[Noisebridge-discuss] My 2 cents. An extremely long rant for whoever wants to read/listen.

Corey McGuire coreyfro at coreyfro.com
Thu Feb 16 21:19:56 UTC 2012


Amen.

I have been biting my tongue out of fear that I'd be contribute to drama by
adding to it.  So, instead, I'm going to piggie back on this good message
and say that, while I haven't liked the weapon slinging I've seen at
noisebridge in the past couple weeks, I also didn't like seeing the hippie
punching Cynthia was subjected to, the crack head stomping even the
not-crack head occupiers have gotten, and the general hostility toward
strangers that people have been practicing...actually practicing...as if to
hone hostility as a skill.

I don't want to dilute what Justin has said, or, in deed, what I have
added, by adding too much, so I will end this here.

On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 1:04 PM, Justin Doerr <justinsfca at gmail.com> wrote:

> OK, I'm going to be honest here.
>
> The Valentine's Day Meeting was appalling for me to witness to say the
> very least. I personally got up and left the meeting at one point and
> waited for its adjournment because I noticed a lot of unhealthy
> resentment toward other individuals within the atmosphere of
> Noisebridge, even though I definitely had an important announcement to
> make. I will put that announcement on hiatus and further allot a
> period of time for people to gather their things from the e-Waste bin
> before I get some things off my chest.
>
> I'll start by saying I am entitled to feel what I feel. I feel like I
> am witnessing an unhealthy level of paranoia at Noisebridge of things
> going wrong or haywire. I for one, do not include myself in the
> "Occupy" movement, nor am I entirely against it being brought into the
> space. I feel like not everyone necessarily has to be hacking
> something within the hackerspace. I don't hack all the time. One of
> the things I've liked about coming here so far, is that I recognize
> more what my strengths and weaknesses are at this space, because as
> opposed to the realities outside of Noisebridge, this micro-society
> doesn't prevent me from doing anything I don't want to do.
>
> Sometimes I come into Noisebridge, and I get really stoned with kind
> individuals and I dunno, talk to someone who's openly expressing that
> they have suicidal thoughts, and console and comfort them in letting
> them know that everything is going to be OK. Sometimes I come to
> Noisebridge and help those who have 0 to minimal resumé building
> skills and I share my knowledge on how to make these individuals more
> appealing to employers out there, and how to hone in on a more
> suitable career path for themselves as individuals, versus building a
> general resumé that's unattractive and boring. Sometimes I come to
> Noisebridge and teach what little I know about nonviolent
> communication to those who would have, if uninformed, chosen to do
> otherwise. Sometimes I come to Noisebridge and vent my personal
> problems to random strangers, and I feel amazed at how many people
> have lent me their ears in support when I've done so. Sometimes I come
> into Noisebridge and play with little kids and teach them how to do
> things like draw new shapes, or teach them new useful vocabulary
> words. Sometimes I come to Noisebridge and other really cool
> individuals teach me things like what a "photon" is, or how Lasik
> surgery works, or why carbs are good/bad for me. I've learned how to
> solder my laptop chord, saving myself hundreds of dollars in
> purchasing a new one. I took a computer hacking class at City College,
> and I brought in one of my projects involving VMWare and asked for
> help, and someone taught me how to hack within the guidelines of the
> project, but instead applying a real life approach to it, regardless
> of the legality issues that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten away with
> at City College.
>
> I know for a fact that I am not always on my best behavior. I've slept
> here many times in the past before it became like FOR REAL
> UNEXCELLENT. I've smoked either pot or cigarettes on the fire escape
> balcony. I've forgotten to do my dishes. I've forgotten to take out
> the trash, and/or I've thrown things into the wrong disposal bins and
> pissed people off. I've gotten plastered and broke a lamp and woke up
> to Ben shaking me, and experiencing the most UNEXCELLENT hangover with
> somebody grinding a piece of wood in the shop area
> nails-on-a-chalkboard-status. Basically, I'm leaving all of the times
> I've gotten plastered within the confines of Noisebridge up to any and
> everyone's interpretation, good or bad. I've sat on Robert's feet and
> got flung off by some person, and ridiculed via Discuss list for days
> in a row for doing that. I really could go on and on about all the
> things I've done wrong and considering the fact that I choose to be
> rational about it, I accept my flaws to the best of my abilities to do
> so, as I feel that I have no guilt, shame, anger, or depression for
> not being perfect or up to some people's "standards."
>
> The point I'm trying to make is that I fear that Noisebridge is in the
> process of "hacking" itself into an oblivion, because we are
> erroneously making examples out of individuals who the community
> doesn't consider to be hackers, and are ultimately resorting to
> McCarthyism and turning Noisebridge into an arena for "witch-hunting."
> I'm feeling as if this is like another red-scare tactic resulting from
> people's paranoia of another John type of incident occurring at NB.
> There are many people here at Noisebridge whose contribution and
> skills don't necessarily involve computer hacking that come here on a
> regular basis and hang out, and are resourceful and filled with
> potential. Or hey BETTER YET, some of these people who the community
> general conceives to be "non-hackers" are just as lazy and
> irresponsible as the people who ARE "hackers" and full-time geniuses;
> I think it would be entirely unfortunate and foolish to glorify one,
> and dispose of the other for having the same unexcellent personality
> traits.
>
> So the next time someone asks me if I'm "hacking" or "working on
> something," I'll gladly provide them either a "Yes" or "No" answer,
> considering I really honestly don't care if it offends any of you if
> I'm really doing something that is proactive and educational, or
> gawking at fashion blogs, liking photos on Facebook, rocking out to
> music, playing Tetris, or looking at very naughty websites and
> giggling unapologetically. One thing is for sure, the ultimate reason
> why I come here, is because I know I won't wind up in jail, or doing
> crack and being homeless on the streets of SF. Even worse I won't be
> condemned to work at a relentlessly boring corporate cubicle slave job
> for the rest of my life. I know I'm not always grateful for what I
> have, but I'm not about to see this place turn to shit if I can help
> it. I'm sick and tired of all of the screeching that's been going on
> lately, along with the level of hatred and animosity that people who
> aren't necessarily involved in "Occupy" are outputting. I was really
> happy with last week being relatively drama-free and I really want
> this all to END. I swear, do I have to be all dramatic and turn into
> Ghandi and sit at the front gate and go on a hunger strike to get my
> point across? or can people willingly just fucking stop being
> assholes?
>
> I'm finished with my rant.
> Danke
>
> -Justin
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> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
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>



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