[Noisebridge-discuss] noisebridge / the door is fucked up

[bfb at riseup.net]

> Jake and all,
>
> I understand your frustration, because it's one I've had too. I think that
> there are a few people at Noisebridge who like it being a clubhouse or a
> place with free rent (but only for their friends, not the general public,
> of course) and use consensus so that they can prevent anyone from changing
> this. For all the anarchist rhetoric, Noisebridge is the most conservative
> organization I've ever been a part of.
>
> People sleeping overnight at the space has been a problem FOR YEARS.
> People living out of the space and storing their personal things there has
> been a problem FOR YEARS.
> Being unable to get rid of people who abuse and steal from others or
> regularly get stoned/drunk/loud/unexcellent has been a problem FOR YEARS.
>
> The bylaws of Noisebridge (our Constitution, as it were) state that the
> board of directors makes all the executive decisions for the organization.
> It's just that the board has deferred to the consensus process in the
> past.
> I believe this is precisely why these problems are so hard to fix,
> including when I served on the board in 2011.
>
> Members have gotten tired of this, which is why a board that wants to take
> a more active hand in stopping these abuses has been voted in.
>
> Jake, I know we're going to have to start proving ourselves with deeds
> instead of just words, but you're a great contributor to the space. Making
> Noisebridge more welcoming to hackers like you is exactly what we want to
> do in 2014.
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 5, 2014 at 11:29 PM, Adrian Chadd
> <adrian.chadd at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> On 5 March 2014 23:27, Jake <jake at spaz.org> wrote:
>> > not much, i was just stirred to action by the self-congratulatory
>> progress
>> > of electing a meaningless board while the ship that is noisebridge
>> slowly
>> > fills with sewage while waiting for a crew.
>> >
>> > what was i supposed to do, threaten to hold my breath until changes
>> are
>> > made?
>>
>> I believe the answer is "grab a plunger" ?
>>
>> (which you did, right?)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -a
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Charles and all,

I understand your frustration, because it's one I've had too. I think that
there are a few people at Noisebridge who like it being a clubhouse (but
only for their "normal" friends, not the general public, of course) or a
place to exercise power over others and use policy to maintain this. For
all the anarchist rhetoric, Noisebridge is the most conservative, and at
times backwards, organizations I've ever been a part of.

Thank you Al for providing me a pattern to express my thoughts in a way
that maybe you will hear.

"Seriously" concerned about trying to create culture with policy,
Kevin