c-base

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Wikipedians from Berlin meet at the c-base

c-base e. V. is a non-profit association located in Berlin, Germany which has about 300 members. The purpose of this association is to increase knowledge and know-how regarding computer software, hardware and data networks. The association is engaged in numerous activities relating to these areas. For example the society has had stands at large festivals such as Children's Day where they introduce youngsters to topics like robotics and Computer-aided design.

The premises of the association are also used by other initiatives in and around Berlin as an event location or as function rooms, for example the wireless community network freifunk.net, the Chaos Computer Club or the Wikipedia group in Berlin. Any group which identifies themselves with the purpose of the c-base are also welcome to use the premises for meetings and events. Wireless LAN is available for all guests.

1 History
2 Activities
3 Mythological self-image of the c-base
- 3.1 History of the space station
- 3.2 Structure of the space station
4 Trivia
5 Literature
6 External links

[edit] History

Seventeen people founded c-base e. V. in the autumn of 1995. In the years 2002 and 2003 the project „BerlinBackBone“ was launched to make available and promote free public access to the internet via wireless community networks. Also in 2003 the c-base association began staging weekly meetings of musicians, called „Cosmic Open Stage“, thus providing a platform for well known or unknown musicians to hold jam sessions or to give concerts. Since 2004 the premises of the c-base association are also used in co-operation by transmediale.

[edit] Activities

Main hall of the c-base

Apart from the main purpose of the c-base association the members are also engaged in many other activities, for example Go and Jugger, the rules of which suppossedly were gained through analysis of files on „c-beam“, the main computer in the c-base station. Once a year „@c-terra“ an event organised by the c-base association, gives an overview of all activities offered.

The premises of the c-base association host a lot of different events (parties, presentations, theatrical performances, concerts and art exhibitions), such as the „Cosmic Open Stage“.

The c-base society is also present at events of the Chaos Computer Club like the Chaos Communication Congress or the Chaos Communication Camp.

From September 14 to 16, 2006 the fourth Wizards of OS conference was held in co-operation with c-base.

[edit] Mythological self-image of the c-base

The location for c-base is accompanied by a myth. This myth says that there are remnants of a space station called „c-base“ to be found below the city centre of Berlin. The antenna of this space station is the Fernsehturm Berlin a large spire with a mirrored ball near the top that is a nearby distinctive landmark.

[edit] History of the space station

According to the stories of the members of the c-base, the space station crashed due to unstable conditions in its orbit after exiting a time warp. At that time there were supposedly a number of highly technological advances and heretoform undiscovered life forms aboard the space station. In today’s Berlin much evidence regarding the space station is said to be found, for example the antenna mentioned above which was apparently unmasked by East German and Soviet Russian scientists. Other evidence such as the multifunctional space station module, ejected during the crash, is now under intense research and makes up the current premises of the c-base association.

There is up until now only a printed edition of the collective knowledge about this space station, known as the space almanack (Ger.: „Allmanach“). There is currently a project called „c-pedia“ underway, attempting to make this knowledge about the space station available on the internet as an encyclopedia. Additionally, a reconstruction of artifacts from the former space station is under way.

[edit] Structure of the space station

The c-base is a system of seven concentric rings which may be moved against one another. Each of the rings is regarded as being a single module with a special field of functions. The rings are called (from the centre to the outside) „core“, „com“, „culture“, „creactiv“, „cience“, „carbon“ and „clamp“.

The inner ring is „core“ providing nonterminating supply of energy produced by a Möbius strip-generator. The central computer of the c-base „c-beam“ is also located there. The second ring „com“ harbours the space ports, hangars and communication devices including the interstellar communication module recently identified as Blinkenlights by the Chaos Computer Club. The following three rings „culture“, „creactiv“, „cience“ host devices serving culture, creativity and science. The latter ring is also the location of the Arboretum. Accommodation for crew members of the station are found on the „carbon“-ring. The outer ring „clamp“ is the ring stabilizing the station.