the electrohippies collective Project

Videos Archive

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Compared to other 'hacktivist' groups, what distinguished electrohippies was our openness, and mission to create a debate about activism and democracy on-line. That meant, early on at least, we were often asked for interviews. Below is a list of video/documentaries featuring electrohippies.

electrohippies-related videos

Computers in Cross, Paul Mobbs, The Container Project, 2003

Around 2000/2001, some of those involved with the electrohippies needed to develop an ICT training platform that could teach Internet use without an actual Internet connection. In some of the places where these workshops were taking place, it was often necessary to build the equipment from scratch in order to do that. Those ideas were used to assist The Container Project with their community media lab idea in Jamaica. This is the "music video" of the month-long 'container' training and build project. The video is hosted on the Ramblinactivist YouTube channel.

Infowar: The Hacktivists, Hilton-Cordell/Dominant 7 Productions, 2001

During 2001 we worked with an Australian production company to produce a documentary about on-line activism surrounding the FTAA Conference in Quebec. The documentary shows the build-up to the event, and some of the hacktivist groups behind the development of the on-line response to the Quebec police's crack-down on real-world protest. You can also download the TV company's documentary study guide from the Free Range Library.

Anti-TWAT' (anti-The War Against Terrorism), Paul Mobbs, electrohippie collective, November 2001

Anti-TWAT was produced as part of the electrohippies day of action against the Afghan War, which launched a global on-line action from a tipi on top of a mountain in Wales (well, someone had to do it!). The video is hosted on the Ramblinactivist YouTube channel.

TERBEV' (The Electrohippies Really Badly Edited Video) extract, Paul Mobbs, electrohippie collective, 2000

How to make a video without real editing equipment? This short clip, from an hour-long film, was created without proper equipment – hence, "Really Badly Edited". In the days before cheap/free computer software-based editing suites were easily available, the greatest obstacle to making a video was not filing it, but rather editing the footage collected. TERBEV was produced as part of a research project to create a 'low-tech' educational video using just an old (VHS tape!) video camera, recorded broadcast video, and two ordinary VHS VCRs to dub the sections together – to demonstrate that it doesn't require a fancy mixing desk to create a video.

Protest and the Net, BBC Newsnight, November 1999

In the run-up to N30, Channel 4 might not have been keen on screening us, but the BBC were really interested in our work. We took over some tables the end of the cybercafé at the top of George Street in Oxford and this was the result.

broadcast media involving the electrohippies

N30, Channel 4 News, November 1999

This was Channel 4's second hacktivism item in November 1999 – again, we didn't feature in it because they wanted to visually portray your typical 'anarchist', not a computer geek! The item looks at the immediate run-up to the London N30 protests, and we personally like it because the City of London police chief gets all giggly over our name.

Internet Anarchists, Channel 4 News, November 1999

We got a call from Channel 4 as a result of some of the technical workshops we'd been running on Internet and campaigns (somehow our names dropped out of the electro-ether). We gave them some ideas. In the end the electrohippies were not featured in the final version as they wanted 'the activists', not people who were 'training the activists' (strange distinction!).

general hacktivist media

The Hacktivists – Digital Zapatismo, Hilton-Cordell/Dominant 7 Productions, 2001

An extract from 'The Hacktivists' looking at the work of the Electronic Disturbance Theater.

Electronic Disturbance Theatre – disinformation, 2011

Another perspective on the work of the Electronic Disturbance Theater.

Hacktivism, WebWildster, July 2008

"Virtual Sit-ins? Hacking for a cause? Are these virtual hippies really getting a point across?" We often use this clip as an illustration of all that's wrong with the way that the media covers 'hacktivism' – in that it wholly focusses on 'denial of service' (DoS/DDoS), not subervting the purpose of technology generally for social or political objectives.

etoy.CORPORATION - twisting capitalism technology since 1994, liftconference, 2012

A view of the work of another hacktivist group, etoy, and their artistic take on subverting the digital media.

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