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beardedmrbean · 6 months

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The preliminary phase of the Vastaamo psychotherapy centre data breach trial commences on Thursday at the District Court of Western Uusimaa in Otaniemi, Espoo.

The data breaches are believed to have been committed in November 2018 and March 2019, affecting an estimated 30,000 victims.

Newspaper Ilkka-Pohjalainen carried an STT report that the main suspect in the case, 26-year-old Aleksanteri Kivimäki, faces charges of aggravated data breaches, nearly 9,600 charges of aggravated dissemination of sensitive information, over 21,300 counts of attempted aggravated extortion, and 20 counts of aggravated extortion.

The prosecution is calling on the court to hand Kivimäki a seven-year prison sentence.

Helsingin Sanomat (HS) also reported about the beginning of the trial, noting that Thursday's preliminary session will likely be concise and focus mainly on establishing guidelines as well as scheduling the forthcoming trial, which is set to commence on 13 November.

HS further notes that the defendant plans to participate in the preparatory meeting, despite not being legally obliged to do so until the main trial in November.

Kivimäki asserts his innocence and refutes any connection to the alleged offences, arguing that the case lacks compelling or concrete proof implicating him.

He contends that the true perpetrator is another individual within similar social circles, according to HS.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has previously stated that the evidence against Kivimäki is substantial. Authorities are expected to release extensive preliminary investigation material for the case on Thursday, comprising over 2,000 pages, STT reported.

Petrol prices take surprising plunge

Despite the prevailing global economic conditions and forecasts of gloomy times ahead, fuel prices in Finland have dropped, falling below the two-euro-per-litre mark in numerous locations, as reported by tabloid Iltalehti.

As of Wednesday evening, motorists in Kirkkonummi had the opportunity to fill their tanks with 95E10 gasoline for a mere 1.78 euros per litre.

Back in September, Iltalehti noted, the average cost for 95E10 petrol was 2.15 euros per litre. During the summer, some fuel stations even reached a peak price of 2.50 euros per litre.

In early October, price projections remained pessimistic, and the unstable situation in the Middle East was expected to lead to an upswing in fuel costs.

However, the expected price surge has yet to materialise. According to data collected on October 25th, the average cost of 95E10 gasoline currently stands at 1.94 euros per litre. For diesel consumers, the most budget-friendly refuelling option is available in Vantaa at 1.90 euros per litre, while for higher octane 98E5 gasoline, Kirkkonummi offers the lowest price at 1.88 euros per litre.

Iltalehti noted, however, that it may only be a matter of time before the recent political escalations in the Middle East affect oil supplies and consequently influence prices.

Another Finnish city cancels disgraced singer's gig

Tabloid Ilta-Sanomat reported that the city of Lappeenranta joined other Finnish cities in cancelling concerts featuring singer Jari Sillanpää.

The singer and former tango star was convicted of disseminating child pornography in 2020, although the fine he received was reduced on appeal.

Sillanpää was scheduled to perform at a Christmas concert in the South Karelian city on 3 December, but the city said it had to re-evaluate the hosting of the event citing child-friendly values.

"The former and now re-publicised criminal convictions of Jari Sillanpää are in conflict with the city's values and ethical guidelines and therefore the city does not see cooperation as viable," a press release by Lappeenranta city authorities reads.

Sillanpää's previous convictions have been brought to public attention once again following a documentary series by Finnish broadcaster MTV.

Lappeenranta is the second Finnish city to make such a decision regarding the Christmas concert tour in recent weeks, following a similar move by Turku, while authorities in Pori are also believed to be considering their options.

