[Noisebridge-discuss] [SPAM] Re: Close noisebridge, to fix noisebridge

[Mitchel McAllister]

Hitting reset doesn't fix a problem. It simply clears it out of the recent history in hopes that it won't happen again.

There are plenty of people at Noisebridge regularly who have been discussing everything that has been occurring recently. Some of them have been trying very hard to come up with ideas to help advance the real culture of Noisebridge (i.e., as a hackerspace, not as a haterspace). Unfortunately, a lot of those people do not feel that they are allowed to speak up at meetings.

Part of this has to do with actions taken lately by individuals to address "using Noisebridge inappropriately".  I'm not sure what this means anymore. Those of us who come to Noisebridge to work on our projects are suddenly being told that we're using Noisebridge wrong. And now I see comments about using the kitchen wrong, that it should only be used for food hacking.

I'm not sure how it is detrimental to Noisebridge that some of us come here because it is the only place we can work on our stuff. There are quite a few that come here to telecommute to their jobs. We've had Kickstarters launched here.  We've had other start-ups launched here, and a majority of the work on them done here, both before and after start-up.

Don't get me wrong, I happen to respect Martin. I think he is wrong on this, however. A reset is not going to solve anything, it will only postpone the discussion until next time - or the time after that, or after that, or after that...

I find it disappointing to see this kind of monochrome thinking being espoused on the list. "All homeless people out"... because nothing important or worthwhile has ever been done by a homeless person at Noisebridge? "All junkies out" (as a recent graffiti "artist" puts it)... because nobody in recovery or struggling to break out of that cycle will ever be worth Noisebridge's time? 

I will also note that, despite a number of issues with people in the space drunk, the concept of banning alcohol has never been seriously discussed, but it's okay to talk about throwing out people who might have done drugs in the past.

I also find it suspect that we can spend all this time on the list, hanging out, etc., talkin g about all the problems, but those problems rarely get brought to the meeting. We can have hackathons for EFF issues, for Aaron Schwartz, for Raspberry Pi, but we can't have one for Noisebridge, to work on our own issues with due diligence and compassion? To carefully consider the issues, the people affected by them, and the people who might be inadvertently affected by proposed solutions?

We're adults (most of us, anyway). Part of being adults is taking responsibility for the consequences of our own actions, INCLUDING the ones we don't foresee or intend to have happen. It seems people are throwing out suggestions based on "it won't negatively affect me, so it's a perfect plan."


- Reverend Mik McAllister

--- On Thu, 5/30/13, Martin Bogomolni <martinbogo at gmail.com> wrote:
It's been expressed more than a few times that there is a cultural
breakdown happening at noisebridge.   Stuff disappears from the space
(stolen or otherwise).   The kitchen area is being used for survival
cooking, not hacking food.   Drug use.   Bad behavior and unwelcome
activities.

Sometimes, to fix a problem, you need to hit the "reset" button.

You can't change the timing belt in a running engine.   I think the
same thing holds true for social spaces.   Trying to fix some of these
things on the fly in a running and working space is a
nigh-insurmountable task.

I think it would be a good idea to shut the door.  Spend a couple
weeks having a core crew come in and clean the space top to bottom,
front to back.   Neaten up the stuff.. bring things up from chaos to
something more ordered.  Change the locks and the key pattern.  It's
just a lock.  They are just keys.

Use the time to think about the way the social structure works.  How
the physical access works.  What it means to be a member vs/ a
visitor.   Re-evaluate the way things work and how things Could Be
Made Better(tm).

My $.02.

-M
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