<nettime> report_on_NNA

[Alessandra Renzi <renzi73@gmx.de>]

Greetings from a lurker,

I guess if I don't chime in now, I never will. I just wanted to thank
Tobias for his report on the meeting. Finally someone has said a
few things that needed to come out. Now I am curious to see what
the reactions will be. Hopefully, this will start a constructive
discussion on how to open up Nettime a tad more. Maybe not, and it is
time for a Nettime jr. list! (apologies to Ken)

When Roberta criticised the power dynamics at the meeting and was
elegantly dismissed by S. Kovats, a few people came up to us after and
commented on the "consistency" between online and offline interaction.
At the same time, it is a shame that many "star Nettimers" are not
aware of the positive effect that the list is having on those who do
not use it to post essays that will be published in some MIT volume
or other (which is also immensely useful). There will always be
lurkers on lists, but i am sure there could be less in a more inviting
environment where younger or less experienced people can post their
comments. Something good could come from that too (would it make
things too chaotic then? probably). Nettime and their f2f meetings do
work as an inspiration for people like me to go out and "do stuff",
as well as write about it. And now that the "bomb" has been dropped,
the Montreal meeting could also have been successful in making more
people speak up. When Geert Loving asked whether Nettime had its days
counted i was really sad. Why not just try an look back at the last
ten years critically and see what can be tweaked with? (that is, if
you feel there is something wrong with it, otherwise it could stay as
it is). There is nothing wrong with Nettime, you have created a great
space. But especially because it is so great it may be time to ask how
to make it better. Things have changed very fast from the 90s and you
all say it. So, how do you resuscitate/reinvent critical practice?
Is tactical media really dead? if so, what now? Can we recuperate
anything from it and take it to a next level? Don't know, but i have
the feeling that discussing the successes and failures of single
projects while also looking at the past would be helpful in developing
new, more successful and sustainable ones. This is where the new and
old generation of Nettimers should meet and join forces, while the
"old" go on working at their well deserved and established careers and
we struggle and pray to Saint Precarious....

Sorry, I had to say this
Alessandra





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