#nunyas news #updates from up north

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militaryleak · 1 month

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Finland Builds NATO DIANA Accelerator and Two Test Centres

NATO's DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) programme is expanding its network with new sites. Finland is now part of the network since the Board of the DIANA initiative approved a proposal to establish an accelerator and two test centres in Finland. Their mission is to help companies develop technology, innovation and business for the civil and defence sectors. The operations to be established in Finland will build on decades of strong technological expertise and market success. The technology themes of the accelerator and test centres are related to next-generation communication systems, 6G technology, cybersecurity, quantum and space technologies. The preparatory work, which started in spring 2023, was led by the Ministry of Defence and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and required input from several operators, has reached its desired conclusion. VTT is setting up a DIANA accelerator in Otaniemi, Espoo, in collaboration with Aalto University and the University of Helsinki. The test centres will be established at the University of Oulu and VTT's Otaniemi site.

NATO’s DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) programme is expanding its network with new sites. Finland is now part of the network since the Board of the DIANA initiative approved a proposal to establish an accelerator and two test centres in Finland. Their mission is to help companies develop technology, innovation and business for the civil and defence sectors. The…

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pastirc · 2 months

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Otaniemi Chapel

Heikki and Kaija Siren Otaniemi Chapelhttps://divisare.com/projects/329795-heikki-and-kaija-siren-federico-covre-otaniemi-chapel …http://www.andrejweingerl.com/aawk.html#tretji architecture #interior

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jussiylilahti · 4 months

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Tervehdys Jussi

ja menestystä vaaleissa!

Toivottaa Jorma Aho-Mantila (yo IYK 1970, Otaniemi 1971-1976 sähköos.)

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jcmarchi · 6 months

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Invisible Powers Driving Cars and Cranes: What Goes On Behind the Scenes to Get These Machines Moving? - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/invisible-powers-driving-cars-and-cranes-what-goes-on-behind-the-scenes-to-get-these-machines-moving-technology-org/

Invisible Powers Driving Cars and Cranes: What Goes On Behind the Scenes to Get These Machines Moving? - Technology Org

Self-driving cars, also known as robot cars, have been on the horizon for years, but we don’t see them in traffic—yet. Robots have been used in industrial sites for decades, but bringing them into wider use has been challenging. How do these self-driving robots work, what gets them going—and what are the biggest obstacles?

[embedded content]

A!ex looks like a regular crossover vehicle, but under—and on top of—its shiny white exterior, you’ll find the latest technologies, from radar to artificial intelligence. A!ex is a self-driving robot car used for multidisciplinary research at Aalto University that’s also contributing to a revolution in traffic systems.

‘A!ex was a normal car that we equipped with high-quality sensors and localization, like cameras, LIDAR and a computer that runs our algorithms—and this is how it became a self-driving car,’ explains postdoctoral fellow Gökhan Alcan, one of the researchers from the School of Electrical Engineering who works on A!ex.

The self-driving A!ex was outfitted for research use with a special software package—through this transformation, the normal-looking Lexus RX became a robot car. ‘Robot car’ is even written on its rear window, so others on the road recognize that behind the tinted windows, invisible forces are at the wheel rather than a human driver.

A robot car. Image credit: Aalto University

Well, except for the fact that there is a person sitting in the driver’s seat.

Finnish legislation allows for remote operation of a vehicle – a rarity in Europe. To test the robot car on public roads, the researchers had to spend several months getting a permit. They received permission, but they also promised the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom that the self-driving car would always have a safety driver. And there’s even a bright red emergency stop button in the car, should the need arise.

Laboratory manager Jesse Pirhonen from the School of Engineering is responsible for the different gadgets and software in A!ex, as well as for making sure that researchers who do tests with the car don’t fiddle with its basic settings or the work of other groups.

But Pirhonen has also become quite familiar with sitting behind the wheel. He is one of three designated safety drivers who are allowed to cruise public roads with the self-driving A!ex—though only in a limited area.

‘We drive A!ex on public roads to test and develop our algorithms, but mostly only here in the Otaniemi campus area,’ Pirhonen explains.

Other roads aren’t off-limits to A!ex, but a separate plan and prior agreement has to be made with Traficom.

