Everywhere we go today CCTV cameras are watching us. They have become so common that we ignore their presence. Who is watching us? Why? What do the cameras see? How is this information interpreted? The MediaShed along with some local young people decided to investigate some of these questions with some direct action. By taking over the CCTV networks the technology can be freed from its usual applications of security. Instead of a process of control, there can be a process of liberation.

The MediaShed decided to make use of the CCTV networks readily available within the environment as way of making films. By hacking and hijacking the cameras the MediaShed can create its very own television studio within buildings, shopping centres or the streets of any town. Thereby eliminating the need for expensive cameras – all that is required is a way into the system and a recording device.
The term video ‘Video Sniffing’ comes from the practice of picking up signals broadcast by wireless CCTV networks using a cheap video receiver (aka War Spying). The MediaShed adopted this term as Video Sniffin’ and extended it to include hard-wired systems and other ways of playing with CCTV technologies.

First Video - sniffin film
finland
Duellists
You can find out howto: Videosniffin' @

The MediaShed is a Community Interest Company

The central principle of free-media is the principle of FREEDOM, both individual expression and for new approaches to culture and a sustainable society. It can be applied to all creative arts. Free-media is located as much within ourselves as it is in a form of media. Free-media aims to be as environmentally sustainable as speech. The ideal free-media can be thought of as talking between people.

http://www.mediashed.org/files/mshed/MongrelDocHlf.wmv
http://www.mediashed.org/files/mshed/MongrelDocHlf.mov

Charter to which your free-media project should comply:(this is a cut down of the mediashed charter)

• One of free-media's core aims is the freedom to form and confront opinions while actively engaging in everyday life. Free-media should never be used to create destructive conflict between different cultures and communities.
• Free-media seeks to promote media self reliance and ownership, for individuals and communities of common interest;
• To research, use and promote wherever possible cheap, free, and recycled technologies, with a mind to create projects, resources, services, economic developments which have a minimum impact on the natural environment.
• To research, use and promote media systems that have a minimal financial cost available to those on low income, and in ways that are repeatable, accessible and improvable to those on low incomes.
• To research, create and promote communication through free-media technologies outside the monetary and licensing control of proprietary systems, to assist the free flow of information, self education and opinions, to encourage creative expression and to contribute to and explore the issues that are important to the everyday lives of individuals, communities and diverse cultures in a pluralist society;
• Free-media aims to create tools that empower minority and marginalized groups where ever they are geographically or socially located and to promote and protect cultural and linguistic diversity;
• To foster exchange and communication between free-media practitioners to develop their greater understanding of the principles and potentials of free-media and sustainable development;
• Free-media systems MUST be well documented as an aid to keeping the systems open and free and as an aid to their wider dissemination.

Check out the following website: make a login and make your tool.
GEARBOX

This will allow you to 'blog', put up imges and publish the results of your research and share ideas. The medished site is based on 'drupal.org' which is a simple 'content management system' – you can explore this on your own. But I will expect you to present your research using it on the 13th Nov.

DEADLINE Tuesday: 13th (Show the tool you have built)