[Noisebridge-discuss] Charging for classes at Noisebridge

[Rachel McConnell]

Liz Henry wrote:
<snip/>
> About payments and fees: I think it's a bit repugnant to try and trick
> people into valuing a class more because you force them to pay money for
> it.    If no one comes to your class, then you find out that you need to
> teach something different and more compelling.  Either it's good and
> wanted and needed enough for people to bother, or it isn't.

I don't believe anyone is suggesting 'tricking' people by requesting a
class fee.  It is however the way human beings work, to value something
more if they have given something in exchange.  This is why lawyers who
give free legal services to needy people have so very many no-shows.
It's the concept of having skin in the game, which has almost nothing to
do with how good the game itself is.

Also, there is no suggestion of 'forcing' anyone to pay, if only
because, how?

Finally, and Liz this isn't something I saw in your post but have seen
others imply, Noisebridge the entity does not now, and never has, run
any classes or events.  Individuals or ad-hoc groups run classes or
events *at* the space that Noisebridge provides, free, for anyone to use.

The discussion here is not about whether *Noisebridge* should charge for
classes.  It is about whether we, the community, want to encourage,
discourage, or ignore, individual teachers who wish to hold a class at
Noisebridge, and charge their students for it.

There are good and valid arguments both for discouraging this practice
and for encouraging it.  We may not ever come to a resolution, and I
personally think that is fine.

Rachel