star*punk

Who does the future look like?

[starpunkzine-blog]

3 out of 4 U.S. Facebook users unaware their online behavior gets tracked

Even after a year of privacy scandals making headlines, most FB users are still blissfully unaware.

[Λ•]rtist: Elaine CK (Copyright)

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox, and to receive the password for the full version of this newsletter on our site.

Join Starpunk: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

Utopian Dreams Newsletter | Issue 0x02

Contents    0.  Where did the word ‘Taser’ come from? A century-old racist science fiction novel    1.  How to: Circumvent Online Censorship    2.  Three quarters of US Facebook users unaware their online behavior gets tracked    3.  Apple Is Part of the Privacy “Shadow Economy” of Surveillance Capitalism   4.  San Diego’s Smart Streetlights Yield a Firehose of Data    5.  Why tech giants don’t need to spy on you to know what you’re up to    6.  Hoaxed: Warning of incoming North Korea missile attack via hacked webcam

Read more: https://starpunkzine.tumblr.com/post/182306741265/starpunk-utopian-dreams-email-newsletter-issue Join Starpunk: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

[starpunkzine-blog]

How to: Circumvent Online Censorship

When someone who controls your net connection filters or blocks a site, you can almost always use a circumvention tool to get to the information you need.

There are different ways of beating Internet censorship. Some protect you from surveillance, but many do not.

[Λ•]rtist: Neil Branquinho (Copyright)

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox, and to receive the password for the full version of this newsletter on our site.

Join Starpunk: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

Utopian Dreams Newsletter | Issue 0x02

Contents    0.  Where did the word ‘Taser’ come from? A century-old racist science fiction novel    1.  How to: Circumvent Online Censorship    2.  Three quarters of US Facebook users unaware their online behavior gets tracked    3.  Apple Is Part of the Privacy “Shadow Economy” of Surveillance Capitalism   4.  San Diego’s Smart Streetlights Yield a Firehose of Data    5.  Why tech giants don’t need to spy on you to know what you’re up to    6.  Hoaxed: Warning of incoming North Korea missile attack via hacked webcam

Read more: https://starpunkzine.tumblr.com/post/182306741265/starpunk-utopian-dreams-email-newsletter-issue Join Starpunk: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

[starpunkzine-blog]

Smart Streetlights Yield a Firehose of Data

2,000 sensor-laden San Diego streetlights have begun gathering pictures, sounds, and other data about vehicles, traffic -- and people.

[Λ•]rtist: James Paick (Copyright)

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox, and to receive the password for the full version of this newsletter on our site.

Join Starpunk: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

Utopian Dreams Newsletter | Issue 0x02

Contents    0.  Where did the word ‘Taser’ come from? A century-old racist science fiction novel    1.  How to: Circumvent Online Censorship    2.  Three quarters of US Facebook users unaware their online behavior gets tracked    3.  Apple Is Part of the Privacy “Shadow Economy” of Surveillance Capitalism    4.  San Diego’s Smart Streetlights Yield a Firehose of Data    5.  Why tech giants don’t need to spy on you to know what you’re up to    6.  Hoaxed: Warning of incoming North Korea missile attack via hacked webcam

Read more: https://starpunkzine.tumblr.com/post/182306741265/starpunk-utopian-dreams-email-newsletter-issue Join Starpunk: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

[starpunkzine-blog]

Starpunk | Utopian Dreams Email Newsletter Issue 0x02

Full Version: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/2019.01.25

Starpunk is an informal project by artists and techies.

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox, and to receive the password for the full version of this newsletter on our site.

If you received this from a friend and have decided now is the time to subscribe, here’s the link: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

   Find out more about Starpunk.

(Note: we’re still starting up, so some pages may not be online yet.)

   Read an excerpt from this newsletter issue below…

–[ Contents

0 - Introduction 1 - Blog 2 - Utopian Dreams

|=——————–=[  I N T R O D U C T I O N  ]=——————–=|

              Welcome to the Utopian Dreams newsletter.

Starpunk is an informal project by artists and techies to help connect independent artists with fans who value their work.

