the latest technology for our school of creative entrepreneurship.  She was asked by Brenno de Winter to host the FM HAR2009 radio show Hackers at Lunch. Personally, Chantal is an outsider to both technology and security matters.

Map of HAR camp

Most visitors are here because of personal interest. It amazes me that a lot of people are actually not even working in ICT, the lifestyle of hacking is purely a passion. They don’t even want to work in ICT, afraid that the magic is going to end. Some other visitors have made a living out of the subjects at HAR 2009. They own a company or their job is someway ICT related or they belong to some kind secret service (police, CIA, national security).

A local newspaper actually reported about HAR 2009, saying: Cops track hackers at HAR.  Most people and official organizations consider hackers to be persons who break into computers, usually by gaining access to administrative controls. Apparently, HAR 2009 is only allowed, because the Dutch Forensic Institute is monitoring all traffic. A lot of official officers are here: some in uniform, some undercover. They are suspicious in one hand. Lock picking, homemade guns and of course the ICT activities might have something to do with this. On the other hand, they are very curious too. What is going on? Is it interesting to implement for their organization?

The Hackers are very protective of their personal data: hardly anyone tells their birth name, photo’s are not allowed, changing e-mail addresses every month, only web based mail to start with, making sure to keep out of logs and so on.  They are willing to share their knowledge and show it of in order to improve it. They are very helpful too, to me (I’m a digital virgin over here) and to each other (solve problems together, protect each other, challenge each other).

Leaves me to say that, in general, Hackers are excellent creative entrepreneurs.

1. They all have a dream and are focused on it.
2. They invented creative reporting: try to stay out of the system & still obtaining your targets.
3. They can depend on an amazing community: forced by the hunt of secret service might be part of it.
4. Changing borders is their meaning of life. They are officially founded on anti-authoritarianism.
5. There is a challenge in trading for some of the hackers. Their opponents keep seeing them as terrorists.
6. Hackers seem to inspire each other and create a buzz in their own community, their relation with the media is often not very good.
7. Sustainability rules: with their thinking process it is easy to think of an innovative solution for problems, keeping track of people, planet and profit.
8. They cannot live without globalization. Traveling the world is part of the lifestyle.
9. They of course know how to use the web in every single way. But their main focus isn’t on the opportunities on the web, instead they are very focused on the most secure way to use the web.
10. Entrepreneurial managing is an excellent talent most hackers do have. They know each others skills and who to ask something in order to realize a project.
11. Last item: making a profit. Money related profit is strictly for the hackers with a own company or a job in ICT. They all are creating a new currency. Hackers are very much into sharing, without expecting anything back, besides a good time.

HAR09 | DAY 1. web “a high number dot Oh”

HAR2009: Creative reporting, community building & web “a high number dot Oh” especially thinking out of the box;

Due to our success and exposure at our #travel4free experience, we’ve been asked to host the radio show Hackers At Lunch at HAR2009. We’ve been very busy preparing for it since we’ve got back. Chantal foundingmother of HANQ will represent the bizz @ har2009.

New business models are evolving if you are using the full potential of technology. Combined with ideological debates and hands-on tinkering HAR 2009 is the home base of HANQ from last night 00h00 on. Day 1 is happening and we are welcoming everybody to listen to the radio show we are hosting at 106.8 fm or listen on the stream fm.har2009.org.

We’ll include updates and the podcast later. Check out HANQ AT HAR2009 and the podcast fm.har2009.nl.

Day 11: Exploring business opportunities

Mission:
Exploring and starting business opportunities in Copenhagen: Mission accomplished

The day:
Emma and Edgar are looking for opportunities to start a business based on the 4 hour workweek by Timothy Ferris. Strolling through town, they were exploring the potential of a website which sells some Dutch products. It was a successful trip, since they plan on going back within a few weeks, to make their business plan more concrete.

Danes are very much into bikes. Free bicycles were available again.

Nicholas had a meeting with John from Green Graffiti. He wanted to explore the options for a pilot of a Danish Green Graffiti. Combined with the green man, he wants to create cleaner towns all over the world.

