<p>There is no real way to enforce sometimes members only hours, except through the kind of "you're not supposed to be here/be doing that" pissing contest that you have described having with people who are sleeping. Only then, it would have to happen every night.</p>
<p>I propose we throw out all remaining couches.</p>
<p><a href="http://mediumreality.com">mediumreality.com</a></p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Oct 13, 2011 12:43 PM, "Al Sweigart" <<a href="mailto:asweigart@gmail.com">asweigart@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Regarding the "no one is seriously suggesting members-only", sarcasm<br>
can be kind of hard to pick up on over text sometimes. But it seems<br>
that most people are against members-only. A few months ago I<br>
suggested members-only hours after midnight or such, because it would<br>
be an easy way to get the crashers out the door rather then rather<br>
than coming in at 7am (and encourage people to become members). The<br>
obvious downside is that non-members would be excluded, and pretty<br>
much everyone thought that was way too much cost than benefit.<br>
<br>
I'm open to other ideas though, if people have them. Even ones that<br>
seem (maybe only at first) like not good ideas.<br>
<br>
-Al<br>
<br>
On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 12:25 PM, Ryan Rawson <<a href="mailto:ryanobjc@gmail.com">ryanobjc@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> no one is seriously suggesting 'members only'.<br>
><br>
> Gian: the point of christina's original comment was that _everyone is<br>
> continuously trust assessing_ other people. �It's part of interacting<br>
> with others. �I think christina was more stating facts than<br>
> prescribing anti-dotes.<br>
><br>
> Rubin also has a good point too that you can't argue with some people<br>
> - some people can sleep at noisebridge but not others is hard to<br>
> explain to someone who is _really good_ at manipulating other people.<br>
><br>
> In the mean time, this thread is boring. Try to make it more dramay<br>
> but in a novel way - members only, ha!<br>
><br>
> On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 12:20 PM, VonGuard <<a href="mailto:vonguard@gmail.com">vonguard@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>> Yeah.... gonna have to say I'd block any move for going members only. I'm<br>
>> sure others would show up to block anything of the sort too.<br>
>><br>
>> On Oct 13, 2011 12:15 PM, "rachel lyra hospodar" <<a href="mailto:rachelyra@gmail.com">rachelyra@gmail.com</a>><br>
>> wrote:<br>
>>><br>
>>> If the space was members only I never would have started coming around,<br>
>>> and the same is true for many people that I have spoken with. I think the<br>
>>> openness is crucial for lowering the bar of entry for hacking. Otherwise<br>
>>> people will be all "oh, I'm not a hacker, that must not be for me" and our<br>
>>> usership will become far less diverse.<br>
>>><br>
>>> Going members-only is the LAZY way to solve the trust problem.<br>
>>><br>
>>> <a href="http://mediumreality.com" target="_blank">mediumreality.com</a><br>
>>><br>
>>> On Oct 13, 2011 12:04 PM, "Gian Pablo Villamil" <<a href="mailto:gian.pablo@gmail.com">gian.pablo@gmail.com</a>><br>
>>> wrote:<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> The thing is, constant trust assessments require a non-trivial amount of<br>
>>>> effort, especially when we have lots of new people coming through.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> The costs of constant assessment vs. benefits of radical inclusion don't<br>
>>>> balance out for me.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> A members-only policy requires the trust assessment only once.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> If I could see clearer benefits (to myself) of openness, I could change<br>
>>>> my mind.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>><br>
>>>><br>
>>>> On Oct 12, 2011, at 11:38 PM, Christina Olson <<a href="mailto:daravinne@gmail.com">daravinne@gmail.com</a>><br>
>>>> wrote:<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> >> I thoroughly agree with this.<br>
>>>> ><br>
>>>> > Cool, yay.<br>
>>>> ><br>
>>>> >> I've put in my two cents before, I don't think radical openness will<br>
>>>> >> work.<br>