Our core values are human rights – emphasising the rights of women, LGBT, Native, Latin, Asian, black and biracial/multiethnic populations around the world. We celebrate all humanity and highlight the value of underrepresented voices in science fiction. Although many tend to forget, this includes older, non-neurotypical and disabled people.

This isn’t about “inclusion” as a trendy buzzword. It’s about not excluding the world’s majority as our global culture enters the future.

The most fascinating new stories are ones that haven’t yet been told.

In support of human rights, Starpunk is explicitly anti-nuclear war, anti-police brutality and anti-police militarisation.

We’re anti-surveillance (hence, Starpunk offers subscriptions and never runs intrusive advertising) and strongly support users’ right to privacy.

This is the 2019.01.25 issue of the Starpunk Utopian Dreams newsletter. Hope you enjoy it. :)

—

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox and to receive the password for the full version on our site.

If you received this from a friend and have decided now is the time to subscribe, here’s the link: starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

P.S. Note that our new website isn’t 100% operational yet, so a few links may not be up and running.

[Λ•]

|=—————————-=[  B L O G  ]=—————————-=|

                   Non-fiction stories and articles.

 Contents

   0.  An It Harm None: Protect Your Art. Don’t Be a Copyright Troll.

………………………………………………………………..

   An It Harm None: Protect Your Art. Don’t Be a Copyright Troll.

Over much of 2018, Starpunk's parent project, A.ltSciFi, was targeted by a defamation campaign started by one artist on Twitter. Read more about it here (click here).

The experience of online harassment and copyright trolling has added a new emphasis to our project:

Starpunk is also dedicated to helping artists protect themselves against being taken advantage of online. That includes dealing with copyright issues intelligently without harming other artists or fans, and protecting themselves against being slandered by malevolent groups of trolls.

When you decide to join us and/or contribute your art, see the Contact page.  https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

[Λ•]

|=————————=[  UTOPIAN DREAMS  ]=————————=|

    The future begins now. See the stories that are shaping the      world. Get inspired to create science fiction of your own.

 Contents     0.  Where did the word 'Taser' come from? A century-old racist science fiction novel     1.  How to: Circumvent Online Censorship     2.  Three quarters of US Facebook users unaware their online behavior gets tracked     3.  Apple Is Part of the Privacy "Shadow Economy" of Surveillance Capitalism     4.  San Diego’s Smart Streetlights Yield a Firehose of Data     5.  Why tech giants don't need to spy on you to know what you're up to     6.  Hoaxed: Warning of incoming North Korea missile attack via hacked webcam

Starpunk is an informal project by artists and techies to help connect independent artists with fans who value their work.

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox, and to receive the password for the full version of this newsletter on our site.

If you received this from a friend and decide that now is the time to subscribe, here’s the link: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

[starpunkzine-blog]

[Λ•]rtist: Yintion J

View Gallery [6 images]

Join Starpunk (we’re building a social network that protects your privacy!)

Also, see our Commonsense Copyright Policy.

What is star*punk?

Starpunk Zine is an informal project intended to show a different side of the human future, starting from fashion and style. This zine is a baby sister of The AltSciFi project, which focuses more on the intersection of technology, user privacy, digital human rights and global culture in the context of independent science fiction.

Starpunk jumps in from the opposite direction, asking: who does the future look like? What will be considered beautiful? Where will technology interface with beauty, fashion and lifestyle?

Who among us live in one of the many probable futures, right now?

To put it simply, the future is brown, black, Asian, biracial, native; lesbian, gay, biracial, transgender; woman, nonbinary, and increasingly Muslim. Taken together, these groups already represent the majority of the world. So it's long past time to see more diverse images -- both in real-world media and in future-focused science fiction. And that's exactly what starpunkzine is all about.

Don't freak out if your work is posted here. This is an informal project, not some giant corporation. For more information, you can send an email to: starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com.

When starpunkzine is ready to launch, we'll get in touch with everyone and make things official. For now, get in touch if you have thoughts, ideas, or want to collaborate. Together we can make a better future feel a little closer to the present. :)

[starpunkzine-blog]

Starpunk | Utopian Dreams Email Newsletter Issue 0x01

Full Version: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/2019.01.16/

Starpunk is an informal project by artists and techies.

