[Noisebridge-discuss] Membership consensus and blocking

[Ceren Ercen]

I'm not trying to start another flamewar, I promise. Requisite smiley 
goes here. :)

But in the interest of sanity, I'd like to remind the membership and 
potential membership of (what is at least my understanding) the approval 
process.

1) Dear Member, if you're not happy about an incoming member candidate, 
it is Your Responsibility To Try To Work Your Shit Out with that person 
in the 4-week period between the name being entered in the binder, and 
the consensus vote.

Yes, Member, you're expected to be the bigger person and step up and try 
to fix whatever drama you have, or at least resolve it in a reasonably 
mutual way that doesn't leave you feeling uneasy about that person's 
membership.

You are in the advantaged position in this situation, so take the lead 
in trying to resolve things. This might not always end up working, but 
you are expected to give it a genuine good-faith effort.


2) Let's halt this fast-tracking members crap. Yes, it seems like a 
clever way to hold a impromptu rah-rah vote-of-confidence in 
SomeNewPerson's being a CoolDude. However, I think it actually sucks. A 
lot.

(I'm seriously planning to block the next early-induction attempt. I 
haven't yet because I didn't want it to be about any person in 
particular, and explaining myself at the time would be putting that 
person up for membership in an unjustly awkward spot.)

- If you're a member and can't make it to the space within a month, and 
haven't met the new person or read the binder in that time, tough 
noogies. But if you're a member and you haven't made it to the space in 
a week or two, you suddenly get no input on an incoming member's 
vote/consensus? That's sucky.

- Going back to "It's your responsibility to work shit out," the 
fast-tracking gives current members no chance to Work Shit Out with an 
incoming member, instead forcing them to make a Big Deal and publicly 
block consensus. Not cool, putting both the current and incoming members 
on the spot like that. We have a process that lets current members avoid 
being the Bad Guy, and I don't think we should be casually taking that 
privilege away.

" If an existing member has a problem with one of the applicants,
they should take time during that month to try and resolve the problem."
https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/Noisebridge_Membership

tl;dr,
- Ceren