Study+Components+2+db

It is difficult to get meaningful and actionable input on highly technical projects like a Wi-Fi network. Bringing a bunch of people into a room and asking, “What should the network do?” won’t work because most people don’t have a clear understanding of what networks are capable of doing. Sensationalist news coverage of “cyberthreats” and the concomitant “cybersecurity” discourse can distract from productive conversations. That’s why building interactive activities and games that direct attention to what people like, versus what they want, can be more productive. Critical making also demands that the act of building help clarify analytic frameworks or articulate critiques that are difficult to convey in speech or writing. I hope to orchestrate design workshops that not only give me direction in building the network but also help residents better understand the structural and interpersonal problems faced by the block.
 * Interactive Workshops**

Hour or so interviews with key members of the Sanctuary, Missing Link Church, Troy Bike Rescue, and Collard City Growers. This will help with background information on the various projects and organizations while also getting some insight on intentions and conceptualizations of problems by individuals. I will also conduct exit interviews with undergraduate engineers associated that work on the condom vending machine project.
 * Semi-structured Interviews**

Undergraduate students working on the condom vending machine project are asked to keep a blog where they catalogue their progress.
 * Work Blogs**

Building the vending machine while also teaching students about critical theory. The student engineers also get periodic lessons in STS. Students have read about scientific controversies, public engagement with science and experts, and feminist critiques of technological fixes and “the view from nowhere.” The hope is that engineers are sensitized to varying forms of expertise, recognizing it when they see it, and understanding the consequences of mechanizing or automating labor.
 * Critical Technical Practice**