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox, and to receive the password for the full version of this newsletter on our site.

If you received this from a friend and have decided now is the time to subscribe, here’s the link: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

   Find out more about Starpunk.

 (Note: we’re still starting up, so some pages may not be online yet.)

   Read an excerpt from this newsletter issue below…

–[ Contents

0 - Introduction 1 - Blog 2 - Utopian Dreams

|=——————–=[  I N T R O D U C T I O N  ]=——————–=|

              Welcome to the Utopian Dreams newsletter.

Starpunk is an informal project by artists and techies to help connect independent artists with fans who value their work.

Our core values are human rights – emphasising the rights of women, LGBT, Native, Latin, Asian, black and biracial/multiethnic populations around the world. We celebrate all humanity and highlight the value of underrepresented voices in science fiction. Although many tend to forget, this includes older, non-neurotypical and disabled people.

This isn’t about “inclusion” as a trendy buzzword. It’s about not excluding the world’s majority as our global culture enters the future.

The most fascinating new stories are ones that haven’t yet been told.

In support of human rights, Starpunk is explicitly anti-nuclear war, anti-police brutality and anti-police militarisation.

We’re anti-surveillance (hence, Starpunk offers subscriptions and never runs intrusive advertising) and strongly support users’ right to privacy.

This is the 2019.01.16 issue of the Starpunk Utopian Dreams newsletter. Hope you enjoy it. :)

—

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox and to receive the password for the full version on our site.

If you received this from a friend and have decided now is the time to subscribe, here’s the link: starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

P.S. Note that our new website isn’t 100% operational yet, so a few links may not be up and running.

[Λ•]

|=—————————-=[  B L O G  ]=—————————-=|

                   Non-fiction stories and articles.

 Contents

   0.  An It Harm None: Protect Your Art. Don’t Be a Copyright Troll.

………………………………………………………………..

   An It Harm None: Protect Your Art. Don’t Be a Copyright Troll.

Over much of 2018, Starpunk's parent project, A.ltSciFi, was targeted by a defamation campaign started by one artist on Twitter. Read more about it here (click here).

The experience of online harassment and copyright trolling has added a new emphasis to our project:

Starpunk is also dedicated to helping artists protect themselves against being taken advantage of online. That includes dealing with copyright issues intelligently without harming other artists or fans, and protecting themselves against being slandered by malevolent groups of trolls.

When you decide to join us and/or contribute your art, see the Contact page.  https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

[Λ•]

|=————————=[  UTOPIAN DREAMS  ]=————————=|

    The future begins now. See the stories that are shaping the      world. Get inspired to create science fiction of your own.

 Contents     0.  Two viruses combine to create an epidemic: ebola, and fear.     1.  From knee socks at the gym to exoskeleton super-strength.     2.  Cover your @#%!$# webcam, already     3.  DIY Female microneedle contraceptive patch     4.  62-mile atom smasher planned at CERN     5.  When is social-media "connection" a euphemism for privacy invasion?     6.  No, feds can't force you to unlock your phone. But...

Starpunk is an informal project by artists and techies to help connect independent artists with fans who value their work.

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox, and to receive the password for the full version of this newsletter on our site.

If you received this from a friend and decide that now is the time to subscribe, here’s the link: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

[starpunkzine-blog]

Starpunk | Utopian Dreams Email Newsletter Issue 0x00

Full Version: starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/2018.12.14/

Starpunk is an informal project by artists and techies.

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox, and to receive the password for the full version of this newsletter on our site.

If you received this from a friend and have decided now is the time to subscribe, here’s the link: starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

   Find out more about Starpunk.

  (Note: we’re still starting up, so some pages may not be online yet.)

   Read an excerpt from this newsletter issue below…

–[ Contents

0 - Introduction 1 - Blog 2 - Utopian Dreams

|=——————–=[  I N T R O D U C T I O N  ]=——————–=|

              Welcome to the Utopian Dreams newsletter.

