ASCII (squat)

{{Short description|Defunct hackerspace in Amsterdam}}

{{for|the issue with Unicode URLs called "ASCII squatting"|Internationalized domain name#ASCII_spoofing_concerns}}

File:Ascii amsterdam 1998 heerengracht squat.jpg

The Amsterdam Subversive Center for Information Interchange (ASCII) was a squatted communication laboratory in the Dutch city of Amsterdam. The first incarnation was formed in 1999, based at Herengracht 243a.{{cite web |title=Opening Party ASCII Internet |url=https://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-nl-9905/msg00032.html |website=Nettime-nl |accessdate=21 August 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204005637/http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-nl-9905/msg00032.html |archivedate=4 December 2018}} The lab then moved to the following locations: Jodenbreestraat 24, Kinkerstraat 92–94, Kostverlorenkade 2e, Wibautstraat 7 and Javastraat.{{cite web |title=ACSII |url=https://hackstory.net/ASCII |website=Hack Story |accessdate=21 August 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160718090757/http://hackstory.net/ASCII |archivedate=18 July 2016}}

ASCII became legalised when it moved into Jodenbreestraat 24 in January 2000, alongside the radical bookshop Fort van Sjakoo, but started squatting again when faced with a 900% rent increase.{{cite web |title=ASCII in trouble: 900% rent increase |url=https://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-0108/msg00123.html |website=Nettime |accessdate=21 August 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820212642/https://nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-0108/msg00123.html |archivedate=20 August 2016}}

The original aim was to provide a free internet work space for activists and squatters and to promote open source operating systems such as Linux and free software programs such as OpenOffice.org and Mozilla. Members of the collective scavenged and rebuilt computers from trash.{{cite news |last1=Sankar |first1=Anand |title=IT's foot soldier |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/mp/2005/02/08/stories/2005020800950400.htm |accessdate=21 August 2019 |work=The Hindu |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101003120315/http://www.hinduonnet.com/mp/2005/02/08/stories/2005020800950400.htm |archivedate=3 October 2010 |url-status=usurped }} In 2005, ASCII was involved with a plan to set up free community wireless internet access across Amsterdam.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070319151127/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article585228.ece Breaching the 'Dam - Times Online] In 2006, Javastraat was evicted[http://scii.nl/news/ascii-in-javastraat-is-no-more ASCII in Javastraat is no more — Ascii] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531004216/http://scii.nl/news/ascii-in-javastraat-is-no-more |date=May 31, 2008 }} and the group declared a shift towards being a hacklab rather than having a physical space.