[Noisebridge-discuss] Fwd: non-excellent couch behavior

Sat Nov 14 01:03:23 UTC 2009

I haven't read that yet, but it Aestetix says so, I'm appeased....but srsly,
can we have our couch back? Id treat it as a harmless prank when it comes
back. I like that couch.
mer

On Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 5:01 PM, aestetix aestetix <aestetix at gmail.com>wrote:

> I think everyone is overreacting. There has been a thread going offlist
> about this which clarifies everything. It was intended as a harmless prank
> (from what I understand, I wasn't aware of it until this happened).
>
> I'm really unhappy with Kelly's email, because it automatically polarizes
> everyone who reads it. Shannon, is there a decent way to respond to this
> publicly that will prevent yet another stupid fucking flamewar from breaking
> out?
>
>
> On Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 4:45 PM, meredith scheff <satiredun at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>> I just got to noisebridge and saw the couch and this message.
>>
>> I am also appalled. Why yes, that is a quaint place to put a couch. Moving
>> it up there the first time was somewhat-lolz. moving it back was downright
>> selfish.
>> Aside from the reasons  listed by kelly, we often have enough people to
>> fill the couches in the couch circle, now we have one less. It seems that
>> the reason it was put up there was so someone can have a cute little
>> personal nap space; putting a single person's wishes/wants in front of
>> -everyone elses-; taking a communal thing and making it personal. The
>> screwing it down is like an extra little "Fuck You" to the multiple people
>> who took it down and the [everyone] that would sit on it otherwise.
>>
>> I am joinging kelly in wondering if i want to be part of a space that
>> seems so bent on just creating pranks, drama, and jouvinile attitudes; in
>> front of, you know, making stuff.
>>
>> -Meredith
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 7:30 AM, Kelly <hurtstotouchfire at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> At some point last week, some people moved one of the couches up on
>>> top of the darkroom.  Haha, do-ocracy prevails, we all appreciate you
>>> taking initiative.
>>>
>>> However, the darkroom is not totally light-tight yet and we still need
>>> to do construction on the ceiling, so this is highly inconvenient.
>>> Additionally, even once the darkroom is completed, this isn't a great
>>> idea.  We certainly feel that some of that space can be used for
>>> storage, but anything that would involve people climbing up there
>>> frequently will probably shift the ceiling and create light leaks.
>>> We've currently been working on caulking the cracks between the boards
>>> to eliminate the remaining light leaks, but if people are going up
>>> there all of the time, this could be a never-ending problem.
>>> Furthermore, we need to install a ventilation duct up there, and that
>>> will be even harder to keep light-tight.
>>>
>>> More furthermore, would any of those involved in the construction of
>>> the ceiling care to comment on the safety of this venture?  I'm not
>>> actually informed about that myself.  Several non-darkroom people
>>> expressed concern about this, and discomfort with the couch being up
>>> there.
>>>
>>> So, last night Andy, Jason, Meredith, Sai (?) and I took the couch
>>> back down and returned it to the couch circle.  Many people expressed
>>> gratitude at its return.  And thus do-ocracy prevailed again.
>>>
>>> Apparently sometime last night the couch was returned to the roof of
>>> the darkroom, and... screwed into place? (I'm in disbelief)
>>>
>>> If you feel that none of our concerns about having the couch up there
>>> are valid, then please discuss them with us before manifesting your
>>> will again, because it's clear that not everyone is in agreement.
>>> Furthermore, we could use some reasons why the couch needs to be up
>>> there at all.  And if in the end, a significant contingent of people
>>> still feels that your arguments for the couch's belonging on the
>>> darkroom are not sufficient then you need to take one for the team.
>>> Sometimes we have to not get our way so that people will feel safe and
>>> welcome in the space.
>>>
>>> At this point I'm having serious doubts about my ability to be
>>> involved in Noisebridge long term.  There's a lot that I enjoy about
>>> it, and I've actually been getting more involved lately, and trying to
>>> make a point of contributing to welcoming new people and peacemaking
>>> during various episodes of douchebaggery.  But it seems, often, like
>>> our one rule "Be excellent to each other" is too vague for some
>>> members (or space-goers) to understand.  I'm not threatening to quit,
>>> but this really upsets me.  This kind of behavior is turning
>>> Noisebridge into the kind of place that lots of really productive,
>>> contributing members feel the need to distance themselves from,
>>> because a few people seem to think that the rules apply to them
>>> differently.
>>>
>>> To be fair, we all know that some of our membership doesn't always see
>>> the opportunity to be excellent on the first try.  Or, apparently, the
>>> second.  I encourage whoever was involved to take the opportunity now,
>>> and I think that they also owe the space reparation for their
>>> persistently thoughtless behavior.  For instance, you could take the
>>> couch back down and bring this up for discussion in a meeting.
>>>
>>> -Kelly
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>>> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> doing stuff and making things
>> ---
>> "A traveler. I love his title. A traveler is to be reverenced as such. His
>> profession is the best symbol of our life. Going from - toward; it is the
>> history of every one of us. It is a great art to saunter." -Henry David
>> Thoreau
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> doing stuff and making things
>> ---
>> "A traveler. I love his title. A traveler is to be reverenced as such. His
>> profession is the best symbol of our life. Going from - toward; it is the
>> history of every one of us. It is a great art to saunter." -Henry David
>> Thoreau
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>
>>
>

-- 
doing stuff and making things
---
"A traveler. I love his title. A traveler is to be reverenced as such. His
profession is the best symbol of our life. Going from - toward; it is the
history of every one of us. It is a great art to saunter." -Henry David
Thoreau
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