Self-driving is a result of combining LIDAR and AI

Inside an autonomous car. Image credit: Aalto University

Alongside algorithms, A!ex gets moving thanks to a combination of multidisciplinary research and other invisible powers.

The emergency stop button is located where a gear stick would normally be. The safety driver can still change gears on the automatic transmission with a gear switcher if necessary. The self-driving car is not missing its steering wheel, but most of the vehicle’s control comes from highly tuned and continuously developing tech.

The trunk of the robot car houses a computer that runs its algorithms, as well as a power distribution system that sends electricity to the computer, sensors and screens in the car. The various cameras and sensors on A!ex send information to the computer for steering decision-making, while the laser scanner or LIDAR on the roof senses the surroundings, such as oncoming cars and pedestrians, and localizes the self-driving car.

LIDAR scanner on top of a self-driving car. Image credit: Aalto University

The self-driving car’s controller then gets an algorithmic decision from the computer on how to proceed—maybe a surprising obstacle has appeared that requires stopping, for example.

Pirhonen and Alcan describe the two main research directions A!ex is used for. The first is to further develop the control of the vehicle; in other words, they’re looking for ways that A!ex could steer itself safely and completely independently. This requires improving the self-driving car’s decision-making capability: A!ex’s control algorithms are honed to make decisions with safety in mind.

And what about the other main research focus? Its goal seems nearly impossible: to get the robot car to see and sense well enough to make safe decisions in challenging weather conditions, like the Finnish winter.

Can the weather be cleared to make way for a robot car?

Gökhan Alcan and Jesse Pirhonen are demonstrating A!ex the robot car and the associated research on a June day in Otaniemi. In the hot sun, frozen country roads and snow flurries are the last thing on anyone’s mind. But those are one big reason why robot cars aren’t yet seen on the roads of Finland.

Winter conditions are tough for any driver, not the least for robots relying on machine vision. Postdoctoral researcher Risto Ojala is looking for solutions to A!ex’s sensing and navigation in difficult conditions. He demonstrated a tool developed at Aalto designed to reduce the effect of weather on the sensors of robot cars.

‘Snowfall is a central challenge for self-driving cars because it prevents sensors from seeing what’s around the car. LIDAR, for example, reflects “noise” from snowflakes and can’t sense the environment. Our group has developed an algorithm that allows us to mostly remove snowflakes from LIDAR data, so we can see the real environment instead of noise,’ Ojala explains.

Visualized LIDAR data. Image credit: Aalto University

Ojala strongly believes that self-driving cars will make it onto the roads in the future—even in Finland’s difficult winter conditions. But this is probably still far in the future, because first there has to be a technology breakthrough in easier, non-winter conditions. The obstacles or delays keeping robot cars back aren’t solely to do with technology, Ojala points out.

‘There are also legal questions related to autonomous driving. Even if self-driving cars were safer than cars driven by people, we find it hard to accept when a machine makes mistakes. People can’t accept that even one accident could happen because of an error by a self-driving car, even if the total proportion of accidents was smaller than with human-driven cars,’ says Ojala.

A smart crane isn’t bothered by the weather, and there’s more than just tech involved

Robots driven by unseen forces have been used in industry for decades, but they’re also under constant development to become smarter and more autonomous.

At the Aalto University Industrial Internet Campus (AIIC), the most visible sign of this R&D is Ilmatar, the smart crane that is the pillar of Aalto’s cooperation with Konecranes. A crane may sound like a dull thing to study, but for robotics and autonomy researchers, it is anything but.

‘It’s software, it’s smart devices, it’s everything you can expect from a modern autonomous machine and an intelligent system. When you think about it more closely, it’s a huge robot,’ says AIIC’s COO Jari Juhanko.

A smart crane. Image credit: Aalto University

True to its name, the Industrial Internet Campus is characterised by two traits, says Juhanko: industrial and internet. The ‘industrial’ refers to the research environment of the smart crane, where the focus is on the needs of, and close collaboration with, the manufacturing industry. ‘Internet’ has to do with all the invisible powers needed get a smart crane moving.