Starpunk is an informal project by artists and techies to help connect independent artists with fans who value their work.

Our core values are human rights – emphasising the rights of women, LGBT, Native, Latin, Asian, black and biracial/multiethnic populations around the world. We celebrate all humanity and highlight the value of underrepresented voices in science fiction. Although many tend to forget, this includes older, neurodiverse and disabled people.

This isn’t about “inclusion” as a trendy buzzword. It’s about not excluding the world’s majority as our global culture enters the future.

The most fascinating new stories are ones that haven’t yet been told.

In support of human rights, Starpunk is explicitly anti-nuclear war, anti-police brutality and anti-police militarisation.

We’re anti-surveillance (hence, Starpunk offers suscriptions and never runs intrusive advertising) and strongly support users’ right to privacy.

This is the 2018.12.14 issue of the Starpunk Utopian Dreams newsletter. Hope you enjoy it. :)

—

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox and to receive the password for the full version on our site.

If you received this from a friend and have decided now is the time to subscribe, here’s the link: starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

P.S. Note that our new website isn’t 100% operational yet, so a few links may not be up and running.

[Λ•]

|=—————————-=[  B L O G  ]=—————————-=|

                   Non-fiction stories and articles.

 Contents

   0.  An It Harm None: Protect Your Art. Don’t Be a Copyright Troll.

………………………………………………………………..

   An It Harm None: Protect Your Art. Don’t Be a Copyright Troll.

Over much of the year 2018, Starpunk's parent project, A.ltSciFi, was targeted by a defamation campaign started by one artist for the sake of getting “clout” among her friends on Twitter. We later caught her running a different scam against another artist (surprise, surprise). Read more about it here (click here).

The experience of online harassment and copyright trolling has added a new emphasis to our project:

Starpunk is also dedicated to helping artists protect themselves against being taken advantage of online. That includes dealing with copyright issues intelligently without harming other artists or fans, and protecting themselves against being slandered by malevolent groups of trolls.

When you decide to join us and/or contribute your art, see the Contact page. starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

[Λ•]

|=————————=[  UTOPIAN DREAMS  ]=————————=|

    The future begins now. See the stories that are shaping the      world. Get inspired to help change the future from dystopia      to utopia, or somewhere in between.

 Contents     0.  Porn sites collect more user data than Netflix or Hulu.          This is what they do with it.     1.  Amazon Is The Latest Tech Giant to Face Staff Backlash          Over Government Work     2.  How I Quit Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Amazon     3.  The Creepy Genetics Behind the Golden State Killer Case     4.  A Future Without Guns     5.  FBI plans ‘Rapid DNA’ network for quick database          checks on arrestees

Starpunk is an informal project by artists and techies to help connect independent artists with fans who value their work.

Utopian Dreams pages and email newsletters are free. Send an email to starpunk_zine at tutanota dot com for delivery to your inbox, and to receive the password for the full version of this newsletter on our site.

If you received this from a friend and decide that now is the time to subscribe, here’s the link: https://starpunk.gitlab.io/utopian-dreams/join.html

[starpunkzine-blog]

These Types of People Need to be Banned Before Free Speech Can Thrive Online for The Rest of Us

The best part about existing social media sites is that racists, misogynists and bigots of all kinds can't claim that they have nowhere to express their version of "free speech". As of 2018, social media is designed so that the loudest narcissists and worst bullies dominate.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

But there's nowhere for the rest of us -- we who don't want to waste time and energy being bullied and harassed just for being ourselves. Until now.

Our social network grew from an indie cyberpunk/scifi zine project, and is explicitly:

- anti-racism - anti-homophobia - anti-ableism - anti-misogyny (hatred of women) - anti-misandry (hatred of men) - anti-misinformation, disinformation and copyright-trolling

Anyone who promotes genocidal ideologies or the notion of "ethnostates" (i.e. expulsion of immigrants or mass murder to "ethnically cleanse" a country) will be banned.

Sending other people unsolicited "dick pics" (or "pussy pics", even) is banned.

