Instructions for seminar 5

You have now learned more about sustainability, the challenges we are facing and the relationship between computers, IT and sustainability and we started exploring more proactive uses and what can be done for ICT to have a positive impact. At seminar 5 (Thursday Sept 27) we will get more hands-on and we will have a mini Green Hackathon* brainstorm.

1. Everyone will write down an idea that:
- Uses ICT for sustainability: efficiency, dematerialization, visualization, lifestyle changes... (See literature for Lecture 9)
- Reduces the impact of ICT: green IT, optimization, new ways of using IT, reduction...
The idea can describe a new application or service, improvements to existing things, remixes, initiatives...
The description should be comprehensive, around 250-400 words and include some background information about the problem to be solved and background research on similar ideas and attempts to solve it.
The idea has to be somewhat original, meaning that if the idea is something like using smart meters to visualize electricity which it has already been explored by other projects, it has to be more concrete: exploring an specific aspect or idea of implementation.

2. Upload your idea to Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEFzMFp3X0RhTVVhSXRDeHppaEFZenc6MQ

The deadline is Wednesday the 25th at midnight.

3. During the seminar we will discuss the different ideas and improve them in an iterative process. Each idea will be presented and we will use different "lenses" to explore problems and possibilities of each idea:

- Environmental lens: how does it affect the environment, direct/indirect, planned/unplanned effects?

- Simplicity lens: do we really need this? can it be done with less technology? must it be done at all?

- Social lens: how does this affect people? communities? Does it make their life more complicated? Can it have unexpected consequences?

- Feasibility lens: how can it be implemented? Does it have an economic model? Technical challenges?

Each seminar group (A-D) has been divided into three smaller groups (4-5 persons/group), see the previous blog post. Lenses will be assigned using those groups.

Remember that the goal is no just to criticize but to improve, refine the idea.

4. In the end we will have a selection process to choose the best ideas.

Do note again that not preparing adequately for the seminar entails the risk of not receiving top points (2 p) for the seminar (which might naturally have adverse effects on your grades).

* Green Hackathon is a series of events we started at KTH where developers meet to create applications and prototypes with a sustainability purpose. You can see more information and look at the hacks created at: http://greenhackathon.com

The latest Green Hackathon event is taking place this week at the Open Knowledge Festival in Helsinki. http://okfestival.org