[hackerspaces] Thread to move: Hacking the Spaces

[Joe Bowser]

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webmind wrote:
> 
> Sorry, but this is a discussion list, if this place is not for
> discussing the history, future and theory on hackerspaces. Then what is
> it for?
> 
> Although maybe the discussion got a bit nasty, any topic can go like that.
> I do think that it was a useful one, and good to have. And I hope to see
> more discussions en content on this list, ideally with less frustration.
> And if people leave because there is traffic on the list, I fail to see
> why they subscribed in the first place. A discussion mailing list, is
> IMHO a place to have discussions, and discussions generate content.
> 
> In short, I wouldn't agree with the choice of splicing the lists into
> more lists one 'needs' to subscribe to.

I agree.  The issue is that there clearly are spaces that are political
and spaces that aren't.  I honestly hope that the people that disagree
the most with discussion aren't speaking for their hackerspace, because
that would be unfortunate.

I think that partisan politics have no place in the Hackerspace movement
(and every time I see that Obama quote in the Make, I throw up in my
mouth a bit).  However, I feel that a wholesale rejection of politics
has thrown things out the window like a discussion on tolerance and
privilege, which is difficult to bring up with those who have it.
Furthermore, given the demographics of who participates in Hackerspaces,
most of us (myself included) have some form of privilege, whether it be
race, gender, sexual orientation, economic or social.  It's important
that we have the tools to deconstruct that and make decisions and real
world things that deal with these social problems.

I do think that these discussions should probably be done in person
though.  I'm hoping that there'd be space at Toorcamp, and I think that
Vancouver Hacker Camp would be happy to host such a workshop there if
there's no other space for it.

Joe
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