Threatening people's lives or inciting suicide "as a joke" is banned.

We don't permanently ban users, though. Users can always come back after a "time-out" period. The time-out doubles between bans, and you have to pay the monthly fee to return to the site. This hurts bullies and makes it harder for them to come back, while allowing everyone else to learn from past mistakes.

Most other content is fine. The goal is be responsive, but not oppressive. Free speech isn't an "all-or-nothing" absolute, as most European countries (notably Germany after World War II) have made clear. You can ban Nazis without banning everything else.

The modern web is powered by intrusive surveillance re-branded as "advertising". So our project uses a subscriber-based approach. All of your private data is encrypted and never sold to anyone, ever, for any reason.

As with our zine, this is experimental, not a "business" (yet). You can always get a PayPal refund whenever you want. It's not about money. It's about being fed up with how badly mainstream social media is ignoring and mistreating the majority of its users -- women, LGBT, non-white, neurodiverse -- and a desire to create alternatives that everyone can use without being constantly harassed.

If you think this isn't a "real" problem, ask any woman or LGBT person on Twitter.

To find out more and request an account on our social network, get in touch on Twitter: @starpunkzine

---

P.S. We increasingly see how the "free speech" ideals of the internet have been wholly subverted by surveillance capitalism, state propaganda, misinformation, disinformation, copyright trolling and radicalisation by a variety of state actors, hate groups and garden-variety narcissistic bullies looking to gain influence by stoking false outrage.

Even sites like Reddit shut down hateful and violent behaviour only when it threatens their public image.

But the mainstream social media sites' cultures are already poisoned. They make too much money from shock-and-hatred sensationalism. It drives advertising to their sites, and compels people to "share" their private data which is then sold to anyone who pays for it -- including governments who are happy to have someone else do their dirty work.

So there needs to be an alternative. Help create something different.

[starpunkzine-blog]

The Easiest Way to Defeat Trolls and Keep Yourself Safe on Social Media.

You're smart. That means you're concerned -- probably a bit scared by now, really -- about how social media companies are tracking you everywhere, selling your data, and basically stalking you -- even when you're not logged in.

Stalkers. Bullies. ICE agents.

The problem is far worse for traditionally repressed populations: women, non-white people, LGBT and gender-noncoforming people.

What can we do about it? There are two essential things you can do right now.

1. Keep Yourself Safe.

Do not use social networks that are based on selling your personal data. If you have used them in the past, stop now and delete your account as soon ass you can. Or at least decrease the amount of time and data you give them.

Support alternative approaches that are anti-surveillance -- and beyond that, only use services that do not sell your personal data for the purposes of advertising. Remember: "advertising" online is just a nicer word for "surveillance".

Our social networking project explicitly does not want your personal data. We don't track you, so we don't even have the data in the first place. Your private messages are encrypted. As of 2018.09.10, we're working on end-to-end encryption -- that means that ideally, no one but you will be able to decrypt the data at all.

2. Defeat Trolls Bullies.

First, recognise that they're not "trolls" anymore. Trolls can be harmless and cute. Bullies are not. Bullies intimidate and hurt vulnerable people for fun, to build an imaginary -- or unfortunately very real -- sense of power.

Here's the easiest way to defeat bullies online. Hint: it's the same as step one.

The Starpunk social media project does not collect your personal data or ever sell "advertising" (read: intrusive surveillance). Instead, you pay a small fee every month, upfront. You know exactly what you pay, you can easily get a refund whenever you want, and you can help us build the service you want to use.

Bullies, however, are banned. The ban matters, because it hurts: every time a user is banned, they can't get a refund for that month. If they want to come back, they have to pay again. Every ban also doubles in length: if the first ban is for 24 hours, the next one is 48 hours long. Eventually, a bully will either disappear or just go back to Twitter and Facebook where they belong. :)

See? There's only one step.

Find out more about the Starpunk project on Twitter: @starpunkzine

[starpunkzine-blog]

You're probably reading this on your phone. Are future social media sites more like phone networks, than the websites of the past?

Imagine you've bought a new phone. The service is free. Pretty cool, right?

