[Noisebridge-discuss] Consensus item for next week - Member- & Guest- Only Hours

Al Sweigart asweigart at gmail.com
Wed Jul 13 06:31:52 UTC 2011


I'm putting up an item for consensus next week. Here's the wording,
followed by a personal FAQ for questions that I think people might
have about it:

"From 11pm to 8am are members-only hours at the space. During this
time, only members and at most two guests per member accompanied by
the member may be at the Noisebridge space."

Please email me and the list with any questions/concerns/changes you'd
like to see. I've tried to make this a reasonable proposition, but am
open to suggestions.


FAQ

Q: "Why is this being put up for consensus?"

A: In the last several months there has been a large problem of people
sleeping at the space and also using it as a general social and party
place instead of a workshop where people come to build things and
hack. A rule like this is something that requires buy in from the
entire community. Without consensus there will be conflict and
confusion between individuals who enforce this and those who enforce
the opposite with equal authority.



Q: "How does this solve some of the problems Noisebridge has?"

A: This puts a firm timeline on when people who are not involved with
Noisebridge as members for when they need to leave. Otherwise, it
becomes a normal habit for people to come to Noisebridge without a
particular purpose or project in mind, and then hang out for several
hours, sometimes crashing at the space because it's easier to stay
until morning than leaving.



Q: "Why is there a limit on the number of guests?"

A: If there is no limit, this puts social pressure on any members at
the space to let a large crowd of non-members stay at the space (even
if they don't really know them that well). It can be very intimidating
for a lone member at the space to tell a crowd of people who they
don't know very well that they are not their guest and need to leave
(think of how many Facebook "friends" aren't friends but people you
didn't want to refuse to friend). The easy thing to do is not confront
people and let them stay anyway. Having a limit ensures that members'
"guests" are actually their guests.



Q: "Aren't there a lot of people who aren't members use the space at night?"

A: Yes. But there are three points: 1) 11pm is fairly late as it is
(and is up for negotiation), and there is no restriction for people
being in the space before then. 2) Non-members can still come in as
guests of members 3) People who make use of the space to the point
that they are here on their own late at night should become members.



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