[hackerspaces] Safe Space Policies?

Ronald Cotoni setient at gmail.com
Tue Jan 28 02:39:22 CET 2014


<rant>
I am starting to agree with Matt and saying that a sign/policy is not
necessary since it is common sense that we should be nice and not harass
people.  The problem is that common sense isn't exactly so common, if it
were, we would no longer have sexual harassment lawsuits.  People would be
dealt with in a quick and timely fashion when they act out in an
inappropriate manner.

I would love to live in a world where signs and policies that are common
sense would just be the norm.  For spaces like Noisebridge, it does not
work since everyone has different ideas of excellence.   It also might work
better in other countries where people are raised with different values and
have different norms in their society.

I think each space is a unique snowflake and should do what works best for
it but take what other spaces do with a grain of salt.

</rant>


On Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 5:27 PM, Danny O'Brien <danny at spesh.com> wrote:

> If it's at all handy for you, Noisebridge's anti-harassment policy was
> consensed on last week. There was a trial run for a few weeks, and
> worked out the disagreements on github:
> https://github.com/noisebridge/anti-harassment
>
> I think it's really useful for different hackerspaces to have
> different approaches to this. If somebody wants to gather together the
> various versions on the wiki and link to them, that would let consult
> the diffs and see what they'd like to use.
>
> d.
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 2:41 PM, Brendan Halliday <wodann at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Thank you to everyone who has contributed constructively to this thread
> to
> > provide your experiences with Safe Space Policies. Especially those who
> gave
> > helpful suggestions on how to make sure the culture of the space matches
> its
> > goals closely. (Mine is founded on a base of equality under the
> > hackerspace's roof, and a Safe Space Policy helps to demonstrate and
> enforce
> > that. Yours may not be so YMMV. :))
> >
> > Just for future context, only one member out of the 20 at the meeting
> voted
> > against it and that's because he was upset that the group wouldn't let
> him
> > read the policy then and there - we expect people to read and understand
> > agenda items before the meeting and provide digital versions a week
> > beforehand and printouts on the day.
> >
> > It's interesting also to notice the amount of white (I'm going to assume
> cis
> > male) men on this mailing list dictating there is not a problem with a
> > 'hackerspaces' culture, when there's many examples of how many problems
> > there are with very closely related events and groups regularily in the
> news
> > and on this mailing list. (I hate to pick on Noisebridge but they're a
> very
> > prime example.)
> >
> > Again, thank you to the constructive, helpful repliers. I hope the rest
> can
> > eventually hack their attitude to be the former!
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Jan 28, 2014 at 5:23 AM, Cecilia Tanaka <
> cecilia.tanaka at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> Dear Michel,
> >>
> >> I hear that. And I understand.
> >> I just don't care.
> >>
> >> Hugs from Brazil!
> >>
> >> (Sorry, I am too far to participate in your hackerspace, Mark! :-)
> >>
> >> Ceci
> >>
> >> On Jan 27, 2014 4:07 PM, "Michel Gallant" <sfxman at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> You hear that, women? You can participate, but you have to do what this
> >>> man says first.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Tue, Jan 28, 2014 at 1:06 AM, Mark Janssen <
> dreamingforward at gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Okay foo(l)s.  Here's the thing.  The hackerspace meme and world has
> >>>> not "matured" sufficiently to be handling ideologies.  Everyone just
> >>>> back the f*k off, so that these good people can get things done and
> >>>> end the banter that they don't have the means to control.
> >>>>
> >>>> I strongly suggest, no more questions regarding policy-making,
> >>>> policies, governance, funding, and such until the meme comes back
> >>>> together.  Women you're more than welcome to participate, please just
> >>>> come over here first.
> >>>>
> >>>> markj
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> Discuss mailing list
> >>>> Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
> >>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> Discuss mailing list
> >>> Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
> >>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> >>>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Discuss mailing list
> >> Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
> >> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> >>
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Discuss mailing list
> > Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
> > http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss mailing list
> Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>



-- 
Ronald Cotoni
Systems Engineer
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