Take a look at the monthly contract. In the fine print, it says...

"Dear new customer:

Congratulations! This phone service is completely free!

In exchange for your completely free use of this phone service, you consent to having your phone calls recorded and saved. We, Service Provider, will slice and bundle all of your phone-call data, and sell it companies whose names and motives you'll never know.

Your personal data will be then be sold by them. We cannot control who they sell your data to -- which means that your phone calls are effectively public information for anyone who will pay us enough money to buy it.

But we're giving you this service completely free! Just sign here."

That is exactly what every "free" social media service is offering you. Selling your data is literally the way that can stay in business. Intruding more and more into your daily life is how they make more and more money.

Social media runs on advertising. Advertising is surveillance.

Would you consent to your private phone calls becoming public for anyone to hear?

If not, then it's time to reconsider how we think about social media. Social media sites are the new phone networks. Your personal life, private behaviour and intimate conversations should never, ever be up for sale.

The Starpunk project is designed to create an alternative, starting with a new zine and social network. Connect with us on Twitter to learn more and request an account on the social network: @starpunkzine

[starpunkzine-blog]

Artist: Charlie

What is star*punk?

Starpunk Zine is an informal project intended to show a different side of the human future, starting from fashion and style. This zine is a baby sister of The AltSciFi project, which focuses more on the intersection of technology, user privacy, digital human rights and global culture in the context of independent science fiction.

Starpunk jumps in from the opposite direction, asking: who does the future look like? What will be considered beautiful? Where will technology interface with beauty, fashion and lifestyle?

Who among us live in one of the many probable futures, right now?

To put it simply, the future is brown, black, Asian, biracial, native; lesbian, gay, biracial, transgender; woman, nonbinary, and increasingly Muslim. Taken together, these groups already represent the majority of the world. So it's long past time to see more diverse images -- both in real-world media and in future-focused science fiction. And that's exactly what starpunkzine is all about.

Don't freak out if your work is posted here. This is an informal project, not some giant corporation. For more information, you can send an email to: altscifi at tutanota dot com.

When starpunkzine is ready to launch, we'll get in touch with everyone and make things official. For now, get in touch if you have thoughts, ideas, or want to collaborate. Together we can make a better future feel a little closer to the present. :)

[starpunkzine-blog]

Starpunk: What if the future began with everyone, including you?

Starpunk began way back in 2015, when social networks were more innocent and forgiving places.

Or at least, they seemed to be.

This project began life as an indie sci-fi zine project. The purpose of that project was to teach about concepts like digital human rights and the value of user privacy -- "how to prevent the dystopia you see in cyberpunk sci-fi like Blade Runner and Snow Crash".

The core of the zine project was to use existing social networks -- Reddit, Twitter, and Tumblr (never, ever Facebook) -- to find contributors, subscriptions, feedback and new ideas directly from fans and anyone who wanted to participate. Our ultimate goal was to finance films outside the restrictive Hollywood system.

One such film project is an authentic live-action version of Ghost in the Shell (a cyberpunk anime), which was the subject of the usual Hollywood whitewashing in 2017 by casting Scarlett Johansson instead of an Asian actress --- even going so far as to murder the Japanese main character and literally replace her with a white one (Johansson), with the excuse that the character had become a “cyborg” (who somehow needed to be white, though the film was set in Japan).

2017 was one turning point in the zine project, witnessing the use of social media as a set of echo chambers for the kind of deeply embedded virulent racism that has made itself nearly immune to change.

A key theme of the zine project was (and still is) a vision of the future. An anti-dystopian vision where everyone could live their lives with full recognition of their fundamental rights as human beings. This emphasised people who are traditionally excluded, harassed and silenced online: women, LGBT people, the "disabled", people of all non-extremist religious beliefs (including "no religion"), and neurodiverse people.

Early in 2018, however, it became clear that the zine project was reaching obstacles that all led back to a common cause: the existing social networks are poisoned. The poison is not their technology. The poison is their culture, and their culture was set very early on in the social networks' development.

Here's our purpose, in a question:

What if, rather than remaining trapped in the dysfunctional past, new social networks could reflect a better future for everyone?