‘Internet means connectivity. In other words, these devices can communicate with others by exchanging information. A simple example would be to share their own location, and anything else having to do with monitoring the robot’s condition and safety,’ says Juhanko.

Beyond its technical features, research and operations around the smart crane are governed by invisible powers like different business models and regulations. The digitalisation of industry isn’t just about technology, says Juhanko, but also about getting all these factors to work together simultaneously.

A smart crane. Image credit: Aalto University

‘If one element is missing, we end up with a table with legs of different lengths: it wobbles and will fall over at some point. The balance comes from all of these factors syncing up,’ Juhanko says.

Fences and a red controller guarantee safety

Just like A!ex, Ilmatar comes with various safety regulations, and Juhanko says that a top priority is that robots cannot harm people in any situation. In line with current regulations, research on the smart crane is done in a fenced area in the industrial lab.

‘The safety features don’t classify it as a cobot, a collaborative robot that could function fully autonomously with a person in the same space,’ explains Juhanko.

Smart crane control system. Image credit: Aalto University

The smart crane is controlled through an open interface to the Konecranes system, which means it’s controlled by computer, but manual control is also possible using a radio controller – coloured red, just like the emergency stop button in A!ex. Ilmatar also has a camera so it can use machine vision to observe any obstacles in its environment, like a misplaced office chair—or a person.

If the connection to the robot is lost for some reason, the crane immediately stops, says Juhanko. If the crane is operated remotely, the connection must be constantly monitored. Everything must be followed closely so nothing dangerous happens, and this is where regulations governing industrial robots come into play.

‘More and more autonomy is needed, but how it is regulated is also changing. The kinds of safety factors that are required and accepted is a topic that’s under constant discussion,’ Juhanko says.

People can also delay and hinder the increase of autonomy in industrial settings, Juhanko points out.

‘People have to accept a changing world. There is so much discussion about how robotics and autonomous machines will destroy jobs. At the same time, it’s known that the jobs replaced by robots are usually dull, monotonous, and repetitive, and those are the easiest to automate. Then there’s talk of a shortage of industrial workers—this can be a solution for that,’ Juhanko says.

A smart crane hook. Image credit: Aalto University

Despite all its advanced tech and machine intelligence, Ilmatar the autonomous crane can’t function without some human intervention.

‘The only challenge is the traditional hook system. When something is hooked on and attached, you need human hands. Our plan, in collaboration with our partners, is to build a robot that could do this, too,’ says Juhanko.

In the future, Ilmatar might get loads to lift without the help of human muscle. And, as Risto Ojala hopefully predicted, some day—maybe quite far off still—the invisible challenges of self-driving cars will be solved, and they will become as commonplace as industrial robots. But for now, A!ex the robot car will travel the streets under the watchful eye of its small group of safety drivers.

Source: Aalto University

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nordnews · 8 months

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Keilaniemi, known for its corporate offices and the headquarters of large companies, is developing into a lively seaside residential and office area with hotels. At the same time,...

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hel-looks · 10 months

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Aino, 24

“I’m wearing a mini dress paired with pants and oversized blazer, all second hand. Platform sandals are from Vagabond and bag from Balenciaga. I built the look around the black lace gloves I got from a friend. The bows in my hair and on my pants are my favourite detail of the outfit.”

26 May 2023, Otaniemi

#hel looks #helsinki street style #Helsinki Finland #finnish fashion #Finnish people

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countessofravenclaw · 1 year

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The 2022 writing Advent calendar: Day 15

15. What is the best gift you remember getting as a kid?

“Yeah, two night at Otaniemi, and then we’ll fly to Rovaniemi,” Gastón recapped for Matteo, as they plus their wives were sitting in Gastón and Nina’s living room one late October evening. They had been talking about their trip to Europe for Flor and Oliver’s wedding on New year’s day and they were going to go to Finland for skiing straight afterward with Simon and Ambar.

