the Cafe Society

Online medias shape a new notion of reading and writing. the cafe society explores the new possibilities of handling digital content. Fragmentation of information, the demand for retrieval of accurately fitting information requires new ideas and tools for of building up knowledge.
the cafe society investigates possibilities for communication and creates visions about how knowledge and the way we think is shaped by the media we use.
the cafe society sees itself as a ‘question, suggestion, discussion’ platform. The tools we build are rather visions than final solutions.
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[title]

trails

edited booklets

screenshot_trails

free download now
new version (03.05.2009)

what is trails?

We developed a Firefox ad-on that enables the Internet user to edit and print his own “web book”. The key point of the project is the transformation of website fragments (text and images) into a printable booklet. With a click of a button, the web fragments become editable, and the booklet can be extended with personal content, notes etc.
The structure of the book layout offers enough basic flexibility to let everyone pursue his own design.
We are interested in visualizing the fragmented “Internet Reading”, and curious as to how Internet users will develop their own design language with the help of this new tool. Our aim is that this browser extension will serve as an essential Internet research assistant for the casual and common user.

What can trails do?

create and edit booklets
editorial corrections
save booklet by print or
as pdf (MacOS)
add and extend text
set titles and subtitles

get started:

open firefox and install the extension via the link below
follow the step by step in-
struction on the startscreen
download the manual or
watch the screencast for
detailed instructions.

download / explanation

watch screencast (large)

install trails

download the manual

[title]

maps

prepare to be amazed...

what is maps?
linear reading in all respect, but often when we collect information we look for ways to sort and arrange it by relevance etc. either for our own ease or for easy communication within a research group. where ‘trails’ provides an unobtrusive way to physically archive and structure your collected Internet info, ‘maps’ attends to a few other needs; this concept provides possibilities for collecting, storing arranging data in an intuitive way, sharing this data and collaborating with other users.

“Findet die Stellen in einem Buch, mit denen ihr etwas anfangen könnt. Wir lesen und schreiben nicht mehr in der herkömmlichen Weise. Es gibt keinen Tod des Buches, sondern eine neue Art des Lesens. In einem Buch gibt’s nichts zu verstehen, aber viel, womit man etwas anfangen kann. Ein Buch muss mit etwas anderem eine Maschine bilden, es muss ein kleines Werkzeug für ein aussen sein. Keine Representation der Welt als Bedeutungsstruktur. Das Buch ist kein Wurzelbaum, sondern Teil eines Rhizoms für den Leser, zu dem es passt. Die Kombinationen, Permutationen und Gebrauchsweisen sind dem Buch nie immanent, sondern hängen von seinen Verbindungen mit diesem oder jenem Aussen ab. Jawohl, nehmt was ihr wollt!
...
Macht Rhizome und keine Wurzeln! Seid nicht eins oder viele, seid Vielheiten! Lasst euch keinen General entstehen! Macht Karten, keine Fotos oder Zeichnungen? Seid der rosarote Panther! Und mögen eure Lieben sein wie die Wespe und die Orchidee, wie die Katze und der Pavian!”

Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari
Rhizom

[title]

cards

We plan to start working on
cards in summer 2009

what is cards?
as we leave ‘web2.0’ and look over the hill for version 3, we continue to challenge ourselves to create the ‘perfect’ web layout. ‘cards’ challenges the way we normally layer sites; think away menus and sitemaps, and imagine a straight-forward module-based system; dedicate a ‘card’ to a friend, or pick up one you like from another with the help of this new tool.