SCHOOL OF URBAN RESEARCH FOR EARTH RESCUE
What? Who? Where? Why? How?
SURFER was formed in 1995 in the light of a growing need for computing resources for various unfunded voluntary groups. Initially it existed to recycle old or broken computers, often found in skips, and pass the refurbished equipment on to the groups that needed it. This is a service it continues today.
However, one of the early plans for SURFER was to set up a cybercafe (unfortunately the word cybercafe is copyright) providing free/cheap access for the unwaged and other underprivileged groups. Unfortunately there was a major problem. We needed a building in which to house the equipment, and we needed this to be donated or shared.The project has never found is own building instead it moves about providing a service when we have the space/time.
It is obvious that we have entered an age in which the majority of future employment opportunities will be available to those working in or with computer networks; it is equally obvious that those who stand to make major inroads into this new world are those who can afford to invest in computer equipment now. Once again, poor people get a rotten deal. SURFER exists to redress the balance of this situation.
SURFER is a occasional internet cafe that appears from time to time in small cafes/community projects.The aim is to provide cheap/free net access to people who normaly do not have the money to spend five pounds an hour to surf the net, and training in the workings of the internet and computers in general.The Kebele cafe is seen as a 'proof of concept' demonstration - to show that it is possible, with minimal funding, and given provision of a space - to provide an internet cafe while incurring few costs other than personal time. Hopefully this demonstration will encourage others to go down the same path.
In the meantime, we will be finding more computers.(Can you help?) Hopefully we should have a fully operational network soon.
SURFER has appeared in many places,CEPO Edmonton (London),Rainbow centre Kentish town (London),Kebele Easton (Bristol) and Brighton. and has insired other projects in its wake.
We call the concept of using 'obsolete' computers MUCK. This stands for 'Maximum Utilisation of Cheap Kit'. It might be a little less user-friendly than the all-singing all-dancing multimedia Worldwide Web browser, we may not be able to provide sound for real audio for example, but the power of the Internet lies in raw information, not in animated graphics. We hope our users will agree with that, and we think that the experience of working slightly closer to the root of the system will give them slightly more net 'savvy' than the average user.