“Ambar and Simon are meeting us at the airport when we fly to Lapland,” Nina explained, “We can go look around at the capital Helsinki while Gastón is giving that lecture at the Aalto University.”

“Well, you seem to have it all under control.” Matteo leaned back on the couch, “Remind me to travel with you more often.”

“I don’t know ho I can wait two months!” Luna exclaimed from the floor where she had been playing with Newton. “By the way, is Newton going to that doggy day care again for that? We will be gone for two weeks.”

“No,” Gastón answered, “Delfi and Pedro will be taking care of him, since they are not coming with us.”

“Delfi and Pedro?” Matteo questioned.

“Delfi has had dogs her whole life,” Nina explained, “She has sometimes gone with me to walk him when we have been talking about her producing that book trailer for me.”

“I do wonder if they are planning on getting a dog themselves since they have not offered it before,” Gastón pondered.

“Well that would be a bit odd,” Luna continued, “I mean, Ambar said that she swears that Delfi is pregnant so…”

“Really?” Nina questioned, “Huh, well that would actually make sense. She has seemed a bit tired.”

“They will probably tell us when it is time,” Matteo started speaking, “Not like we are on the godparents shorts list.”

“I think Jazmin has the dips on that,” Luna noted, “Ambar did say that she is willing to go to war about it.”

“Poor Delfi and Pedro. Maybe that's why they are not coming with us to ski.”

“I hope we get to know before I start Christmas shopping,” Luna said while scratching Newton behind his ear. “I can already come up with so many cute things to give them.”

“Luna, it is October.”

“Yeah, so I only have two months to do the shopping and wrapping,” Luna countered.

“Don’t even speak to me about Christmas shopping yet,” Nina sighed, “Year by year it gets harder. It feels like everyone already has everything, especially after all the wedding gifts. I don’t even know what to ask myself.”

“Probably something everyone has trouble with as we are supposed to be so-called adults now or something,” Matteo sighed too.

“Uuuuh! Let's play a game!” Luna said so excitedly that she scared Newton and made him jump from her lap onto the sofa and curl next to Nina while eyeing Luna judgmentally. “Uups, sorry.”

“Should we be scared?” Gastón joked.

“No,” Luna rolled her eyes. “What is the best gift you remember getting as a kid? Maybe that can give us some inspiration for gifts this year. Hold up a second, I’ll text that Simon and Ambar as well… you know what, I’ll just put that in the group chat and tell everyone to record a video about it so we can all know each other’s… oka that is done… So, who goes first?” Luna clicked her phone’s record button and started a video.

“Uhmmm, I can,” Matteo spoke hesitantly and Luna turned her phone towards him.

“Go ahead, it is already recording.”

“Uhm… okay,” Matteo started, “When I was nine, the last Christmas… before Mom died, I had just started piano lessons because dad wanted me to do that instead of playing the guitar. But they still gave me my first guitar as a Christmas present and mom asked me to sign it, and of course, she didn’t know, none of us did, but she still got to witness my first autograph ever. I think the guitar is somewhere in storage at Dad and Sofia’s place right now.”

“We need to go find it!” Luna exclaimed, “I wanna see it!”

“We can go do that but I do not know where it actually is.”

“No problem! Nothing is impossible to Luna Valente!” Luna stopped the recording and pointed the came towards Nina. “Nina you are next!”

“Okay.” Nina stared at the camera blackly for a second, “Uhm, so. Well, this will sound really cliche, but it was a book. It was Christmas right after Mon and Dad had finally gotten divorced… I remember it because that really was the first Christmas I remember having some peace and them not fighting, since they were not together, obviously. Mom and Dad both gave me the same book as a present, I didn’t tell them that, obviously because I didn’t want them to fight. But to me it just kind of symbolized that they were on some small level on the same page, by both knowing what I wanted, even if they did not know how to communicate and would not for many years.”

