[hackerspaces] DARPA Selects Hackerspace Space Program for contract negotiation

Wed Apr 4 00:25:52 CEST 2012

I was referring to this Hackerspaces Space Program thread. Even though I'm
not thrilled with the DARPA thing, I still plan on checking out MakerFaire
as an attendee, and not as a participant.
On Apr 3, 2012 3:06 PM, "Matt Joyce" <matt at nycresistor.com> wrote:

> Maker Faire is not ITAR =P
>
> It's a public forum.
>
> Internationals are welcome.
>
> On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 3:05 PM, Joe Bowser <bowserj at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I still have yet to hear the concerns of those of us who aren't in the US
> > addressed. I assume this is a US citizens and residents only venture?
> >
> > On Apr 3, 2012 2:58 PM, "Matt Joyce" <matt at nycresistor.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Hell anything of sufficient mass put in orbit can be used as a pretty
> >> nasty weapon.
> >>
> >> Start there.  See how far you get before the military is involved.
> >>
> >> On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 2:57 PM, Tim Miller <timmillertech at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >> > Those of us that are not strongly against military or those who
> remember
> >> > that the space shuttle was funded largely by the military to carry
> >> > weapons
> >> > and spy satellites. Maybe we fully support getting support from DARPA
> >> > and
> >> > all you that curse the name of anything military are passing judgement
> >> > that
> >> > maybe you are not warranted to give. The formation and success of NASA
> >> > was
> >> > largely because of military money.  It seems people forget where that
> >> > money
> >> > really comes from, it comes from our paychecks and if it has to get
> >> > funneled
> >> > through hell and passed out by the devil to get to where we want to
> go,
> >> > maybe that is our choice as hackers.  Defense doesn't always mean
> bigger
> >> > badder space lasers. Defense can also be making sure that the skills
> >> > needed
> >> > to maintain a country's infrastructure are intact and keep and expand
> >> > the
> >> > country's manufacturing and continue to grow the skills methods
> >> > and facilities. We have already seen what happens when you put all of
> a
> >> > type
> >> > of manufacturing ability in an one region.  The new
> grand experiment is
> >> > if
> >> > we can do better in our distributed community shops and if you have a
> >> > problem with working with people with the same goal as yours so be it,
> >> > go
> >> > join that group and sit back while the rest of us succeed in an
> awesome
> >> > manner or fail miserably knowing we tried something. And the next time
> >> > your
> >> > city is decimated by a natural disaster go up to the National
> >> > Guard member
> >> > doing everything they can to help and tell them go away you don't want
> >> > anything to do with the military.
> >> >
> >> > On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 4:43 PM, Marc Juul <juul at labitat.dk> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> On Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 4:31 PM, Jerry Isdale <isdale at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> >> > My Fellow Hackers...
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Today I got an email from DARPA stating that they have selected our
> >> >> > "Hackerspace Space Program" for contract negotiation.
> >> >>
> >> >> Interesting / Congratulations? What does that mean exactly? How
> >> >> certain is it that you will get funding?
> >> >>
> >> >> > Those who want to flame about taking government money can do so..
> We
> >> >> > just
> >> >> > wont pass any $ your way.
> >> >>
> >> >> While I am very happy to see more interest / funding for
> space-related
> >> >> hacker activities I think there are some important issues here that
> >> >> you may be ignoring. One is that by calling yourselves the
> >> >> "hackerspace space program" you are associating hackers, the
> >> >> hackerspace movement and specifically everyone working on
> >> >> space-related projects in hackerspaces with DARPA and the military.
> >> >> Knowing that there are many who are strongly anti-military, it would
> >> >> make sense to call name this project something else, perhaps
> something
> >> >> less general?
> >> >>
> >> >> This is not just government, this is military funding. That is an
> >> >> important distinction for many.
> >> >>
> >> >> If is of course your decision who you fund, but starting out by
> >> >> calling any criticism of your decision to apply for military funding
> >> >> using the hackerspace name "flaming" seems itself fairly
> inflammatory.
> >> >> The term hacker is for many associated with a strong sense of ethics,
> >> >> and it is always a good idea to be mindful of the people who disagree
> >> >> with your actions on ethical grounds, even if you end up not acting
> on
> >> >> their criticism.
> >> >>
> >> >> As you are obviously aware there are people who will be unwilling to
> >> >> work with you on this project once you accept this funding. I wonder
> >> >> if you have done any research to estimate the loss in expertise,
> >> >> manpower and ideas, or how much of a rift this will cause in the
> >> >> hacker/maker community?
> >> >>
> >> >> This news comes close to the news that the Maker Faire has accepted
> >> >> DARPA funding, so when I mention a rift in the community it may be
> >> >> bigger than just this one project.
> >> >>
> >> >> For those who are suspicious of military involvement but not outright
> >> >> unwilling to work with a DARPA funded project, it would be really
> >> >> useful to have a summary of the extent and terms of this project and
> >> >> funding: What are the strings attached from DARPA? Are there any
> >> >> countries you will not be allowed to work with and do any of them
> have
> >> >> DIY space groups or hackerspaces that will be excluded? Will you own
> >> >> the copyright to anything copyright'able you produce and will you
> >> >> control licensing / patenting? Where is the project description (can
> >> >> we read the proposal you sent to DARPA)? Who will control the funding
> >> >> and how will it be divided between project participants?  How much
> >> >> funding did you apply for and how certain are you that you will get
> >> >> it? Who are involved with this project already?
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> Marc Juul
> >> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> >> Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
> >> >> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
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> >> >
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> >> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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