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There's one other thing I'd like to add -- and again, I'll explicitly state that this is my point of view:<BR>One of the reasons I'm so high on hackerspaces, and why I go around the world helping them, and helping people start them, is that they are places where people explore and do what they love. And they do this whether or not it makes them money. Nothing wrong with making money doing what you love -- in fact I wholeheartedly hope that we will all find ways to do that! But it is not about the money. It is about doing what we love (whether or not it makes money). Again, this is my point of view, and I'm not trying to tell anyone else how to motivate themselves. But when grant money comes into play, then people may start changing what they do to make it more likely to receive the grant money, rather than exploring and doing what they love. And I think that is a shame. <BR> <BR>If doing some stuff at hackerspaces starts becoming about receiving grant money, then those projects may start receiving higher priority than other projects being done "merely" because people love them (but that won't receive grant money). If that happens, then that can make people self-censor themselves at hackerspaces. And I think that would be a shame.<BR> <BR>If doing some stuff at hackerspaces is funded by grant money, then it is possible that the grant givers may imply (or hackerspace members may believe it is implied) that doing certain things will make it more likely that they will receive more grant money the following year. And, conversely, doing certain other things may make it less likely to receive more grant money the following year. This can make people self-censor themselves at hackerspaces. And I think that would be a shame.<BR> <BR>Hackerspaces don't actually *need* a lot of money to do awesomely cool stuff! Look at all of the amazing things that have already come from hackerspaces, and with very little funding. We need *enough* money -- and that amount may not be all that much. Again, there is nothing wrong with funding. But it is not about the funding. It is about doing what we love. <em>(And, if people do what they love, then not only are they adding more fulfillment to their lives, but also making it more likely that projects that they love will go out into the world, and making the world a better place for those around them, too. And when people do what they love, it is highly likely that others will like what they love. And those others will want to support the people who are doing those projects -- 'cause they love them. And, in our culture, that often means that those others may be willing to pay the people doing the projects so that they may continue to do those projects (and/or provide products spawned from those projects). Wouldn't it be awesome if more people got enough money doing what they love to keep doing what they love? To me, this is *the* definition of a successful life.)</em><BR> <BR>Again, this is why I love hackerspaces. Everyone has their own reasons. I do want to encourage everyone to explore theirs. And to make their own choices based on who they are and what they truly think is best for themselves, for those around them, and the world we all share.<BR> <BR>Best,<BR>Mitch.<BR> <BR> <BR>--------------------<br> <BR><div>> Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2011 02:00:40 +0100<br>> From: moritz@hackerbus.eu<br>> To: discuss@lists.hackerspaces.org<br>> Subject: Re: [hackerspaces] will the fruits of our labors be used for good or for evil?<br>> <br>> +1 Mitch<br>> <br>> Wonderfully stated. Thank you.<br>> <br>> On 04.12.2011 23:57, Mitch Altman wrote:<br>> > My view is a bit different. You don't have to agree, but please<br>> > consider: DARPA is a government agency that exists to further its<br>> > goals. It seems to me that those goals are to make things easier and<br>> > better for hurting and killing other people. It seems to me that this<br>> > is why they exist. If people working for DARPA are giving grant money<br>> > away, it is to further the goals of DARPA. This isn't to say that good<br>> > things can't be done with DARPA money. But DARPA is spending this money<br>> > explicitly to further the goals of DARPA -- and it *will* be used to<br>> > further those goals.<br>> > <br>> > Werner von Braun was an incredible visionary. He wanted to explore<br>> > space! It was his lifelong dream. He found an opportunity for funding<br>> > his dream when Hitler offered to pay for him to make rockets. Those<br>> > rockets were used to destroy the lives of civilians in London in the<br>> > form of V2 missiles. After the war, he was eventually hired by NASA to<br>> > make rockets that eventually became the basis of the US space program. <br>> > Was this a good trade off? I know how I feel. I don't want to tell<br>> > others what to do, or what to think or feel. Please make up your own mind.<br>> > <br>> > In my mind, I would rather change projects than hurt others in order to<br>> > fulfill the goals of my project. But, before changing projects, perhaps<br>> > there are other means of funding it, or allowing the project to<br>> > proceed. Those other means are way worth exploring.<br>> > <br>> > One other point I feel is worth considering: A powerful method of<br>> > marketing is to associate PRODUCT X with a warm and fuzzy feeling. <br>> > Repeat that enough times, and enough people subconsciously associate a<br>> > warm-fuzzy feeling with PRODUCT X, and sales of PRODUCT X go up some<br>> > percentage. PRODUCT X can be dish soap, a soft drink, a TV show, a<br>> > political candidate, a banana republic dictator, green-washing corporate<br>> > image -- anything the people paying for the marketing request. PRODUCT<br>> > X can also be DARPA. If we make more warm and fuzzy associations with<br>> > DARPA (by using their money for what we feel is *good*), then some<br>> > people will more likely feel it is OK to work for an agency to further<br>> > the goals of DARPA -- and those goals may not be in line with what you<br>> > believe is of true benefit to you and those around you. Or it may. <br>> > Again, please think this through for yourself. And please make a<br>> > conscious choice.<br>> _______________________________________________<br>> Discuss mailing list<br>> Discuss@lists.hackerspaces.org<br>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss<br></div> </div></body>
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