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What Do You Get When You Mix Awesome Code With Graffiti?

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People are usually of one of two camps when you mention graffiti. Some consider it to be synonymous with vandalism and property destruction. Others see it as a unique form of expression, or art. People have been disagreeing about the value of graffiti nearly as long as graffiti itself has existed. But one thing is for certain; graffiti has always given us great insight into cultures and civilizations, from prehistoric Paleolithic cave paintings in France all the way to the prevalence of graffiti in the Egyptian uprising of 2011.

Most graffiti—whether visual or textual—is open to interpretation, and much of it does not always communicate a message that’s understandable to the masses. That disruption continues even today.

2016-03-13_1936So why is Authy, a modern, digital, security brand, going on about graffiti? Well, like the power of spray-painted images and words, we consider code to be a new language that brings people together, tears down walls, build new communities and can elevate humanity. Think of all the amazing things that can be done with a simple line of code! That’s why we’re embracing #CodeGraffiti, a phenomenon that, like any great uprising, is starting small but—with the help of people who believe—is positioned to become a formidable movement.

Authy’s version of graffiti is a bit different and less permanent. Instead of spray paint, our medium of choice is the dry transfer sheet. You might know then as “rub-downs.” They were big in the 60s, 70s, and 80s; a time before computers became ever present. With dry transfer lettering, you could put your stamp on everything from school lockers to cassettes and VHS tapes, to posters and flyers.

2016-03-14_1832But since we’re all about code—and those who create pretty amazing things with code—our dry transfer sheets are perfect for the digital developer community. And since they aren’t permanent (they can be removed as easily as the scratch-off bar on a lottery ticket), you can show off your code just about anywhere without breaking the law.

If you’re a coder and would like to join the movement, Authy will be giving away #codegrafitti sheets at upcoming conferences and exhibits. Just stop by our booths and ask for a copy. Or you can tweet us an example of your Authy integration at @authy and we’ll snail mail a sheet to you. If you’re in downtown San Francisco, drop by Twilio HQ offices for a #codegrafitti sheet at the front desk.

When you get your sheet, choose a favorite bit of code, pick a spot to tag, and have at it. Just use a chopstick, a pencil, or any blunt object to rub over the characters or words you want to transfer. Peel back the sheet and repeat until your work of art is complete.


graffiti-example-3Take a photo and share it with your social network (and us at @authy) using the hashtag
#codegraffiti.

We’ll be bringing our first batch of #codegraffit sheets to #GDC16 (Game Developers Conference) this week in San Francisco. If you’re attending, stop by the Twilio exhibit space at booth number: 2143.  For other opportunities to grab a #codegraffiti dry transfer sheet, find us at Collision in New Orleans, Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Maryland,  AppsWorld North America in Santa Clara, and SIGNAL 2016, here in San Francisco.

Hope to soon see tons of #codegraffiti. Find out more at https://www.authy.com/codegraffiti

About the author Authy

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