[hackerspaces] Out with the "hackers"... In with the, "makers" and the "fixers"

[Matt Joyce]

The only difference between a TITAN II and a falcon 9 is we don't expect
the falcon 9 to fail to hit it's target 30% of the time.

Seriously, if you think that anyone working on rocket design today thinks
there is even a chance that the DOD won't appropriate their work to more
efficiently move ordinance about, you are mistaken.  But people do it
anyway.  Not because they agree with war, or weapons of mass destruction
existing.  But because they can't stop people from misappropriating the
technology they create once they gift it to the world.  Von Braun only got
started in rocket design for the Nazi's because of the work of amateur
rocket enthusiasts in the US.  But I guarantee you most of those people
don't wake up thinking "oh god what have I done."  They wake up thinking of
mars, and europa, and asteroids.  At some point you need to make a choice
to believe in the fundamental decency of mankind or to give up on ever
believing the world can be a better place without destroying itself in the
process.

I say we bet it all on us being awesome.  Cause hell...   we are.

On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 6:27 PM, Mars Saxman <mars at redecho.org> wrote:

>
> > The reality is, DARPA funds research it is interested in.  If you are
> interested in it too, and would do it in open source anyways... then I
> don't see the issue with making that knowledge available to them.  If they
> are willing to fund your research, then yeah, you have to weigh what the
> consequences of that are.  That is responsible.  You obviously want to keep
> true to your own goals and not become a slave to someone elses.   But, if
> the goals line up... why not?
>
> We don't discuss whether we should admire Von Braun for building mass
> murder weapons; we discuss whether, and to what degree, we can admire what
> Von Braun did for civilian space travel despite his role in the V-2 project.
>
> Of course you can't prevent DARPA from ripping off your work and
> perverting it for some military use - not if you believe in freedom of
> information, anyway - but what kind of person would even consider making
> life easier for them? You're not starving, nobody is holding a gun to your
> head - have some respect for yourself.
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>
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