“What book was that?” Gastón asked and reached her hand. Newton had crawled on Nina’s lap and had dosed off quietly snoring.

“I don’t remember,” Nina answered. “It was a children’s book, and I definitely didn’t take it to Oxford. One of the copies is probably still at dads. I think the Mom’s copy got lost in some box when we moved to Mora’s. I can ask but it’s probably lost forever.”

“So your parents still don’t know about that?” Luna asked from behind the camera.

“No they don’t, and I don’t think I will ever tell them.” Nina said and fiddled with Newton’s ear, “Well that was that.”

“I’ll go last.” Luna started another video on her phone. “So Gastón, your turn.”

“Okay, mine also involves my parents. It was when they gave me my first camera.” Gastón started. “It was our first Christmas in the house they still live in. I didn’t know it at the time, I was nine or something since I was in third grade, but that was the time they really had started having money. They gave me this small digital camera, and I did not know how to use it and I thought it was stupid. Like I said: I was nine. Anyways, we actually went to Canada that year for new Year and that's where I actually learned to ski. There, dad took me out and actually taught me how to use the camera and told me that: even if I didn’t appreciate it then, it could bring a lot of things into my life. You all know how Mom and Dad met at the photography course at university, so that's what he obviously meant and now I know that he was right.” He scooted closer to Nina on the couch and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Aww, that was cute,” Luna squealed, “Okay, Matteo take this.” she threw her phone to Matteo. “My turn.”

“Okay, it is recording,” Matteo said and directed the phone toward Luna who was still sitting on the floor.

“I don’t fully remember this, since I was five I think, but Mom and Dad told me that I was always drawn towards all kinds of sun and star things.” Luna started, “Well, now we know why, and but at the time they just thought it was cute. So for Christmas that years, they got me this huge sun-shaped pillow. And apparently, what I said when I got it was: but why is it the sun? I am the moon!! But the pillow was so cute and me and Simon had some much fun jumping on it.”

“What happened to it?” Matteo asked.

“Yeah…” Luna laughed, “We kind of broke it with Simon…”

I had so much fun with this. First of all I love the Gastina/Lutteo dynamic and I relly loved coming up with some sentimental stories about their childhood and what their parents got them. Secondly, I really love writing Gastón and Nina's dogs reactions to what ever they are doing. I also firmly believe that Pelfi are the first ones to have kids from the Roller Crew

#2022 Writing DCLA+ advent calendar #Soy Luna #Gastina #Lutteo #Childhood memories

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skrubu · 1 year

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Ripple of Wave by Pekka Nikrus

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leftkidnightmare · 1 year

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5. lukupiiri: Kohti omanlaista praktiikkaa

15/10/2022 10.40-11.40 @espresso house otaniemi & zoom

Paikalla olivat kaikki; Elina, Thien, Saga, Heidi ja Siiri (kirjuri)

puheenjohtaja: Saga Roos

kirjuri: Siiri Rajaliin

Heti tapaamisen alkuun Saga aloittaa lukemalla ääneen alustustaan, sillä totesimme viime kerralla, että oli mukavaa käydä keskustelua sekä kysymyksiä hyvässä tahdissa läpi tekstiä lukiessa. Aiheet ja teksti muistuvat näin tuoreempina mieleen, ja on helpompaa pysyä aiheessa keskustellessa. Lukupiirimme aiheena oli tällä kertaa “kohti omanlaista praktiikkaa” ja puheenjohtajan aihe sekä keskustelumme perustuu Brave New Alps nimisen kollektiivin vuonna 2015 julkaisemaan artikkeliin Precarity Pilot: Making Space for Socially- and Politically-engaged Design Practice sekä heidän kehittämäänsä Precarity Pilot -sivuston sisältöön ja periaatteisiin. Brave New Alps on vuonna 2005 perustettu italialainen kollektiivi, joka luo erilaisia design-projekteja sosiaali- ja ympäristöpolitiikan uudelleenluomisesta kiinnostuneita ihmisiä osallistaen. Kollektiivi pyrkii etsimään lainopillisia ja järjestöllisiä raameja, jotka voisivat tukea perinteisten markkinoiden tai asiakas-suunnittelija-viitekehyksen ulkopuolella työskenteleviä suunnittelijoita. Totesimme tekstin olleen ehkä aikaisempia haastavampi, mutta se kompensoitui onneksi tekstin pituudella. Saga oli tehnyt hyvää työtä tuntemattomimpien termien aukikirjoittamisessa, mikä helpotti lukemista suuresti. Kävimme myös yhdessä läpi pohjatekstin alustuskysymykset tarkemmin läpi, jotta tulevaa keskustelua olisi kaikkien helpompi hahmottaa.