>>>> >> The group of people for whom Noisebridge is a useful resource is far<br>
>>>> >> greater<br>
>>>> >> than the number of people who are hackers working on cool projects.<br>
>>>> >> Letting<br>
>>>> >> anyone in means that inevitably the hackers will be outnumbered - even<br>
>>>> >> by<br>
>>>> >> well-meaning and well-behaved groups.<br>
>>>> >> I think we should *ONLY* let people into the space who we would be OK<br>
>>>> >> to see<br>
>>>> >> sleeping or napping in the space.<br>
>>>> ><br>
>>>> > Buh? Nononononono. �You've missed my point entirely. �The point I am<br>
>>>> > trying to make is that we need to support a policy of radical<br>
>>>> > inclusionism by continually enacting trust-assessment of individuals,<br>
>>>> > by individuals, proportionate to how open we are. �Yes, radical<br>
>>>> > inclusionism and openness requires MORE INDIVIDUAL CRITICAL THINKING<br>
>>>> > AND SITUATIONAL JUDGEMENT CALLS than a regular rule based system where<br>
>>>> > we get to all sit on our asses and point at a list of rules.<br>
>>>> ><br>
>>>> ><br>
>>>> ><br>
>>>> > On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 11:28 PM, Gian Pablo Villamil<br>
>>>> > <<a href="mailto:gian.pablo@gmail.com">gian.pablo@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>>>> >> I thoroughly agree with this.<br>
>>>> >> As I see it, the problem isn't really sleeping at Noisebridge, it is<br>
>>>> >> people<br>
>>>> >> using Noisebridge as a crashpad. Sleeping overnight happens to be an<br>
>>>> >> indicator that this is taking place.<br>
>>>> >> I'm OK with naps. People get tired, and they need to sleep. For me,<br>
>>>> >> sleeping<br>
>>>> >> in a public space is a good indicator of the civic health of a place.<br>
>>>> >> I would not bother any of the NB members that I know or trust, even if<br>
>>>> >> it<br>
>>>> >> was clear they were sleeping overnight.<br>
>>>> >> I understand that a) our lease requires that we comply with city<br>
>>>> >> ordinances<br>
>>>> >> and b) those ordinances forbid residential use of the space. However,<br>
>>>> >> sporadic overnight sleeping does not necessarily imply residence.<br>
>>>> >> There are people who I would rather not see at NB, but if they have to<br>
>>>> >> be<br>
>>>> >> there, they might as well be sleeping. At least that way they're not<br>
>>>> >> stealing or pissing people off or ruining computers. The real solution<br>
>>>> >> isn't<br>
>>>> >> a ban on sleeping, the real solution is keeping untrustworthy people<br>
>>>> >> out of<br>
>>>> >> Noisebridge.<br>
>>>> >> I've put in my two cents before, I don't think radical openness will<br>
>>>> >> work.<br>
>>>> >> The group of people for whom Noisebridge is a useful resource is far<br>
>>>> >> greater<br>
>>>> >> than the number of people who are hackers working on cool projects.<br>
>>>> >> Letting<br>
>>>> >> anyone in means that inevitably the hackers will be outnumbered - even<br>
>>>> >> by<br>
>>>> >> well-meaning and well-behaved groups.<br>
>>>> >> I think we should *ONLY* let people into the space who we would be OK<br>
>>>> >> to see<br>
>>>> >> sleeping or napping in the space.<br>
>>>> >><br>
>>>> >> On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 10:19 PM, Christina Olson<br>
>>>> >> <<a href="mailto:daravinne@gmail.com">daravinne@gmail.com</a>><br>
>>>> >> wrote:<br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>> I thought a bit more about the ideas I put forth earlier, and a<br>
>>>> >>> component of tribalism, and maybe a more widely understandable<br>
>>>> >>> concept<br>
>>>> >>> in general, is the concept of trust. �We consider this concept a lot<br>
>>>> >>> as members/participants of a hackerspace: trust in computer security,<br>
>>>> >>> trust in information collection, distribution and management, trust<br>
>>>> >>> in<br>
>>>> >>> government and media, and most importantly, trust in each other.<br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>> So, the discussion about sleeping at the space is a vehicle for a<br>
>>>> >>> bigger discussion that we keep having which is actually about trust<br>
>>>> >>> and how it relates to a radical inclusion atmosphere. �If we<br>
>>>> >>> radically<br>
>>>> >>> include EVERYONE, we put everyone on a level playing field, and apply<br>
>>>> >>> the same amount of trust equally to everyone. �This is a warm fuzzy<br>