Chantal was having two meetings. One at Tivoli, world’s first amusement park on wind energy, to explore the potential of working with HANQ on a sustainable study program for international students. The second one was with Na from Maersk, seeing what HANQ could mean for her. Both meetings will have concrete follow-ups in January. You could listed to an interview with Tivoli at HAL, during HAR2009.

The day ended with a get together of some travelers.

Tips & Tricks
Use your senses. There are so many opportunities. Especially if you visit a foreign country, you’ve never been in before, it is amazing to see what you can do within 11 days. Ask, listen and respond. It helps if you’ve got a story to share as well.

Conclusion
Travel4free is getting more easy. A cup of tea here, free entrance at museums and amusement parks, etc. It is actually getting to the point where you have to turn down things.

For example, Chantal met Susanne Melchiorsen today about her achievements as a business woman. She is the leading lady in Denmark for biological and ecological beauty products. She has her own education center, two spa’s and a few beauty lines. Not enough time left, Chantal had to turn down a free beauty facial. Ouch!!!

Day 10: Lazy Sunday?

Mission:
Evaluation & learn from each other. Mission accomplished & more

The day:
The day started out to be a bit messy. Being late, having several invitations. Edgar & Morten went to the Outgames Brunch with all the officials. After that, we had our evaluation on top of Illum, a luxury department store where the brunch was as well.

Because we arrived as they were finishing up, we could get our hand on some drinks (bubbles & coffee). Afterwards we went to the next cafe for some internet, and straight on to the Outgames reception.

Free bar at the reception and the Danes couldn’t believe that we weren’t interested in drinking as much as possible. The drinking culture here is way different then anywhere else in this world. If you can find a reason, you’ll drink. If you can’t find a reason, that is a reason to drink.

Sunday night everybody was going his/her own way. To the biggest lounge festival in Denmark, Stella Polaris, having a drink with friends or just relaxing.

Tips & Tricks
If you want to travel4free, there are many (networking) events with an open bar.

Conclusion
We’ve learned a lot about the process and what needs to be done to create our own school. Besides that we’ve had a good time and relaxed a bit.

Day 9: Outgames Gay Pride

Mission:
Test the concept of HANQ with the travelers: Mission failed.

The day:
Saturday 1st of August 2009: Gay Pride Copenhagen as part of the Outgames 2009.

FREEDOM TO LOVE

we are, the shiny stars tonight.
we are, the mirror in your eyes.
we are, the voice of hidden songs.
we are,one world,one love,daughters and sons.

love of freedom,
freedom to love
love of freedom,
free….
freedom to love.

manchild, i hold you in my arms.
manchild, miracle of life.
manchild, cried a thousand seas,
for the soul of beauty,
and human right to be.

Copenhagen World Outgames 2009 is a successful tribute to the global (LGBT) community and a fantastic celebration of diversity and love.

The Outgames seemed to be THE place to test our concept of HANQ, a school of creative entrepreneurship. We wanted to challenge our travelers to shift their boundaries, expending their community and get in touch with sustainability. Unfortunately, Friends & HANQ travelers were a lot more interested in their beer and a good laugh.

Luckily, there were a lot of youngsters ready to be challenged in a flash mob. In the spirit of “don’t be blue” they tried (and succeeded) to make the audience laugh. They made a song about gay – bi – straight love, performed it and had a lot of laughs with their face smashing pie.

We have some footage about the experience, but it needs time to edit. In the meanwhile, you might want to check the pictures.

Tips & Tricks
If something doesn’t turn out the way you want

• Don’t give up. If something doesn’t seem to work, try it another way, but keep focusing.
• Communicate with your team members
• Keep a smile on your face and in your heart

Conclusion
A busy day with a lot of work, we’ve got difficulties keeping up with updates. It’s a wonderful thing to have good times with amazing people.

Day 8: One week! Split-up & get together

Mission:
Explore the outdoor environment of North Sealand: Mission partly accomplished

Our day:
Earlier than we expected HANQ traveler Edgar Neo arrived in Copenhagen. Sponsored by the Dutch television show What the VOC by BNN, Edgar had a pretty good deal.

Emma left Birkerod to welcome Edgar to Denmark. Old friend Morten offered to host Edgar for his entire stay.

