The internet, once associated with openness and decentralization, is increasingly understood in terms of control exerted by government agencies (like the NSA) and advertising (targeted ads). What is less commonly discussed is how this subliminal control is embedded in interface design. Web interfaces demand our silent obedience with every page load. This talk offers new approaches to challenging the politics of the interface. After the talk three projects were discussed: - ShiftSpace - The Turing Normalizing Machine - Adnauseam Originally presented at Eyebeam, NYC on March 11th, 2014 http://eyebeam.org/events/the-politics-of-interface-and-obfuscation

1. CONFLICTS of INTERFACE
Mushon Zer-Aviv

2. 1. Communication Cycle
2. Protocol
3. Interface for Resistance

3. 1. Communication Cycle
2. Protocol
3. Interface for Resistance
2 project examples + 1 post-mortem

4. Life Online

5. Online Life

6. Interface

7. “a common boundary or
interconnection
between systems, equipment,
concepts, or human beings”

8. “a common boundary or
interconnection
between systems, equipment,
concepts, or human beings”

9. “a common boundary or
interconnection
between systems, equipment,
concepts, or human beings”

10. 1. Communication Cycle

11. A B

12. Stuart Hall

13. A B

15. TextualDeterm
inism

16. ENCODING
A
B

17. MEANINGFUL DISCOURSE
B

18. DECODING
B
C

19. ENCODING/DECODING

20. DOMINANT/HEGEMONIC

21. NEGOTIATED

22. OPPOSITIONAL

23. ?

24. ENCODING
(via interface)
A
B

25. A
B
C
DECODING
B

26. ENCODING + DECODING
(dominant interface)

28. THE INTERFACE DEMANDS OBEDIENCE

29. THE INTERFACE TEACHES OBEDIENCE

30. Lisa Nakamura

31. !
MENU DRIVEN IDENTITIES

32. 2. Protocol

34. Consistant
Protocol

36. Consistant
Protocol

38. Consistant
Protocol

39. Internet Protocol Layer
Application Layer

40. Flexible Protocol

41. Interface
Internet Protocol Layer
Application Layer

42. The Interface Question = A Governance Question

43. Marshall McLuhan

49. !
The Medium is the Message

50. !
The Medium is the Message
InterfaceDeterm
inism

51. !
The Interface is the Message

52. !
The Interface is the Message
TechnoDeterm
inism

53. Donald Rumsfeld

54. There are Known Knowns

55. There are Known Knowns
There are Known Unknowns

56. There are Known Knowns
There are Known Unknowns
There are Unknown Unknowns

57. Slavoj Žižek

58. There are Unknown Knowns

59. Steve Krug

61. 3. Interface for Resistance

62. User Generated Content

63. User Generated Context
Content

64. Context
User Generated Interface
Content

65. 1. Tactical Resistance

66. Interface Layer
Internet Protocol Layer
Application Layer

68. HIT & RUN

69. HACKING / CULTURE JAMMING

70. 2. Strategic Resistance

71. Interface Layer
Internet Protocol Layer
Application Layer

74. HIT & STAY

75. SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

76. 3. Logistic Resistance

77. Interface Layer
Internet Protocol Layer
Application Layer

78. CHANGE THE PROTOCOL

80. Evgeny Morozov

81. Technological defeatism

82. But that’s just online…
It isn’t “REAL”

85. THE INTERFACE TEACHES OBEDIENCE

86. 24/7

87. …and not only online.

88. AFK

89. dominant
interfaces of control
are not new

90. …but so does the
resistance

91. 1. Tactical Resistance

93. 2. Strategic Resistance

95. 3. Logistic Resistance

98. ?

100. Thank you
Mushon Zer-Aviv
@mushon / mushon.com

101. (wait)