>>>> >>> goal we all hope can one day be applied safely in the world but in<br>
>>>> >>> our<br>
>>>> >>> current reality it's kind of a dangerous thing. �An<br>
>>>> >>> "institutionalized" atmosphere of trusting everyone, or trusting no<br>
>>>> >>> one, leads to a situation where individuals can't trust each other,<br>
>>>> >>> and trying to artificially create the thing we call "sense of<br>
>>>> >>> community" breaks it down in the long run. �Trust is built over time,<br>
>>>> >>> through consistency in actions and situations. �We wouldn't wake<br>
>>>> >>> Miloh<br>
>>>> >>> up if we saw him sleeping, why? Because we've seen him and talked to<br>
>>>> >>> him and formed a model of him in our heads. �His actions are<br>
>>>> >>> predictable, strongly trended towards positive towards the space and<br>
>>>> >>> the members who know him. �We TRUST him. �Some random person who<br>
>>>> >>> walks<br>
>>>> >>> in for their first meeting, or attends one class, or comes in and<br>
>>>> >>> starts bothering people or stealing things, they are (you guessed it)<br>
>>>> >>> NOT TRUSTED. �They have to prove over time via actions and presence<br>
>>>> >>> that they can be trusted.<br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>> Trust defines ingroups and outgroups. �Trusted networks have<br>
>>>> >>> computers<br>
>>>> >>> that you can connect to without worrying about firewall restrictions;<br>
>>>> >>> similarly, trusted individuals are ones you can express more<br>
>>>> >>> vulnerabilities in front of. A state of trust carries with it<br>
>>>> >>> privileges endemic to the ingroup, and removing that state of trust<br>
>>>> >>> relegates the trustee to the outgroup. �This is a necessary social<br>
>>>> >>> function, which prevents humans with their current set of wetware,<br>
>>>> >>> from being either too vulnerable to the point of danger, or so closed<br>
>>>> >>> off that survival (formerly life-and-death, now social survival)<br>
>>>> >>> becomes impossible or extremely difficult. �Food and resources are<br>
>>>> >>> shared with trusted members of a group; the group members have proven<br>
>>>> >>> that they are contributors and not simply leeches that make the lives<br>
>>>> >>> of the other group members harder.<br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>> All this abstraction is leading back to a specific response to Al. �I<br>
>>>> >>> believe that the trust model being applied to sleepers at noisebridge<br>
>>>> >>> is correct and valid, for the reason that it preserves and nurtures a<br>
>>>> >>> sense of community, and a subtle but necessary active and evolving<br>
>>>> >>> in-group/out-group state. �The extent to which Noisebridge opens<br>
>>>> >>> itself to all and practices radical inclusion leaves a few serious<br>
>>>> >>> vulnerabilities that are easily taken advantage of, which have been<br>
>>>> >>> experienced as theft, druggies and homeless people using the space as<br>
>>>> >>> crashspace, and strange people making community members feel<br>
>>>> >>> uncomfortable. �Keeping an unwritten, nebulous, movable and mutable<br>
>>>> >>> trust code will not only keep us a little safer and more tight knit,<br>
>>>> >>> it will incentivize people who want to become trusted and be part of<br>
>>>> >>> the community, and dissuade unsuitably-motivated outgroupers, and by<br>
>>>> >>> the way this is NOT WRONG and is a GOOD THING.<br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>> So:<br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>> 1. We absolutely should be okay with trusted community members taking<br>
>>>> >>> naps at the space because we know *they will not abuse this<br>
>>>> >>> privilege*, or any of the other privileges they accrue through<br>
>>>> >>> maintaining their trustability. �If they do things to degrade their<br>
>>>> >>> own trustability they should be handled individually and accordingly.<br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>> 2. We should also feel free to wake up people who are NOT trusted<br>
>>>> >>> community members and ask them who they are and why they're here.<br>
>>>> >>> Some people will give satisfactory answers; some will not. �This is<br>
>>>> >>> where you all have to put on your Big Kid Thinking Caps and use good<br>
>>>> >>> judgement on the fly.<br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>> And yes, I think you all who want to make rules for dumb shit like<br>
