[hackerspaces] In defense of Noisebridge (even if I was never there!)

Thu Jul 3 20:31:42 CEST 2014

Whoops, apologies, I was trying to reply to Colin, not to Randall.

Colin, the question stands:

You're saying that there shouldn't be diversity in how hackerspaces are run?

--Naomi

On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 11:13 AM, Naomi Most <pnaomi at gmail.com> wrote:
> "Asking for diversity in hackerspaces as a whole is going to lead to
> hackerspaces being looked down upon and will lead to Noisebridge-esque
> jokes being hackerspace-esque instead."
>
> You're saying that there shouldn't be diversity in how hackerspaces are run?
>
> --Naomi
>
>
> On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 11:11 AM, Randall G. Arnold
> <randall.arnold at texrat.net> wrote:
>> Ok, good point, "politics" is a broad term.  Let me qualify my statements by
>> saying we avoid city/state/federal *electoral* politics.  Of course politics
>> isn't completely avoidable in a generic sense.
>>
>> Randy
>>
>>> On July 3, 2014 at 1:08 PM Naomi Most <pnaomi at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Most of you are characterizing the issue of whether politics "belong"
>>> or "don't belong" in hackerspaces as if it's a binary issue.
>>>
>>> You need to see politics as one of the difficulty level selectors in
>>> the hackerspace game.
>>>
>>> Noisebridge plays on Nightmare mode.
>>>
>>> --Naomi
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 11:03 AM, Randall G. Arnold
>>> <randall.arnold at texrat.net> wrote:
>>> > And I go back to my belief that it's possible (and highly beneficial) to
>>> > craft maker Do Good missions that avoid politics entirely by sticking
>>> > with a
>>> > common, necessary goal that clearly cuts across political lines. In
>>> > Texas,
>>> > water is a huge one. It *used* to be politicized, but in recent years
>>> > those
>>> > artificial walls are crumbling. Water shortages don't care what
>>> > political
>>> > party you claim-- they fuck us all equally. The worse it gets, the
>>> > easier
>>> > it is to find common ground... and avoid the trappings of politics.
>>> >
>>> > Look, career politicians love to polarize. Many even get off on
>>> > agitating.
>>> > As an independent I've quite frankly had enough. So my goal is to climb
>>> > out
>>> > of the conventional trenches, quit playing their silly game and just Do
>>> > Good. And seek out and surround myself with like-minded people. To a
>>> > large
>>> > extent that's working well. And when I run into provocateurs, I just
>>> > grit
>>> > my teeth, smile and say "bless your heart".
>>> >
>>> > ;)
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On July 3, 2014 at 12:42 PM matt <matt at nycresistor.com> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > Resistor has always had a 'leave the politics at the door' informal
>>> > policy.
>>> >
>>> > We don't tend to get involved in political shit. I mean occasionally we
>>> > all
>>> > agree something is bullshit, and occasionally someone vents some
>>> > political
>>> > frustration. But for the most part we've made sure to be welcoming to
>>> > all
>>> > political positions.
>>> > As someone who was christened by the divine paw of the bunny budha and
>>> > anointed the one true ruler of the solar system and protector of the
>>> > milky
>>> > way galaxy, I often find myself at odds with others political
>>> > situations.
>>> > But I've always been accepted at Resistor in spite of my unique
>>> > political
>>> > perspective.
>>> > We care more about hacking than any shared mandate.
>>> >
>>> > That being said, a community can form around many things. Including
>>> > social
>>> > and political causes. I could see no reason something like code for
>>> > america
>>> > couldn't become a community of like minded folks who cultivate a
>>> > community
>>> > promoting a social and political agenda. Would might maybe be great,
>>> > even
>>> > without the blessing of his divine hoppiness.
>>> > -Matt
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 1:32 PM, Al Billings <albill at openbuddha.com>
>>> > wrote:
>>> >
>>> > Is your space welcoming to people, regardless of personal politics or do
>>> > you
>>> > have to be a specific kind of lefty/socialist/anarchist/hippy/whatever
>>> > in
>>> > order to be welcome?
>>> >
>>> > I say this as a socialist but I don’t want there to be a political
>>> > litmus
>>> > test on whether people are welcome in a space. My space has members who,
>>> > quietly on occasion, bitch about Obama and his “agenda” with an eye roll
>>> > from some other members. We have a communist or two and probably more
>>> > than a
>>> > few anarchists. Generally, I know someone for a year or more before I
>>> > even
>>> > realize their personal politics. Why? Because we’re there to hack, not
>>> > to
>>> > form a political party.
>>> >
>>> > There are definitely spaces where this isn’t the case. If you aren’t on
>>> > board with the specific local politics (which are usually a certain
>>> > specific
>>> > form of left leaning anarchism), you are shunned pretty heavily and
>>> > “don’t
>>> > fit in.” I’d rather have a Republican that wants to build a project from
>>> > salvaged computers than an anarchist that just wants to hang out in the
>>> > kitchen “food hacking.”
>>> >
>>> > Al
>>> >
>>> > On Jul 3, 2014, at 10:28 AM, Randall G. Arnold <
>>> > randall.arnold at texrat.net>
>>> > wrote:
>>> >
>>> > I disagree when you frame that as an absolute. Sure, there CAN be
>>> > negative
>>> > outcomes when a maker/hacker space or organization has fixing societal
>>> > problems as a goal, but it ain't necessarily so. It all comes down to
>>> > defining the goal(s), having people to support them and for members with
>>> > different goals to be respectful of each other and not get in each
>>> > other's
>>> > way.
>>> >
>>> > If as a makerspace member I put together a special interest group that
>>> > builds remote wildlife monitoring stations for helping horned lizard
>>> > conservation, and I don't disrupt anyone else in the process, then I'm
>>> > positively hacking the planet and no one gets hurt. Win-win.
>>> >
>>> > Al Billings
>>> > albill at openbuddha.com
>>> > http://makehacklearn.org
>>> >
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > Discuss mailing list
>>> > Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>> > http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Randall (Randy) Arnold
>>> > Developer and Enthusiast Advocate
>>> > http://texrat.net
>>> > +18177396806
>>> >
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > Discuss mailing list
>>> > Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>> > http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Naomi Theora Most
>>> naomi at nthmost.com
>>> +1-415-728-7490
>>>
>>> skype: nthmost
>>>
>>> http://twitter.com/nthmost
>
>
>
> --
> Naomi Theora Most
> naomi at nthmost.com
> +1-415-728-7490
>
> skype: nthmost
>
> http://twitter.com/nthmost

-- 
Naomi Theora Most
naomi at nthmost.com
+1-415-728-7490

skype: nthmost

http://twitter.com/nthmost