Starpunk is a zine, powered by a social network. Both the zine and social network are based on a foundational set of principles. A recent term that seems to fit is "digital humanism".

So now the project has evolved from a tiny zine idea to a vision for repairing social networks as places where all people are welcome.

We’re in the early testing stages for  the social network. If you want to join, get in touch on Twitter to request a username: @starpunkzine

[starpunkzine-blog]

Artist: Jesse Arreola

Face

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toofaced peach perfect foundation

toofaced born this way concealer

anastasiabeverlyhillsmakeup contour kit both cream and powder

anastasiabeverlyhills x @amrezy highlighter.

Eyes

limecrimemakeup Venus pallete

lasplashcosmetics glitter “rosette” my favorite glitter of all time rn

benefitcosmetics badgal bang mascara

benefitcosmetics browvo conditioning primer

anastasiabeverlyhills dipbrown in dark brown

anastasiabeverlyhills clear brow gel.

Lips

fentybeauty glass bomb lipgloss

What is star*punk?

Starpunk Zine is an informal project intended to show a different side of the human future, starting from fashion and style. This zine is a baby sister of The AltSciFi project, which focuses more on the intersection of technology, user privacy, digital human rights and global culture in the context of independent science fiction.

Starpunk jumps in from the opposite direction, asking: who does the future look like? What will be considered beautiful? Where will technology interface with beauty, fashion and lifestyle?

Who among us live in one of the many probable futures, right now?

To put it simply, the future is brown, black, Asian, biracial, native; lesbian, gay, biracial, transgender; woman, nonbinary, and increasingly Muslim. Taken together, these groups already represent the majority of the world. So it's long past time to see more diverse images -- both in real-world media and in future-focused science fiction. And that's exactly what starpunkzine is all about.

Don't freak out if your work is posted here. This is an informal project, not some giant corporation. For more information, you can send an email to: altscifi at tutanota dot com.

When starpunkzine is ready to launch, we'll get in touch with everyone and make things official. For now, get in touch if you have thoughts, ideas, or want to collaborate. Together we can make a better future feel a little closer to the present. :)

[starpunkzine-blog]

Artist: Abby Roberts

FACE

tv paint sticks in 00 and EF21 · kryolanuk kryolanofficial

Highlighter and contour palette · nyxcosmetics nyxcosmetics_uk

sugarpill love+ as blush

makeuprevolution c0 concealer

EYES

sugarpill @shrinkle love+, midori, tako

suvabeauty grease hydra liner 

ttd_eye Polar lights grey

nyxcosmetics bad to the bone lid lingerie

grimas_bh 250 lash

eldorafalseeyelashes c175 on bottom

LIPS

anastasiabeverlyhills @norvina Lip palette (primary blue and yellow)

nyxcosmetics Duochrome gloss in foam party

What is star*punk?

Starpunk Zine is an informal project intended to show a different side of the human future, starting from fashion and style. This zine is a baby sister of The AltSciFi project, which focuses more on the intersection of technology, user privacy, digital human rights and global culture in the context of independent science fiction.

Starpunk jumps in from the opposite direction, asking: who does the future look like? What will be considered beautiful? Where will technology interface with beauty, fashion and lifestyle?

Who among us live in one of the many probable futures, right now?

To put it simply, the future is brown, black, Asian, biracial, native; lesbian, gay, biracial, transgender; woman, nonbinary, and increasingly Muslim. Taken together, these groups already represent the majority of the world. So it's long past time to see more diverse images -- both in real-world media and in future-focused science fiction. And that's exactly what starpunkzine is all about.

Don't freak out if your work is posted here. This is an informal project, not some giant corporation. For more information, you can send an email to: altscifi at tutanota dot com.

