[Noisebridge-discuss] Let's talk about: "Rights" section

[Al Sweigart]

There's a lot of talk on the mailing list about the latest board policies.
I'd like to focus on segments individually so that discussion can happen
about which parts people agree with an which parts people don't.

Do not be mistaken: the membership still has the power to change
Noisebridge policy with a 2/3 consensus. Policies are not written in stone
and are open to change, just as they have always been.

This thread concerns the "Rights" section on
https://github.com/noisebridge/bureaucracy/blob/master/membership.md which
reads:

=====
The following rights are afforded to members in good standing. If a member
is delinquent, they are not entitled to these rights.

1. A member is entitled to participate in membership meetings.
2. A member is entitled to participate in election of the board.
3. A member is entitled to be at Noisebridge at any time, to have the means
to obtain entry to Noisebridge, and to bring guests to Noisebridge and to
host them there while the member is also present.
5. A member is entitled to access the list of all persons who are members.
=====

My commentary: I don't have a problem with most of these. I can see
potential problems with part 1 though: I know Kevin and others have
expressed that they think anyone at the space, member or not, should be
able to participate at the meetings.

I could see member meetings being "members-only" if the barriers to
membership were greatly lowered. As it is right now though, I think the bar
to become a member is still to high and should be lowered. I'd be open to
revoking/rewording this part of this section.

Another potential issue is with number 3. It might be easy to miss paying
dues (though online payments can make this less likely), but I wouldn't
want a member to feel like they couldn't access the space because of a
short term slipup. (Though the item doesn't say they *can't* come into the
space, nor that they couldn't be the guest of another member. But I'd like
some softer language on that.)
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