At the same time, only Chantal was traveling around with old friend Nicholas Blok. Nicholas showed her many spots in North Sealand. There are beautiful castles and churches, the ocean view on Sweden, sweet villages and amazing ice creams.

Gaining our key back at Silas’ place, we all met together at a great place nearby to have candle light dinner.

Tips & Tricks
Remember who is in your community. They are willing (maybe even love) to help you. It only adds to your personal community building.

Conclusion
Don’t pick biological apples in wild nature for free. There are worms in it. Even for a free apple pie, you wouldn’t want them to lose their home. The day might have been a little different then we expected. But it was perfectly fine. Splitting up in the morning and all getting back together for dinner.

Day 7: Rent a homo

Mission:
Culture sniffing & getting out of Copenhagen, mission accomplished

The Day:
Strange how soon you adapt to a new rhythm. Staying at Silas felt like home. Working a bit, being relaxed, having good chats. It’s time to do some culture sniffing. After a breakfast of homemade bread and eggs we left Silas’ house all together and went to town to go see HANQ traveler Nicholas Blok. Read all about Nicholas’ experience on his blog. He bicycled through Europe and just came back.

We’ve heard that it was able to collect a “Homo” for free at the library. Guess what? Sold out!!!

Instead we could watch some gay art for free.

After this, Nicholas and Silas took us to the Round Tower. It usually is 25 Danish Crowns to get in, but we got in for free. A bit of talking and you can get a lot without paying.

A beautiful view all over town impressed us. The art museum we went to see afterward was pretty nice too.

With Nicholas we went for the night. His parents prepared us a lovely dinner of lamb, a salad and gratin potatoes. With a homemade daim chocolate pie and strawberries afterward.

Tips & Tricks:
What impresses us so much about this trip is how nice people are. If you have a lack of confidence in people, travel4free is the ultimate gift. I’ve met such nice people on the road. Nicholas compared it to being a pilgrim in the old days. It’s polite and common courtesy to invite Pilgrims in for a warm meal and a safe night. I experience it as so much more. People are putting a lot of effort, love and energy in it, to make you feel as comfortable as possible. It is an amazing feeling. We’ve been on the road for almost a week and we’ve had a hot shower, a wonderful breakfast, a hot meal and a warm & safe bed every day. Internet was available almost every day.

If you want to get into a museum for free, just mention you’re a journalist. So far, we (and whoever we brought along) didn’t have to pay. We never expected it to be so easy.

Conclusion:
We gained a lot of love, met nice people and culture sniffing is free. Clean laundry, breakfast, free lemonade, wine, music, a couch (we get used to getting that easily), a crazy good meal of lamb, gratin potatoes, salad & daim chocolate strawberry pie are the materialistic rewards of today.

HANQ’S mob squad

Quick update from GAY Pride Copenhagen. Mop flash facilitated by HANQ. Check this picture and many more @hanqnederland flickr database.

Day 6: HANQ to the test

Mission:
Organize a workshop to earn our stay: Mission Accomplished.

Our day:
It’s strange how much work it takes to keep everybody posted. Writing a daily blog, taking pictures, editing footage takes quite a lot of time. Therefor the entire morning we were working on that, before we started with our workshop Creative Entrepreneurship.

Before we’d forget, we took a picture of our host Silas. Silas has been a CouchSurfing host for a few years now and in that time he hosted dozens of people. After a year or so, he thaught it would be great to make a memory board. Behind us, you see part of it. Silas hosted people form all over the world. In Europe, almost all countries /states are covered. The Vatican is one of the few exceptions.

After a home made pizza for lunch, we started with the workshop. Due to recession a lot of temporary contracts were not proceeded in Denmark. Especially in ICT there were some job losses. Astrid and Silas decided they didn’t want to do nothing or be unemployed and they are starting a new project: an outstanding dating website.

Read more about the workshop in Tips & Tricks

After the workshop, we were invited to join them for a BBQ. I think this Travel4Free experience is going to spoil me. HomeMade and biological food has the best taste. And so far we received it almost everywhere. The meat was minced, added herbs to them and shaped into hamburgers, homemade rolls, a lot of vegatables, great baked patatoes & homemade sauces. With a dessert of strawberries and icecream. Lars & Karen, some friends of Silas were at the BBQ as well.

