The keyboard is disgusting, the folder called „Important“ is abandoned, and there are too many notifications from email. The list goes on: fingerprints on the screen, faded stickers, cookies from random websites, apps outdated, project folders in disrepair, desktop is a pile of mess, PDFs are lying around everywhere, the trashbin is full, files belong to somebody else, settings are still on default, and even the backups are not running. Does that sounds familiar? Your computer is in need of care. Tragic. It could be otherwise.

Repair, maintenance and care of basic things are generally underappreciated and neglected – there always seems to be something „more important“ to do, for „more important“ reasons, for benefit of „more important“ people. Fields such as science and technology studies, media studies, as well as the long traditions of feminisms and engineering have conceptualised and theorised this reproductive, restorative and essential work. Within dominant systems of innovation, extraction and confusion, care is always long-term, relational, and even radical. Care is an existential question, and computer-life a fact.

This is your sign! Computer Care Day on 📆 Tuesday 2025-08-26 from 10 to 16 in 📍 room GB8/137 is an informal, communal, multilingual, hand-on, „barcamp“ style methods workshop dedicated to doing and discussing basic care of one digital item we all depend on, the computer. With inputs from Ronja Trischler, Patrizia Breil, Fabian Pittroff, Tereza Havlíková and Mace Ojala.

The event is organised by the Wissenschaftliche Serviceprojekt of the Virtuelle Lebenswelten SFB 1567.

Bring your computer. If you have good routines, habits, tips, hacks, tools, concepts, theories, critiques or questions, please come and share them.