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I think that allowing a space to call itself a "hackerspace" while
trying to become something more poisons the movement for everyone
else and likely ruins it.<br>
<br>
Groups like IndyMedia failed because of their insistence on
promoting a viewpoint that was extreme. This viewpoint ended up
coming into play because of individuals who got involved who had
certain attitudes. It is these same types of individuals who
contributed to IMCs being looked down upon. Tragedy of the commons
really played a role in making IndyMedia irrelevant.<br>
<br>
This same plague that took down many of the IMCs is the same plague
that can take over a hackerspace. This is the plague you want to
avoid if you want to make sure that your space does not end up
trying to become something it has no business becoming. Much of the
problems that people want to tackle that spaces have no business
being a part of should be addressed in the public sphere through
government and political activism. A hackerspace should only be
there to provide tools to assist, not solutions.<br>
<br>
Asking for diversity in hackerspaces as a whole is going to lead to
hackerspaces being looked down upon and will lead to
Noisebridge-esque jokes being hackerspace-esque instead.<br>
<br>
- Colin<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 03/07/2014 10:52, matt wrote:<br>
</div>
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cite="mid:CAP_sDUHpnpZYKNNqwJKk7L+gnvY2=xBnNuuPUQQaZLFZQ-WcBg@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
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<div>
<div>
<div> I'd think this strikes to the heart of defining the
mission of a space. At NYC Resistor we went with Learn,
Make, Share... but obviously we needed to limit some other
aspects of what we might accomplish in order to protect
the core mission.<br>
<br>
And that core mission really is the gooey center of our
community. It's something we're all on board with. <br>
<br>
</div>
So I think the question of politically activism in
hackerspaces strikes to the very core of a hackerspace as a
community. By being political you've become unwelcoming to
those who might disagree with your views, and your goals.
You've focused more on building the community you want to be
a part of.<br>
<br>
</div>
I'd say that's probably a good thing for those who are part of
that community and make that community a healthy one.<br>
<br>
That being said, I think some communities are obviously
toxic... such as what remains of Occupy. And frankly, I'd say
the same of Indymedia. It's interesting as it drives to the
core of how do you cultivate and how do you define the metric
of success for a healthy community?<br>
<br>
</div>
<div>At the same time there is the dichotomy of hackerspace as a
public utility rather than as a community. My library is not
a place I go to enjoy the company of my peers. It's a place I
go to get access to shared knowledge in the form of books.
And that's great.<br>
<br>
</div>
<div>Some spaces may want to be ran as a public utility. I
think the noisebridge model drove that direction. But some of
the members never could let go of the idea of being a
community and enjoying the benefits of that trust
relationship. They couldn't reconcile the divide between
hackerspace as a public utility and hackerspace as a
community.<br>
<br>
And I think at the core of this discussion is the question of
whether or not these two views are irreconcilable. <br>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div> </div>
</div>
</div>
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<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 1:46 PM, Randall
G. Arnold <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:randall.arnold@texrat.net" target="_blank">randall.arnold@texrat.net</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<div> Texas politics are very polarized these days and get
ugly quick, so we've tried to get our community to leave
that aspect of their lives at home. There's a strong
tea party undercurrent to our membership though, and it
is what it is. So far people have been respectful
enough to let the provocative comments be, and we
haven't had an issue. Yet. </div>
<div> </div>
<div> That said, I'm not sure how that question came out
of what I posted, which was apolitical. I do get that
societal issues CAN get political, but we've put a lot
of effort into avoiding the polarizing aspects. Things
like clean air and water aren't really political
issues-- they're politicized by people with non-maker
agendas. Restoring horned lizards cuts across all
demographics here-- everyone wants them brought back.
So in cases like these, it's easy to pull together
people of diverse political leanings. We put our focus
on the COMMON goals. </div>
<div> </div>
<div> Randy </div>
<div> Tarrant Makers </div>
<div>
<div class="h5">
<div> </div>
<blockquote
style="margin-left:0px;padding-left:10px;border-left:solid
1px blue" type="cite"> On July 3, 2014 at 12:32 PM
Al Billings <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:albill@openbuddha.com"
target="_blank">albill@openbuddha.com</a>>
wrote: <br>
<br>
Is your space welcoming to people, regardless of
personal politics or do you have to be a specific
kind of lefty/socialist/anarchist/hippy/whatever in
order to be welcome?
<div> </div>
<div> I say this as a socialist but I don’t want
there to be a political litmus test on whether
people are welcome in a space. My space has
members who, quietly on occasion, bitch about
Obama and his “agenda” with an eye roll from some
other members. We have a communist or two and
probably more than a few anarchists. Generally, I
know someone for a year or more before I even
realize their personal politics. Why? Because
we’re there to hack, not to form a political
party. </div>
<div> </div>
<div> There are definitely spaces where this isn’t
the case. If you aren’t on board with the specific
local politics (which are usually a certain
specific form of left leaning anarchism), you are
shunned pretty heavily and “don’t fit in.” I’d
rather have a Republican that wants to build a
project from salvaged computers than an anarchist
that just wants to hang out in the kitchen “food
hacking.” </div>
<div> </div>
<div> Al </div>
<div> <br>
<div>
<div> On Jul 3, 2014, at 10:28 AM, Randall G.
Arnold < <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:randall.arnold@texrat.net"
target="_blank">randall.arnold@texrat.net</a>>
wrote: </div>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div
style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px">
I disagree when you frame that as an
absolute. Sure, there CAN be negative
outcomes when a maker/hacker space or
organization has fixing societal problems as
a goal, but it ain't necessarily so. It all
comes down to defining the goal(s), having
people to support them and for members with
different goals to be respectful of each
other and not get in each other's way. </div>
<div
style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px">
</div>
<div
style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px">
If as a makerspace member I put together a
special interest group that builds remote
wildlife monitoring stations for helping
horned lizard conservation, and I don't
disrupt anyone else in the process, then I'm
positively hacking the planet and no one
gets hurt. Win-win. </div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<br>
<div> Al Billings <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:albill@openbuddha.com"
target="_blank">albill@openbuddha.com</a> <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://makehacklearn.org"
target="_blank">http://makehacklearn.org</a> </div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<div> <br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="">
<div> Randall (Randy) Arnold <br>
Developer and Enthusiast Advocate <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://texrat.net"
target="_blank">http://texrat.net</a> <br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="tel:%2B18177396806"
value="+18177396806" target="_blank">+18177396806</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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