When starpunkzine is ready to launch, we'll get in touch with everyone and make things official. For now, get in touch if you have thoughts, ideas, or want to collaborate. Together we can make a better future feel a little closer to the present. :)

[starpunkzine-blog]

Artist: Lauren Elyse

Features_

knockoff MUFE Flash Palette by imagic · Ace Beaute

Blossom Passion palette all over eyes + face (contour, highlight & blush)

‘Starling’ + ‘Honeyberry’ eyeshadows (Slice of Paradise palette) on 3rd eye · lasplashcosmetics

‘Patronus’ + ‘Dementor’ eyeliners · blackmooncosmetics

‘Grave’ liquid lipstick · maccosmetics

‘Carnivorous’ liquid lipstick

What is star*punk?

Starpunk Zine is an informal project intended to show a different side of the human future, starting from fashion and style. This zine is a baby sister of The AltSciFi project, which focuses more on the intersection of technology, user privacy, digital human rights and global culture in the context of independent science fiction.

Starpunk jumps in from the opposite direction, asking: who does the future look like? What will be considered beautiful? Where will technology interface with beauty, fashion and lifestyle?

Who among us live in one of the many probable futures, right now?

To put it simply, the future is brown, black, Asian, biracial, native; lesbian, gay, biracial, transgender; woman, nonbinary, and increasingly Muslim. Taken together, these groups already represent the majority of the world. So it's long past time to see more diverse images -- both in real-world media and in future-focused science fiction. And that's exactly what starpunkzine is all about.

Don't freak out if your work is posted here. This is an informal project, not some giant corporation. For more information, you can send an email to: altscifi at tutanota dot com.

When starpunkzine is ready to launch, we'll get in touch with everyone and make things official. For now, get in touch if you have thoughts, ideas, or want to collaborate. Together we can make a better future feel a little closer to the present. :)

[starpunkzine-blog]

Artist: Naomi Wu 机械妖姬

What is star*punk?

Starpunk Zine is

an informal project intended to show a different side of the human future, starting from fashion and style. This zine is a baby sister of The AltSciFi project, which focuses more on the intersection of technology, user privacy, digital human rights and global culture in the context of independent science fiction.

Starpunk jumps in from the opposite direction, asking: who does the future look like? What will be considered beautiful? Where will technology interface with beauty, fashion and lifestyle?

Who among us live in one of the many probable futures, right now?

To put it simply, the future is brown, black, Asian, biracial, native; lesbian, gay, biracial, transgender; woman, nonbinary, and increasingly Muslim. Taken together, these groups already represent the majority of the world. So it's long past time to see more diverse images -- both in real-world media and in future-focused science fiction. And that's exactly what starpunkzine is all about.

Don't freak out if your work is posted here. This is an informal project, not some giant corporation. For more information, you can send an email to: altscifi at tutanota dot com.

When starpunkzine is ready to launch, we'll get in touch with everyone and make things official. For now, get in touch if you have thoughts, ideas, or want to collaborate. Together we can make a better future feel a little closer to the present. :)

[starpunkzine-blog]

Artist: Rosie Mudie

Features_

Creme Contour Kit in light for pixels, Dipbrow in Dark Brown, Aurora Glow Kit in shade Eclipse · Anastasia Beverly Hills

Blooming · Crown Eyelashes

What is star*punk?

Starpunk Zine is

an informal project intended to show a different side of the human future, starting from fashion and style. This zine is a baby sister of The AltSciFi project, which focuses more on the intersection of technology, user privacy, digital human rights and global culture in the context of independent science fiction.

Starpunk jumps in from the opposite direction, asking: who does the future look like? What will be considered beautiful? Where will technology interface with beauty, fashion and lifestyle?

Who among us live in one of the many probable futures, right now?

To put it simply, the future is brown, black, Asian, biracial, native; lesbian, gay, biracial, transgender; woman, nonbinary, and increasingly Muslim. Taken together, these groups already represent the majority of the world. So it's long past time to see more diverse images -- both in real-world media and in future-focused science fiction. And that's exactly what starpunkzine is all about.

Don't freak out if your work is posted here. This is an informal project, not some giant corporation. For more information, you can send an email to: altscifi at tutanota dot com.

When starpunkzine is ready to launch, we'll get in touch with everyone and make things official. For now, get in touch if you have thoughts, ideas, or want to collaborate. Together we can make a better future feel a little closer to the present. :)