[Noisebridge-discuss] Semantics

[Tony Longshanks LeTigre]

*The Reverend Mik wrote: *
*
*
*There have been a few times lately that I have come into Noisebridge, to
work, and found that there is little (if any) space to actually work on
things (unless I want to have one 24/7 Power User talking in my ear the
entire time).

I double-checked the front page of the wiki. There is no mention of this
being a "hang-out space". Yet there are a lot of times where a bunch of
people (usually that nobody in the space knows) descends on the space and
take over mucho square footage (including traffic areas, yay!) in order to
stand around and talk about how teh awesome they are, or interrupt
conversations with non sequiturs on a plethora of topics.

I'm sure that some of you are aware of how newcomers to the space seem to
believe that the table I am sitting at is the Information Table. Quite a
few regulars are incapable of looking at the wiki when someone asks about a
particular class or event, as well.*

I agree about the annoyance of being constantly asked for information by
n00bs in the space. I too am the sort of surly, irascible character who
will sometimes place my need to work above the duty of helping other
people, & respond bluntly & unhelpfully to requests that I interrupt what
I'm doing to assist so-&-so in figuring out such-&-such. That's why I
admire & appreciate the presence of people like Dan the Painter, a great
asset to Noisebridge imo, who spend vast amounts of time patiently,
thoroughly (& quirkily!) guiding newcomers through the space & making them
feel welcome. (Even though Dan annoyed me at first, as he knows, my opinion
of him has changed so much in such a short time that I'm disturbingly close
to greatly respecting him. That he doesn't know yet, & please don't tell
him.) And I hope that you, Rev. Mik, will balance your indignation (as
described above) with the awareness that other people actually go out of
their way to show you respect. I, for example, have for some time now
yielded to you my favorite spot to sit @ NB—the high table in the "cafe"
between kitchen & library. (I'm the one who created that "wall" between
cafe & library, which people seem to like; it used to be an open space
there, & I liked the more cozy & secure feeling you get w/ that barrier).
You probably didn't realize I liked that spot, because as I recall, when
you first started hanging at Noisebridge, my circumstances were such that I
wasn't hanging there too frequently; but long before I ever saw you in the
space, I sat there all the time; back in the days when a person in that
spot was invariably greeted by the sight of Laurent, the bald silent
Belgian, seated opposite in the NW corner of Turing. I remember the
unspoken power struggle I used to wage with Katherine *(sp?) *over that
very seat back in the days of what I term Old Noisebridge. No doubt someone
else occupied that seat even before me, in the ancient mists of the past.

I don't have any particular reason for yielding that spot to you, except
that I suffer sporadic bursts of being a fairly nice & courteous person, &
the sense of entitlement to the spot emanates very strongly from you
whenever you enter the space—I feel it like a wall of vinegar. Also, we've
had our differences in the past, & I believe I'm going out of my way to
atone for my part in that, because I feel you & I aren't really enemies—we
may in fact be *allies*, in certain scenarios, distasteful as the thought
may be—such is the strangeness of life, as I've experienced it. In any
case, I've yielded my favorite seat to you even though I was there first,
without ever saying anything about it until now; don't forget that the next
time you're annoyed by peoples' lack of consideration at Noisebridge.

+11+
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