[hackerspaces] will the fruits of our labors be used for good or for evil?

[Far McKon]

> With regard to hackerspaces, isn't part of the point that we're proving you DON'T need to accept money from bigwigs in order to make
> your vision a reality? Here we are liberating ourselves from the pursestrings, let's not jump straight back into them.

One of the Design Patterns for Hacker Spaces* is the 'Sponsoring
Anti-pattern'. They suggest (I agree strongly) that spaces should pay
rent and basic util's on something like membership fees.  Once that is
covered, if you get extra money by a grant, cool. But *don't* get your
organization beholden to the grant-givers.  Because they will and yank
your $$$ when you don't toe their line*.

Also, I dig the mention of Werner von Braun.  I once had a teacher
describe him as 'Amorality in pursuit of of Engineering' in an Ethics
of Engineering. I thought that was well put.  Work for the Nazi's
building bombs? Sure!  Work for the USA building rockers? Sure!
Amorality + Engineering in action.

> if you don't like DARPA or DoD then you should be protesting them directly. that's your right as an American. but don't
> extrapolate to say that, on the backside, any money going from those organizations directly back to the population from
> whence it came is somehow tainted blood money and the people receiving it must be sadistic soulless bastards.

I don't think I saw 'blood money' or 'sadistic soulless bastards' in
anywhere outside that single post. Rather I did see some 'You don't
have to agree, but please consider'  and 'In my mind, I would rather.'
 Which seem to me a rather polite and intelligent way to discuss a
topic of ethics/morality, all things given.

Also, I'm glad someone around here can use 'whence' properly. :)

Hack on,
- Far McKon

http://www.FarMcKon.net "Creatively Maladjusted"

* Do a refresher if you've not read this year:
http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/The_Sponsoring_Anti-Pattern

** http://jezebel.com/comcast/  ->
"Given the fact that Comcast has been a major supporter of Reel Grrls
for several years now, I am frankly shocked that your organization is
slamming us on Twitter. I cannot in good conscience continue to
provide you with funding - especially when there are so many other
deserving nonprofits in town."