>>>> >>> sleeping on couches are intellectually lazy and don't want to bother<br>
>>>> >>> to do the critical thinking required to keep your community safe.<br>
>>>> >>> �Eat<br>
>>>> >>> it.<br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>> I disagree with Duncan's reply that was sent before i finished typing<br>
>>>> >>> this one, that there is "no problem to be solved"; however I think<br>
>>>> >>> the<br>
>>>> >>> problem to be solved is not "should people be allowed to sleep at<br>
>>>> >>> noisebridge" but rather "how do we constructively and comfortably<br>
>>>> >>> integrate two apparently conflicting concepts: a policy of radical<br>
>>>> >>> inclusion designed to draw in new members, and maintaining a strong,<br>
>>>> >>> tightly knit community with a high level of trust". �Sleeping,<br>
>>>> >>> kitchen<br>
>>>> >>> use and cleanliness, resource usage, theft, harassment, signs,<br>
>>>> >>> welcoming committees, the doorbell, are all subtopics of this<br>
>>>> >>> continued internal debate. �There's no magic bullet, guys. �We all<br>
>>>> >>> have to keep practicing trust and trustability.<br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>><br>
>>>> >>> On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 8:57 PM, Al Sweigart <<a href="mailto:asweigart@gmail.com">asweigart@gmail.com</a>><br>
>>>> >>> wrote:<br>
>>>> >>>> Rubin, I want minimize drama, which is exactly why I'd like people<br>
>>>> >>>> to<br>
>>>> >>>> talk about this and try to resolve it instead of it being a<br>
>>>> >>>> perennial<br>
>>>> >>>> conflict like it's been. Right now it's not about a specific person,<br>
>>>> >>>> which is a perfect time to talk about it. This way it doesn't<br>
>>>> >>>> degenerate into "I like/dislike person X, which is why sleeping at<br>
>>>> >>>> the<br>
>>>> >>>> space is fine/a problem."<br>
>>>> >>>><br>
>>>> >>>> I don't want to bring it up at a meeting because it'll probably be a<br>
>>>> >>>> long conversation and I didn't want to force everyone to sit through<br>
>>>> >>>> it (or force people to chose between staying at a two hour meeting<br>
>>>> >>>> or<br>
>>>> >>>> going home and being excluded.) Email's great for this kind of<br>
>>>> >>>> discussion: people don't have to immediately respond to everything<br>
>>>> >>>> and<br>
>>>> >>>> only the people who want to participate do.<br>
>>>> >>>><br>
>>>> >>>> And from the number of people on this thread, people apparently do<br>
>>>> >>>> want to talk about this. A few people are saying "sleeping overnight<br>
>>>> >>>> is not a problem" and others are saying �"even napping is a<br>
>>>> >>>> problem",<br>
>>>> >>>> but the way the issue is, if we shut down any discussion about it,<br>
>>>> >>>> it's essentially giving the sleepers a free pass except for the rare<br>
>>>> >>>> occasions when the Noisebridge-is-not-for-nappers folks are there to<br>
>>>> >>>> wake people up.<br>
>>>> >>>><br>
>>>> >>>> I want to hear people's reasons why they think napping is okay<br>
>>>> >>>> because<br>
>>>> >>>> I don't think there are any valid reasons (but maybe I'm wrong.)<br>
>>>> >>>> What<br>
>>>> >>>> I don't want to hear is people saying "let's stop talking about it"<br>
>>>> >>>> or<br>
>>>> >>>> "it's not a problem and this discussion should end". There are<br>
>>>> >>>> people<br>
>>>> >>>> who have a problem with it and it's not fair to ignore their<br>
>>>> >>>> complaints by trying to get them to shut up.<br>
>>>> >>>><br>
>>>> >>>> I'm against napping in the space, but I don't want to get my way<br>
>>>> >>>> because I was able to badger enough people into submission or get a<br>
>>>> >>>> loud enough group on my side. I want to listen to other people and<br>
>>>> >>>> encourage them to speak their mind. It's clear there's no consensus<br>
>>>> >>>> on<br>
>>>> >>>> this, but maybe we can figure out some kind of middle-ground besides<br>
>>>> >>>> people continually bugged about the sleepers and the sleepers<br>
>>>> >>>> continually bugged about being woken up or told to leave.<br>
>>>> >>>><br>
>>>> >>>> It doesn't need to be resolved ASAP, it just needs to stop being put<br>
>>>> >>>> off. So let's talk about it.<br>
>>>> >>>><br>
>>>> >>>> -Al<br>
>>>> >>>><br>
>>>> >>>> On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 7:35 PM, Just Duncan <<a href="mailto:justduncan@gmail.com">justduncan@gmail.com</a>><br>
