[Noisebridge-discuss] why cointelpro2.0 kills community

Leif Ryge leif at synthesize.us
Fri Mar 28 01:46:40 UTC 2014


On Thu, Mar 27, 2014 at 01:18:11AM -0700, Tom Lowenthal wrote:
> I think that the criticisms in your message are aimed at me. If
> they're not, and it's someone else you're calling an awful person, a
> petty tinpot dictator, an informant, an infiltrator, a lazy and
> incompetent hijacker with awful intentions, then I apologise. Sadly, I
> think you're talking about me.

I think the informant part, at least, was likely referring to Ronald Cotoni
(who you and Al decided was a member over my objections[1]) since he is
actually known to have been an FBI informant[2].

1: https://www.noisebridge.net/pipermail/noisebridge-discuss/2014-February/042246.html
2: https://www.noisebridge.net/pipermail/noisebridge-discuss/2012-April/030267.html

I do think you're acting like a dictator. I don't have any reason to believe
you're a state-sponsored infiltrator, other than that your actions are
consistent with someone intent on destroying a community organization and that
is a thing states sometimes covertly do. It also seems plausible that you're
just doing this for the lulz.

I appreciate and agree with Rachel1.0's recent "assume good faith" message, and
I generally try to do that. Unfortunately, I stopped doing that with you, Tom,
sometime last year when you told me quite plainly, in the context of a
discussion about creating new policies at Noisebridge, that you are a "giant
troll". You literally said to me "You do know that I'm a giant troll, don't
you?". (I was surprised to learn this, and said as much.)

I regret that I haven't spent much of my recent time and energy on preventing
your bureaucratic process-trolling of Noisebridge. Living far away, as I do
now, has a lot to do with it, but I do still love Noisebridge and it saddens me
to watch your attempts at destroying it.

My recommendation to the members of Noisebridge is to have a new board
election, and elect people who aren't process fetishists. You shouldn't need
Tom's permission to do this, though I expect he'll tell you that you do.
Removing Tom's membership would also be prudent, since he has clearly shown
that he doesn't respect our consensus process.

~leif

ps: what's the story here?
https://www.noisebridge.net/index.php?title=Consensus_Items_History&diff=40845&oldid=40844
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