You hit the nail on the head as to what I was thinking, aestetix. I just spent the weekend peeling children off of heavy sharp metal balls only to have their parents complain to me that their children not be treated thus (if they even notice). I say our obs should not be treated thus. We pretty much came to the consensus that the orbs were not for children, and it was a mistake to ever think otherwise.<br>
<br>Noisebridge is not FOR children. It is for hackers. Helping people to understand this prevents Bad Things.<br><br clear="all">Christie<br><br>---<br>"I want us all to think about new and creative ways to engage young people in science and engineering, whether it's science festivals, robotics competitions, fairs that encourage young people to create and build and invent -- to be makers of things, not just consumers of things."<br>
<br> - President Obama in address to National Academy of Sciences April 27, 2009 <br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 3:01 PM, aestetix aestetix <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:aestetix@gmail.com">aestetix@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
I think the real issue here is not that NB is "adult themed", but that it is NOT "kid themed". I can imagine a lot of people bringing their kids by with the illusion that NB is a public facing science fair exhibit, with all kinds of activities with a friendly nature geared towards children. After all, we were at the Maker Faire, right?<br>
<br>Those same people could come to NB, expecting the same amount of extroversion and outgoingness that all the vendors at Maker Faire had, only to discover (1) there's a lot of discussion, conversation, swearing, etc that is not intended for children's ears (2) nobody is going to drop everything and gently explain what they're doing and get the kid involved.<br>
<br>If such parents arrive with heightened expectations, they will be really disappointed, and even offended. I don't mind the occasional "can you tone it down a bit, my kid is here" from a member who brings their kid, but if the conversation and action turns into an expectation of targeting children, it will stifle a lot of what's going on. It's the same ethic that parents use when they mute their TV during a racy scene in a tv show because they don't want their kids exposed.<br>
<br>Ultimately the fault of such conflicts is on the parents/teachers for being retarded. I would almost be in favor of a monthly "open house" for the public, but that puts pressure on people to create projects for kids to see, and also turns noisebridge into a museum of exhibits, which it isn't. I don't want to be completely xenophobic, but I also don't think we need to overextend ourselves to people who ultimately contribute nothing and are there to gawk.<br>
<font color="#888888">
<br>aestetix</font><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 2:39 PM, Christie Dudley <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:longobord@gmail.com" target="_blank">longobord@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Well, the determination to keep plans, once made, might propel them into our space on Weise. Ever had a kid you told you were going to do something fun and then not done it? Besides, it's only a few hundred feet to our door - barely enough distance to get nervous and turn back, especially if you aren't observant.<br>
<br>As for adult themes, I was thinking specifically of the Arse Technica poster at the top of the stairs and the "map of kink" at the bottom of the stairs. Not a question of nudity or whatnot, so much as "what does that mean?" questions that are hard to answer. (Although it doesn't take a lot of imagination to interpret the Arse Technica poster.)<br>
<br>Although Kelly's comment illustrates my point pretty well. Many of us are not accustomed to having children around and don't really even notice things that most parents worry about. Many of the parents associated with our space are pretty cool with their kids and the exposures they have, but this doesn't translate to all parents. I think it's an excellent thing to do to give people enough information to make an informed decision for themselves and any children they may be responsible for.<br>
<br clear="all">Christie<br><br>---<br>"I want us all to think about new and creative ways to engage young people in science and engineering, whether it's science festivals, robotics competitions, fairs that encourage young people to create and build and invent -- to be makers of things, not just consumers of things."<br>
<br> - President Obama in address to National Academy of Sciences April 27, 2009 <br><div><div></div><div>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 2:25 PM, Kelly <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:hurtstotouchfire@gmail.com" target="_blank">hurtstotouchfire@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
See, here's one of the perks of our location. If they can make it<br>
down Weiss, I'm not sure we can offend them.<br>
<br>
Incidentally, I don't particularly think that Noisebridge is "adult<br>
themed" at present, but I would welcome a decor trend in that<br>
direction. And as to warning people on the wiki, I guess I'd say do<br>
what thou wilst.<br>
<br>
-K<br>
<div><div></div><div><br>
On Thu, May 28, 2009 at 7:41 PM, Christie Dudley <<a href="mailto:longobord@gmail.com" target="_blank">longobord@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> It seems to me that "policy" would be the wrong word to use in a place where<br>
> the running paradigm is "do what thou wilst". If people feel like letting<br>
> folks into the space, then that will probably happen.<br>
><br>
> It strikes me as wise to have maybe a page on the wiki advising potential<br>
> guests of what to expect in the space. I can see difficult situations<br>
> avoided if parents understand that we prominently display adult themed<br>
> materials as well as our "use your own judgement" safety policy. Maybe<br>
> getting a visitor contact up there who can make arrangements to meet them<br>
> would be neat.<br>
><br>
> Then again who reads the wiki anyway. People will continue to come<br>
> unannounced and unprepared.<br>
><br>
> On May 28, 2009 5:40 PM, "Josh Myer" <<a href="mailto:josh@joshisanerd.com" target="_blank">josh@joshisanerd.com</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
> On Thu, May 28, 2009 at 05:36:40PM -0700, Seth David Schoen wrote: ><br>
> Christoph Maier writes: > > > ...<br>
><br>
> They've clearly picked up the hope others have abandoned on the hack<br>
> shelf.<br>
><br>
> (It's stashed behind the dead CD-ROM drives, if you've missed it)<br>
> --<br>
> Josh Myer 650.248.3796<br>
> <a href="mailto:josh@joshisanerd.com" target="_blank">josh@joshisanerd.com</a><br>
><br>
> _______________________________________________ Noisebridge-discuss mailing<br>
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