Saga esitti pohjustavan alustuskappaleen luettuaansa muutaman kysymyksen:Ovatko kaikki edellä esitetyt vaihtoehdot (pro-bono, valtion tukema kulttuurityö, perheen varakkuuteen tukeutuminen) toteuttaa poliittisesti sitoutunutta työtä ”huonoja”, vai voisitteko kuvitella hyödyntävänne jotain niistä itse? Vierastimme ja pidimme lyhytnäköisenä ajatusta siitä, että vain varakkaista perhelähtökohdista pitäisi voida kyetä harjoittaa luovassa työssään politiikkaa. Kuitenkin tunnistimme ilmiön, sillä useat tutut tekijät ovat lopulta kyenneet rahoittamaan työtään edes osittain varakkaiden vanhempiensa avulla. Tämän korostuminen saa väkisinkin maalaamaan synkkää kuvaa tulevaisuudesta, jossa vain varakkailla ihmisillä on resursseja tehdä taidetta työkseen. Pohdimme myös, että missä maissa on mahdollista saada tukea luovaan työhön. Voiko Suomen laskea sellaiseksi maaksi, vaikka luovan alan apurahoja hakevista vain pikkuruinen prosenttimäärä niitä lopulta saa myönnetyksi, ja harvoin kattavat elinkustannukset pitkäksi aikaa. 10% pro-bono tyylinen tuettu työskentely kuulostaa houkuttelevalta, mutta hankalalta konkretisoidessa. Jos työn politisoituminen on suunnittelijan omalla vastuulla ja sijoittuu ns. vapaa-ajalle, kuinka paljon suunnittelija on itse siihen syypää? “Kaikki haluaa syödä!” tokaisee Elina.

Keskustelimme opintoihin integroidusta politiikasta, ja siitä, miten se näkyy omissa opinnoissamme. Monesti meistä tuntuu, että poliittinen ilmapiiri tai ainakin sen oletus ja ajoittaisia kekustelun aloituksia löytyy, mutta konkretiaa on hankala paikantaa tai edes hahmottaa, mitä se edes olisi. Elinan mielestä politiikka tihkuu meidänkin opintoihin, Thienin mukaan meidän koulutusohjelmaan ei taas hirveästi kuulu politiikka, ainakaan syvemmällä tasolla. Ajantilan jo vitsiksikin muodostuneet pakotetut YK:n arvot ja lässytysryhmätyöt nousevat keskustelussa usein esiin, kuten myös konkreettisten ratkaisuiden ja ohjeiden puutteet. Se tuntuu ihmeellisen pakotuksen lisäksi myös vastuun sysäämiseltä, yhteisten pohdintojen ja konkreettisten ratkaisujen etsinnän sijaan. Toisaalta voi olla, että on ihan hyväkin, että opintojen aikana pystyy aluksi keskittymään uusiin tekniikoihin, ja oletettavasti politiikka ja praktiikat seuraavat viimeistään maisterissa.

