[-empyre-] Layers of ISEA2011: Corporate/Financial

[Tracey M Benson]

Great summary Nicholas! I think future ISEA organising committees should
make sure that there is reliable and open access to the Internet, as it has
been quite frustrating, especially when trying to catch up with people.

For me the biggest challenge has been finding the venues - every map I have
of Istanbul is different and 'not quite right'. And with no access to
Internet on my phone, Google Maps is a no go.

Simon - it is definitely worth coming to Turkey - Istanbul is an amazing
city and there are lots of things happening at other locations - we have
spent most of our time at the Karakoy campus.

Hope to see some Empyreans around the traps.

Regards
Tracey

On Sat, Sep 17, 2011 at 1:04 AM, Nicholas Knouf <nak44 at cornell.edu> wrote:

> Hello -empyre-,
>
> I'd like to add another layer to the list: the corporate/financial one.
>
> I want to write about the experience of entering into the main location
> for the conference, Sabanci Towers.  This requires being checked off of
> a list and then traveling through a metal detector with your belongings
> x-rayed.  You find yourself in front of two gleaming towers of uncountable
> numbers of floors that reflect
> the blue sky.  You realize that this is
> not the university, but rather the headquarters for Sabanci Holding
> (https://secure.wikimedia.org/**wikipedia/en/wiki/Sabanci_**Group<https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Sabanci_Group>),
> which
> appears to be the largest industrial and financial conglomerate in
> Turkey, while also the organization behind the founding of Sabanci
> University.  Once you make your way through men and women in perfectly
> tailored business suits and executives being escorted into Mercedes to be
> driven to power lunches, you find yourself in front of another metal
> detector and x-ray machine which may or may not be used (I didn't have
> to go through it when I entered).  Inside is bland corporate decor not
> unlike anything else in the globalized world.  Hacker or DIY space this
> certainly is not, and the internet seems to block anything that doesn't
> travel on ports 80 or 443 (meaning any local e-mail clients on computers
> or smartphones won't work; Blackberries won't work; and seemingly only web
> traffic will go through).  For your
> 400EURO fee you are still required to pay for pastries.
>
> I find the totality of this environment rather problematic for an
> ostensibly academic
> and artistic conference and could write much more about it, but will
> refrain for the moment.  But I did want to describe this for those of
> you who are not in Istanbul.
>
> Best,
>
> nick knouf
>
> ______________________________**_________________
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>



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