Karen is a math teacher at high school, in my opinion a good one. She cannot help that her classes are pretty big (32 students). But she tries to challenge all students and trigger them to think about math. Challenge based learning, some competition and using creative reporting tools (such as a song) are a few of her methods.

Tips & Tricks
If you don’t like a situation, you can nag about it, adjust to it, or do something about it. Weather you won’t have any money to pay for a vacation or you got unemployed, with a little creative entrepreneurship, you might deal with your problems and create opportunities.

• Know what you want.
• Think how you want to achieve that.
• Let people (especially your community) know what you want.
• If something fails, keep focussing on what you want, just try to find different ways of getting there.
• Do it! Act!
• Communicate about your progress.
• Keep an eye on your own needs, the needs of other people and the environment.
• Empathize with people who have a different mindset.
• Know how to use the web to communicate with your customers.
• How do you select people you want to collaborate with.
• How do you make a profit (both fnancial and social).

The weather was gorgeous, so it was possible to have the workshop outside. We are still editing the footage of the workshop. If it is done, I’ll integrate it in this blog.

Conclusion
It was such a good day. We got the opportunity to test our program, getting valuable feedback, talking with a teacher and eat awesome food.

Day 5: Sleeping in a fairytale

Mission:
Go to our steady place, find workshop opportunities: Mission accomplished

The day of Emma & Chantal
After a night out, we loved to sleep in. Morten had to leave at 9, but he was kind enough to offer us to stay a bit longer. Sleeping in meant we could skip breakfast.

After lunch we left his lovely “fairytale home” on our way to Silas. Silas is a CouchSurfing host who offered us “a last minute couch” to stay for a few nights. Pronounciation in Danish is pretty difficult. Understanding what people are saying is hard to do. We almost went to the wrong place, because I thaught Silas was saying a different street name. Thanks to Silas, we came and got us at the bus stop, we did arrive.

In the afternoon we were busy arranging some workshops and updating our internet profiles. While doing that, I got in touch with Na, a Chinese girl I met at a networking party in The Netherlands. At the moment, she is working in IT in Denmark. Replying to my Facebook “Hello!” she invited us for dinner. And what kind of a dinner. At first we were planning on eating Thai food. Unfortunately that restaurant was closed. Chinese, became the restaurant of our choice.

Na ordered for us. Some seriously spicy food, she promised. Emma is having Indonesian roots, but I’m a true European girl. Not really used to serious spices. With some mango juice to at the side, I was hoping to be able to eat the food. And the food was marvellous. Catonese duck, a wonderful spicy fish soup with peppers and bean sprouts.

After today we’ve got three good leads for HANQ workshops. A workshop for “unemployed” inhabitants who have a drive to become entrepreneurs, at the outgames and at the company Na is working for.

After enough sleep, we did mainly labour. It does seem to be easier to get enough food, rest and sleep for free.

Tips & Tricks
By Noor & Kristof are finally on the road again, after their camper broke down. Sharing tips to travel4free in Lyon France and how to meet inspiring people

The public space in Lyon is clean, clear and invites you to wander.
We’ve noticed very less commercial advertisement in the environment,
you see, what they want you to see. History and attention.

The bus match the bicycles-to-take in color and form.
Almost free to take, and travel in public. Everywhere you see people taking bikes,
take them at one point, leave them at another point
so it is not a ‘tourist-thing’, but actually really clever.
And it gives much more space in the open space!

Space people use to wander around, find intimate places in the park,
on a terraces, on a big square. People use their public environment!
But when they eat there is less space ….. even when needed for a private conversation,
you sit almost on each others lap.

Less space is needed when people trust each other.
The space which remains open is used to actually meet each other.

(compared to, when people don’t trust each other, they need loads of space only for themselves and claim this space for their own need. Unfortunately you don’t meet anyone else there, but yourself. And if you have a lack of trust, it can be pretty uncomfortable to meet yourself ; )

Conclusion:
Sleeping in, lunch, tea, lovely talks to our hosts, great dinner & some sightseeing. Catching up on work was important today.