[Noisebridge-discuss] noisebridge credit line - cashflow cushion / lasercutter

Patrick Keys citizenkeys at gmail.com
Tue Jan 11 00:54:06 UTC 2011


I appreciate the calm and civil tone of your response.  Please (please!) 
hear me out on this:
I'm looking at the printed copy of the Noisebridge by-laws that were 
kept in the membership binder.  I'm presuming at quick glance that it's 
the same document as found here:
https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/Bylaws

According to the bylaws, Noisebridge is a corporation.  A corporation is 
legally a business because its not a natural human person.  According to 
the bylaws, "The purpose of this corporation is to promote and encourage 
technical, scientific, and artistic skills through individual projects, 
social collaboration, and education."

A business does not imply a sleazy profit-driven organization. The 
business of Noisebridge, as defined by its bylaws, is the activities I 
just described.

In business school (once again - please hear me out!), most of the 
classes are called "Principles" of something.  "Principles of 
Accounting", "Principles of Management", "Principles of Finance", etc. 
Rules say things arbitrarily need to be done a certain way. 
"Principles", on the other hand, means "this is an approach that is 
known and accepted to work".

If a laser cutter is bought for Noisebridge, then it belongs to 
Noisebridge and its a very nice and expensive Noisebridge asset.  You 
could accomplish the same exact goal of having a laser cutter with much 
less effort and faster by just donating money to Noisebridge and letting 
Noisebridge buy the laser cutter itself on credit and paying it off over 
time.

Once Noisebridge actually has a laser cutter, I'm sure all sorts of new 
people will also want to show up and use the laser cutter.  They'll show 
up, donate to Noisebridge like everybody else, and that lasercutter will 
get paid off real quick.

This laser cutter situation is a textbook case of a routine business 
finance issue ("how do we buy an expensive new asset?").  I was just 
trying to offer some helpful advice based on my formal education.

Give me a damn break already.


Patrick



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