[hackerspaces] A New Hacker Has Joined Your Party!

[Ross Smith]

Far, I don't know that I've ever properly seen the side of the
hackerspace movement that you're referring to - not that it isn't
there, but that my exposure to it has been very limited.  I've always
seen these spaces through a lens of personal development, more than
activism and advocacy.  I suppose what I'm getting at is, I don't mean
to hijack anyone's party.  And now that you've mentioned this facet of
things, it seems I have some learning to do.

On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 3:39 PM, Far McKon <farmckon at gmail.com> wrote:
> Just to play devils advocate, I worry about some of the themes coming
> out in this thread.
>
> I worry that the socially aware 'we need to keep our agility and
> ability to do what we think is best' hackerspace movement is shifting
> into a 'we need good PR, and to create more startups' makerspace
> movement.
>
> Both are legitimate ideas, and both are legitimate movements.  I
> personally have lot more interest in things like
>  * teaching the people our education system is failing, and
>  * reclaiming the term hacker
>  * advocating for an open network, and sane copyright/culture laws
>
> and a lot less interest in :
>  * creating a startup incubator
>  * watch well educated white males meet and network with more well
> educated white males
>  * make friends with city council, making  501(c)3 status, etc.
>
> Each of these small changes in direction are not too bad, but each one
> alters the velocity and direction of the community, and (IMHO) is
> steering it away from a direct action, hands on community I originally
> got interested in.
>
> Fablabs/Makerspaces overlap a lot with hackerspaces, but I think we
> should let them split apart more. I think 'makerspaces (and I include
> my own space in that group) are watering down the original spirit of
> hackerspaces, and undermining what I love(d) about the community. It's
> activism, it's hand-on, and it's distrust (and avoidance) of
> out-of-the loop 'authority' systems.
>
> Other opinions?
> - Far
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss mailing list
> Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>



-- 
Ross Smith
i3Detroit President
www.i3detroit.com

"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually
right." -- Henry Ford