Programming
Programming or software engineering is still a recent technology. Contrary to most of the other great inventions of the 20th century, including computer hardware, it was not pioneered by the military as much as by young students with a deep love of freedom and moral conviction – the hacker movement. Compared to the megatechnics of early computers and other modern machinery software engineering requires virtually no resources besides the availability of the machine itself, a supply of electricity, and the dedication and enthusiasm of the engineer. These attributes among others have made this technology much more resistant to capture by the state. It also greatly relies on collaboration, mutual aid and the free sharing of information, which are attributes of technology that historically often enable people’s autonomy from state power. While the production and maintenance of the hardware and infrastructure it relies upon is still almost exclusively controlled by monopolistic corporations relying on large-scale slave labor to source the raw materials, software technology has managed to defend itself against total capture and libertarian philosophy is still strong among many of those who build it. Because of this and also because it is a relatively new but massively influential development in society, it has a huge potential to disrupt the existing power structures and build democratic alternatives.
Studies in the academy will begin with training beginners in Python and Linux. Beginners will learn to use open source tools, which will open them to a new realm of possibilities, as most advanced tooling today is developed as open source command line applications on Github. Students will build their own programs in Python and learn proper software design which adheres to the original Unix philosophy of small composable systems. By integrating the use of well-designed open source software alongside learning to develop, students will understand the complete process of software development from idea to distribution for others to use.
Programming studies in the academy will develop into advanced tracks
- Anonymity engineering
- Offensive/defensive security
- Smart contracts
- Intelligent systems/AI
Unlike coder bootcamps, the academy is not focused on bringing students into the workforce where they can trade meaningless labor for comfortable salaries. The academy encourages traits of creativity, curiosity, self-motivation and purpose.
Prospective students can join with any amount of prior experience. From an absolute beginner that wants to learn advanced skills without the existing institutions, to a professional that wants new skills to work purposefully with community.
A mentor will design a specific track for you or a group based on your personal goals and desired outcomes. All tracks will have an element of applied research, self-inquiry into personal objectives, and collaboration with others.
If you are interested in setting up a programming track, join the Adalan Telegram group here and speak with the programming mentors.