[hackerspaces] Vetting new members

[David Powell]

On 6/17/09, Harry <harry at deds.nl> wrote:
>
>> I would not hand out a key to a new member. We have discussed
>> requiring background checks before providing keys. This is easily done
>> in 5 minutes for free in Maryland using the courts website.
>
>
> But i seem to mis the point why a state or a judge would have any role in
> your decision to hand out a key or not.
>
> Harry.
>

Because it's simply a fact of life that people with drug problems tend
to rob anyone including their own family of everything they have to
support their drub habbits. I'm not saying that a marijuana possesion
would cause me not to give you a key but a heroin possesion charge
along with a theft charge would certainly throw up a flag. I will have
my personal belongings there as well as my members personal
belongings. I feel the need to protect that stuff any way I can.

The bottom line is that none of the 5 members in my group knew each
other before I sent out an e-mail in January. Now we are all friends
but I still don't know them. I've never been to there house and have
not met their wife and kids. I simply don't know them. So before I
hand out keys to them I want to make sure I can trust them. A 35 year
old man with no criminal record is probably trustworthy. That same 35
year old man with a criminal record of drug possesions and thefts is
not trustworthy and should only be in our building when someone who is
trustworthy can keep an eye on them. We will have thousands of dollars
worth of equipment. I would like to keep it that way.

Also, another reason to do a background check is because we allow our
children to visit the club at times. If I find that someone has been
convicted of sex crimes against children then frankly I don't want to
know them. I don't want them to know where I live and I don't want
them to know anything about my kids. I don't care what their reason is
because it's not worth the risk.

Don't get me wrong. I have broken the law. I speed all the time. I'll
be the first to admit that I have smoked a little weed and taken a few
pills back in my day. But I've never stolen from anyone and I've never
touched anyone.

Sorry if you've had bad luck and have a crazy criminal history. I'm
not going to hate you for that. It's your life and you can do what you
want with it. However, I'm not going to ask you to house sit for me
while I'm on vacation either. In fact I would not even invite you to
my house unless I knew you long enough to know that you straightened
up.

Criminal history does matter.