📡 Meshtastic 101
2025-11-16 10:30 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Join us for an introduction to Meshtastic, an application that lets you send private text messages over the air using pocket-sized LoRa radio transceivers. We’ll show you how to flash the latest Meshtastic firmware to the device, customize the settings, and start chatting with your friends.
Here’s a link to our zine on LoRa + Meshtastic.
Register:
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name/pseudonym:Email address:EmailConfirm EmailPurchase a transceiver kit:Stationary Heltec Lora32 V3 kit w/ 5dBi antenna - $38.88Portable Heltec Lora32 V3 kit w/ case - $41.04(prices include sales tax)Instructor donation:$0 / donate later$5$10$15$20Recommended $5–$15Credit card info: *CardName on CardComments or questions?Submit

✏️ The Writing Room
2025-11-18 17:00 - 19:30, 2025-11-25 17:00 - 19:30
Come co-work with other writers in three 40-minute units of silent writing. Writers and projects of any type welcome. 10-minute breaks and accountability check-ins between units. BYO coffee, water, computer chargers, notepads, etc.

👁️ Intelligence History Reading Group: 'Triple Cross' by Peter Lance
2025-11-19 19:00 - 20:30
Stay tuned for details!

⚡️ Beginner Soldering: Flashing LED Circuit
2025-11-21 13:00 - 14:00
In this workshop you’ll learn the basics of soldering by building a tiny oscillator circuit with two transistors and two LED lights. No previous experience needed!
Register:
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name/pseudonym:Email address:EmailConfirm EmailPurchase a kit:Flashing LED Circuit Kit - $3.50(prices include sales tax)Instructor donation:$0 / donate later$5$10$15$20(recommended $5–$15, notaflof)Credit card info: *CardName on CardComments or questions?Submit

🐍 Python Install Session
2025-11-22 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-11-23 10:30 - 11:30

🐍 Python Script-Along: Download Podcasts to an MP3 Player
2025-11-22 11:30 - 12:30, 2025-11-23 11:30 - 12:30
One of the reasons it’s hard to leave home without a cell phone is that it’s nice to listen to podcasts while you’re walking around. In this workshop you’ll learn to write a Python script that downloads the latest episodes of your favorite shows to an MP3 player (or a folder on your desktop if you prefer).
If you’re able to install Python 3 and the beautifulsoup4 package ahead of time, you can show up at 11:30 a.m. Otherwise you should join us at 10:30 a.m. for an hour-long Python installation session. No additional registration required!
Bring a laptop (any OS) and an MP3 player or USB drive if you have one. We’ll have MP3 players and microSD cards for sale but they aren’t required to complete the project.
Register
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name/pseudonym:Email address:EmailConfirm EmailInstructor donation:$0 / donate later$5$10$15$20(recommended $5–$15, notaflof)Credit card info: *CardName on CardComments or questions?Submit

🐍 Python Script-Along: Download Podcasts to an MP3 Player
2025-11-23 11:30 - 12:30
One of the reasons it’s hard to leave home without a cell phone is that it’s nice to listen to podcasts while you’re walking around. In this workshop you’ll learn to write a Python script that downloads the latest episodes of your favorite shows to an MP3 player (or a folder on your desktop if you prefer).
If you’re able to install Python 3 and the beautifulsoup4 package ahead of time, you can show up at 11:30 a.m. Otherwise you should join us at 10:30 a.m. for an hour-long Python installation session. No additional registration required!
Bring a laptop (any OS) and an MP3 player or USB drive if you have one. We’ll have MP3 players and microSD cards for sale but they aren’t required to complete the project.
Register
coming soon!

🚧 Make Your First Website
2025-11-26 18:00 - 20:00
Make a home page like it’s 1999! Join us at Iffy Books for a new workshop called Make Your First Website, led by Ragman a.k.a. Richard Green. You’ll learn the basics of HTML and create a static site on the free hosting service Neocities. No experience necessary!
Please bring a laptop if you have one. We’re suggesting a $5–$20 donation for this workshop, no one turned away for lack of funds.
Register:
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name/pseudonym:Email address:EmailConfirm EmailChoose one:I'll bring a laptopI'll use a lab computerInstructor donation:$0 / donate later$5$10$15$20$25$30(suggested $5–$20)Credit card info: *CardName on CardComments or questions?Submit

⏳ Pico LED Hourglass Workshop
2025-11-29 10:30 - 12:30
Learn to make a programmable game timer and dice with a Pi Pico microcontroller! First you’ll solder six LEDs, two switches, and a vibration motor to the board’s GPIO pins. Then you’ll install and customize the CircuitPython code that makes it work. No experience needed!
You’ll need to buy a kit for $8.50 to complete this project.
• RP2040/Pi Pico board
• wood base w/ pilot holes
• 6 LED lights
• vibration motor
• push button switch
• 4 screws w /spacers
Instructions & starter code
Register
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name/pseudonym:Email address:EmailConfirm EmailBuy a kit:Pico Hourglass Kit - $9.18(price includes tax)Instructor donation:$0 / donate later$5$10$15$20$25(suggested $5–$15)Credit card info: *CardName on CardComments or questions?Submit

📝 One-Time Pad Encryption Workshop
2025-11-30 10:30 - 11:30
Join us for a workshop on one-time pad encryption! We’ll walk you through a technique for sending truly private messages without a computer, using 6-sided dice to generate random numbers. We’ll use an encoder/decoder sheet that fits on a single sheet of paper and can be recreated from memory.
You can find the workshop materials here: Double Dice One-Time Pad Workshop
Register:
Coming soon!