>>>> >>>> wrote:<br>
>>>> >>>>> AMEN!<br>
>>>> >>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>> Very well put, Rubin!<br>
>>>> >>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>> To those whose view of Noisebridge is primarily through the<br>
>>>> >>>>> discussion<br>
>>>> >>>>> list,<br>
>>>> >>>>> know that Noisebridge is excellent.<br>
>>>> >>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>> As someone who is a regular part of the Noisebridge community,<br>
>>>> >>>>> people<br>
>>>> >>>>> sleeping here is not a problem. �Culturally, the community here<br>
>>>> >>>>> handles<br>
>>>> >>>>> things quite well using thoughtful, situational ethics and is<br>
>>>> >>>>> strongly<br>
>>>> >>>>> protective of the space, the community, and each other.<br>
>>>> >>>>> �Noisebridge<br>
>>>> >>>>> works<br>
>>>> >>>>> and doesn't need chaperones or self-appointed draconian<br>
>>>> >>>>> authoritarians<br>
>>>> >>>>> whose<br>
>>>> >>>>> sole purpose for a visit to Noisebridge is to tell people what to<br>
>>>> >>>>> do.<br>
>>>> >>>>> If<br>
>>>> >>>>> people in the space need help, we have the new 311 system on the<br>
>>>> >>>>> red<br>
>>>> >>>>> payphone to get assistance and it works brilliantly, when needed.<br>
>>>> >>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>> Unless Al's answer to Rubin's question is "yes", let's let this<br>
>>>> >>>>> thread<br>
>>>> >>>>> die a<br>
>>>> >>>>> drama-less death.<br>
>>>> >>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>> This thread is in no way relevant to Noisebridge at present.<br>
>>>> >>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>> On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 5:05 PM, Rubin Abdi <<a href="mailto:rubin@starset.net">rubin@starset.net</a>><br>
>>>> >>>>> wrote:<br>
>>>> >>>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>>> Why are we having an email discussion about this?<br>
>>>> >>>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>>> Al: Have you been to Noisebridge recently, has someone sleeping in<br>
>>>> >>>>>> the<br>
>>>> >>>>>> space offended you?<br>
>>>> >>>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>>> Is there an apparent problem that needs attention ASAP?<br>
>>>> >>>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>>> --<br>
>>>> >>>>>> Rubin<br>
>>>> >>>>>> <a href="mailto:rubin@starset.net">rubin@starset.net</a><br>
>>>> >>>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>>> _______________________________________________<br>
>>>> >>>>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list<br>
>>>> >>>>>> <a href="mailto:Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net">Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net</a><br>
>>>> >>>>>> <a href="https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss" target="_blank">https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss</a><br>
>>>> >>>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>><br>
>>>> >>>>><br>
>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________<br>
>>>> >>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list<br>
>>>> >>>> <a href="mailto:Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net">Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net</a><br>
>>>> >>>> <a href="https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss" target="_blank">https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss</a><br>
>>>> >>>><br>
>>>> >>> _______________________________________________<br>
>>>> >>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list<br>
>>>> >>> <a href="mailto:Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net">Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net</a><br>
>>>> >>> <a href="https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss" target="_blank">https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss</a><br>
>>>> >><br>
>>>> >><br>
>>>> _______________________________________________<br>
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>>><br>
>>> _______________________________________________<br>
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>>><br>
>><br>
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>><br>
>><br>
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