[tor-reports] Trip Report for New England Give Camp 2013

[Andrew Lewman]

# Trip Report for New England Give Camp 2013

I spent the entire weekend with [New England Give
Camp](http://newenglandgivecamp.org/) at [Microsoft
Research](http://microsoftcambridge.com) in Cambridge, MA. I was one of
the non-profits, representing [ipv tech](https://wiki.tpo.is), Tor, and
offering myself as a technical volunteer to help out other non-profits.
Over the 48 hours, here's what I helped out doing:

 - [Transition House](http://www.transitionhouse.org/)
    - Help evaluate their IT systems
    - Look at, reverse engineer, and fix their Alice database system
 - [Emerge](http://www.emergedv.com/)
    - Update their wordpress installation
    - Help fix the rotating images on the site
 - [ipv tech](https://wiki.tpo.is)
    - Hack on [fuerza](http://fuerza.is) app
    - Get fuerza into a git repo, now [here at
      gitorious](https://gitorious.org/fuerza)
    - rewrite the app to be markdown and static files to work offline
 - Children's Charter
    - Help resurrect their hacked WordPress installation and build them
   a new site.

I also did a 30 minute talk about technology and intimate partner
violence. Over the past few years, I've seen every possible technology
used to stalk, harass, and abuse people--and those that help them. I'm
helping the victims and advocates use the same technologies to empower
the victims and turn the tables on the abusers in most cases. The
ability to be anonymous and be free from surveillance for once, even
for an hour, is cherished by the victims and affected advocates.

Our team was great. Kevin, Paul, John, Bob, Carmine, Adam, and Sarah
did a great job at keeping motivated, making progress, and joking along
the way. Microsoft, Whole Foods, and a slew of sponsors offered endless
food, sugary drinks, beautiful views, and encouragement throughout the
weekend.

Cambridge Community Television [interviewed
me](http://cctvcambridge.org/NEGiveCamp2013) at the very end of the
event. There's also a Flickr group [full of
pictures](https://secure.flickr.com/groups/negc2013/).

Overall it was a great experience. I encourage you to volunteer next
year.

-- 
Andrew
http://tpo.is/contact
pgp 0x6B4D6475