Totesimme, että ehkä politisoitumisen oletus näkyy melkeinpä enemmänkin nykysukupolven graafisen suunnittelun työkentällä. Pidämme poliittisia kannanottoja tärkeänä, mutta on hankala hahmottaa, että miltä se näyttäisi esimerkiksi pelialalla. Päälleliimatun sanoman lisäksihän työn sanoma saattaa olla paljon hienovaraisempi. Myös kannanoton ottamattomuus on itsessään kannanotto, mitä nykysuunnittelija ei ehkä tällaisessa identiteettityössä haluaisi tehdä. On kuitenkin vaikea kuvitella olevansa priorisoimatta rahaa ja elintasoa, mikäli eteen sattuu eettsesti harmaa työtarjous, kun oman ryhmämme jäsenillä ei aiemmin viitattua perheen turvaverkkoa ole sellaisenaan hyödynnettävänä. Toisaalta keskustellessamme tuntui melkein tärkeämmältä kuitenkin pitää kiinni siitä, että omat arvot kohtaavat työnteon kanssa kuin tienata “whatever money”. Missä vaiheessa pitäisi nostaa katseensa poliittisesti merkittävään työhön, kun ei vieelä tiedä ollenkaan, millaista työtä haluaisi tehdä, vai onko kyse vain sopiviin mahdollisuuksiin tarttumista hyvän ajan sattuessa?

Keskustelimme taidealoilla vallitsevasta epävarman talouden sietämisestä, vaihtelevista työajoista ja “project to project” tyylisestä työskentelystä. Elina kertoi juuri saaneensa kuulla, ettei taiteilijan saaneista apiurahoista kerry eläkettä, vaikka olisikin tunnustettu tekija alalla, sillä valtio ei tunnusta tällä saralla taiteilijan työtä “oikeaksi työksi”, mikä järkytti meitä. Miksi tästä ei kerrota opinnoissamme? Totesimme iloksemme, että Brave New Alpsin väite jaksamisen ja rahan aiheen ympärillä leijailevasta hiljaisuudesta on vähitellen kumoutumassa. Luultavasti se on meitä aikaisempien tekijöden uupumuksen kautta opitun uudenlaisen terveiden rajojen kautta vedetyn työfilosofian edelleenopettamisen ansiota. Silti tällainen suunnittelijan elämänhallinnallinen, katse huomista pidemmälle, tuntuu hankalalta hahmottaa, ja siihen kaipaisi enemmän tukea opinnoilta. Työ ja elämä-kurssilla olemme päässeet tutustumaan “vuoden graafikko”-tropen ulkopuolisiakin ihmisiä, ns. rivityöntekijöitä. Tämän jälkeen Saga avasi meille Brave Alpsin tekemästä Precarity Pilot-nettisivuista (PP), jonka avulla halutaan tukea suunnittelijoita uudelleenmuovaamaan ja -suuntaamaan työtään sekä saavuttamaan hallintaa oman työelämänsä suunnasta. PP:ssä ehdotetaan, että antamalla tilaa yhteistyöhaluisille, reflektiivisille ja kriittisille suunnittelijoille, mahdollistettaisiin kilpailun ylittävät suhteet, jotka luovat kaikkia osapuolia vahvistavien riippuvuuksien, solidaarisuutta sekä kollektiivista toimintaa. Yrittäjyyden ja itsevarmuuden vastakkainasettelu tuntuu osittain välillä jyrkältäkin vastakkainasettelulta. Pohdimme asiaa pitkään mutta emme löytäneet tarkkaa esimerkkiä siitä, miten alamme kilpailullisesta asettelusta voisi päästä eroon, sillä kilpailuun yhtyminen on tämänhetkisten rakenteiden kannalta niin paljon kannattavampaa ja helpompaa, että on vaikea edes kuvitella muita vaihtoehtoja. Toivomme niiden kuitenkin hahmottuvan opiskelujen edetessä ja samanaikaisesti ympärillämme olevan keskustelun kehittyessä.

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