📝 One-Time Pad Encryption Workshop
2025-11-30 10:30 - 11:30
Join us for a workshop on one-time pad encryption! We’ll walk you through a technique for sending truly private messages without a computer, using 6-sided dice to generate random numbers. We’ll use an encoder/decoder sheet that fits on a single sheet of paper and can be recreated from memory.
You can find the workshop materials here: Double Dice One-Time Pad Workshop
Register:
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name/pseudonym:Email address:EmailConfirm EmailInstructor donation:$0 / donate later$5$10$1520(recommended $5–$10, notaflof)Credit card info: *CardName on CardComments or questions?Submit

🐧 E-Z Command-Line Encryption with OpenSSL
2025-11-30 11:30 - 12:30
At this workshop you’ll learn to create passphrase-protected files using OpenSSL, a command-line program that’s probably already installed on your computer. With this technique you can send encrypted files via email/Dropbox, then share the passphrase with the recipient on a secure channel (e.g., Signal). Useful for avoiding surveillance & data mining!
Save message:
echo "My secret message ❤️" > example.txt

Encode:
openssl aes-256-cbc -a -in example.txt -out message.enc.txt

Decode:
openssl aes-256-cbc -d -a -in message.enc.txt -out plain-text.txt
Register
Coming soon!
Photo CC-BY-SA Mark Dickson

🐧 E-Z Command-Line Encryption with OpenSSL
2025-11-30 11:30 - 12:30
At this workshop you’ll learn to create passphrase-protected files using OpenSSL, a command-line program that’s probably already installed on your computer. With this technique you can send encrypted files via email/Dropbox, then share the passphrase with the recipient on a secure channel (e.g., Signal). Useful for avoiding surveillance & data mining!
Save message:
echo "My secret message ❤️" > example.txt

Encode:
openssl aes-256-cbc -a -in example.txt -out message.enc.txt

Decode:
openssl aes-256-cbc -d -a -in message.enc.txt -out plain-text.txt
Register
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name/pseudonym:Email address:EmailConfirm EmailChoose one:I'll bring a laptopI'll use a lab computerInstructor donation:$0 / donate later$5$10$1520(recommended $5–$10, notaflof)Credit card info: *CardName on CardComments or questions?Submit
Photo CC-BY-SA Mark Dickson

🪐 Speculative Futures Reading Group: 'Planetes Book 1' by Makoto Yukimura
2025-12-03 19:00 - 20:30
The Speculative Futures Reading Group meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m.! This month we’re discussing Planetes Book 1 by Makoto Yukimura. (Illustrated by Makoto Yukimura, translated by Yuki Johnson, adapted by Anna Wenger & Brendan Wright.)

⚡️ Beginner Soldering: Flashing LED Circuit
2025-12-05 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-12 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-19 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-26 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-02 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-09 13:00 - 14:00
In this workshop you’ll learn the basics of soldering by building a tiny oscillator circuit with two transistors and two LED lights. No previous experience needed!
Register:
coming soon!

🏠 IndieWeb Homebrew Website Club
2025-12-07 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-01-04 18:00 - 20:00
Homebrew Website Club is a growing world-wide network of meetups for everyone who wants to take back their web experience from social media silos, and own their online identities & content, or just want support with blogging!

⚙️ Neo-Luddite Reading Group: 'Technics and Civilization' by Lewis Mumford
2025-12-11 18:30 - 20:30
➡️ Virtual Meetup Link
Discord: Email neoluddite@victorgom.es for an invite!
Full schedule: victorgom.es/neoluddite
If you’re joining for the first time, I’d suggest you read this before anything else for brief context: What the Luddites Really Fought Against by Richard Conniff.The only expectation is that you read the chapter(s) of the book that’s listed for that meeting. You’re still welcome to participate if you haven’t done the readings as long as you are mindful. For each chapter, I’ve also noted some optional readings for context, so I’d suggest checking those out rather than reading ahead in the book. And remember, if you ever find yourself struggling with any of the readings or concepts, reach out! Either directly to me over email or to the entire group over discord.

🚂 Model Internet Club
2025-12-13 10:30 - 12:30
The Model Internet Club is back! Join us every third Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for an informal meetup focused on building small-scale computer networks.
No registration needed for this event! If we run out of space we can expand into our back yard area.

👁️ Intelligence History Reading Group
2025-12-17 19:00 - 20:30

🪐 Speculative Futures Reading Group
2025-12-31 19:00 - 20:30
The Speculative Futures Reading Group meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m.!

💾☀️ Permacomputing + Solarpunk Meetup
2026-01-07 18:30 - 20:00
The Permacomputing + Solarpunk meetup is the first Wednesday every other month at Iffy Books! You can join us in person (404 S. 20th St., PHL) or remotely via Jitsi Meet.
➡️ Virtual meetup link
From Permacomputing.net: Permacomputing is a more sustainable approach to computer and network technology inspired by permaculture. Permacomputing is both a concept and a community of practice oriented around issues of resilience and regenerativity in digital technology. In a time where computing epitomizes industrial waste, permacomputing encourages a more sustainable approach, maximizing hardware lifespans, minimizing energy use and focussing on the use of already available computational resources. We do this because humans are part of nature and technology is an extension of humans, and we acknowledge that technology has been used to harm nature. We want to find out how we can practice good relations with the Earth by learning from ecological systems to leverage and re-center existing technologies and practices. We are also interested in investigating what a permacomputing way of life could be, and what sort of transformative computational culture and aesthetics it could bring forward. If you want to know more, please start reading about what is permacomputing in essence, and then dive into its principles.
Permacomputing Aesthetics: Potential and Limits of Design Constraints in Computational Culture by Mansoux, Howell, Barok, and Heikkilä (2023)
