38C3 and Maultasch’
Chaos? Of course! But at Selfnet, chaos wasn’t left to chance — it was part of the plan. During the dark days between Christmas and New Year’s, the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) rallies the community annually for the Chaos Communication Congress (also CCC). This year’s edition, under the name 38C3 - Illegal Instructions, took place from December 27 to 30 in Hamburg.
The Congress is by far the CCC’s biggest annual event, attracting people and organizations from around the world who are interested in technology and its societal impact. Since Selfnet is passionate about far more than just networking, we teamed up this year with other clubs and groups from the Swabian region to organize an assembly called Chaos Maultasch’.
The Congress’s program is always as varied as its participants. Topics range from IT security, hardware hacking, and net politics to network engineering. We decided to contribute by offering a hands-on look at the future of the internet: fiber optics. Armed with our splicing equipment, we hosted workshops for curious attendees.
Participants got a quick introduction to the topic before trying their hand at working with fiber themselves. If you’re curious, check out this video by Heise, where Marco demonstrates the process of joining two loose fiber endings. The continuity tester we used is a homemade creation by one of our members, complete with open hardware and open-source firmware available on GitHub at carrotIndustries/hubble. Altogether, we held 8 workshops, each lasting an hour and hosting about 10 participants.
Beyond the workshops, we made the most of the four days (and nights) to connect with other organizations and individuals, discussing volunteer work, current challenges, and the possibilities modern technology offers. We had a blast, met new people, joined various projects, workshops, and meet-ups, and are already looking forward to next year’s events.
At Selfnet, we’re regulars at similar events. This year, besides the Chaos Communication Congress in Hamburg, we also participated in the Student Network meeting (SNT) in Chemnitz and, as a “Local Internet Registry”, at RIPE 89 in Prague.
Whether you’re into networking, IT security, project management, or public outreach — or if you just enjoy exciting projects in a laid-back atmosphere — feel free to drop by. We meet every Monday and Thursday from 6:00 PM at Allmandring 18D, 70569 Stuttgart.
We’re looking forward to seeing you!
