[hackerspaces] Refugee Memberships...

Wed Dec 2 17:42:16 CET 2015

there's a lot of hackerspaces doing not-tech things too, such as
woodworking, metal working, and many other sorts of things, and not just
with power tools.  don't be so quick to generalize on what a hackerspace
means to anyone.

On Wed, Dec 2, 2015 at 10:32 AM Randall Arnold <randall.arnold at texrat.net>
wrote:

> The thing is, Matt, your original remark came off as utterly dismissive,
> not qualitative.  It seems now that you didn't mean it that way... but as
> someone who just knows you through your writings here and elsewhere, I was
> surprised to see it.
>
> Moving on.
>
> Randy
>
> On December 2, 2015 at 10:27 AM matt <matt at nycresistor.com> wrote:
>
> Danyelle, we've known each other a while.
>
> And I can tell you that the 'hood' in the US for the most part is
> lightyears different from the 'hood' in most of the undeveloped world.
> Pretty sure you realize that.  And I'm not saying joe/sally kid from
> anywhere can't learn.  Every kid can.  But sally and joe adult who have had
> a lifetime to grow and solidify who they are are not about to get down and
> dirty with the bitscape while facing off with all the shit in the world
> being thrown at them.
>
>
> Rest of thread,
>
> And while I will agree there are no doubt bad ass syrian developers /
> hackers out there.  Most folks will not have any exposure to technology or
> the fundamentals necessary to succeed with it.  I am not saying don't try.
> I am saying be prepared to go a hell of a lot slower than you ever have
> before.  And be prepared to realize you are not equipped or prepared to
> deal with what you get.  And yes our refuge process is expensive and time
> consuming resulting usually in allowing in only the most resolute and
> prepared.  But, that's no reason to go making assumptions about anything.
>
> If you can push on through and succeed.  Happy happy Joy joy etc.  If not,
> well... lessons can be learned if you document the experience.
>
> Not saying don't try.  Just, be ready for something very different from
> what you envision and a hell of a lot more frustrating.  I had a co-worker
> like a decade and a bit back.  From a small town in backwater bumblefuck
> kenya.  He was the next in line for the tribal leadership so the tribe got
> together and paid to get him educated in America.  Kid went into software,
> and I met him as a bad ass j2ee dev.  Fun dude.  He never went home ( aside
> from visits), but did buy them a ton of cattle every year.  But, he
> explained to me once that his grandmother would never believe that he'd
> been aboard an airplane.  The idea was anathema to what she knew of the
> world.  And that sort of anathema is HARD to get people to climb over.
> Especially in adverse conditions.  That's what I've experienced in
> undeveloped countries.  And that's something I think the US and Europe
> largely do not have a notion of.
>
> -Matt
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 2, 2015 at 11:17 AM, Danyelle Davis <ddavis at codetemptress.net>
> wrote:
>
> Funny thing is.. when I started in the computer industry someone was
> surprised that there are "computer people in the hood".  Just because the
> area may not be known for it doesn't mean interest isn't there.  Just the
> right materials is needed.
>
> On Wed, Dec 2, 2015, 11:13 AM Sam Ley <sam.ley at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I appreciate that some hackerspaces are looking for ways to become a good
> resource for resettling refugees. I have a friend who spent many years
> volunteering with refugee resettlement groups here in Colorado and always
> reminded people how much refugees are disconnected from the basic services
> of society, and how just introductions to people and services in the
> community means a lot for their successful resettlement.
>
> Regarding tech bases, Syrians in general are quite a bit better educated
> than the neighboring countries - until recently it was considered
> prosperous for the region. And since it takes resources to flee, we are
> getting the most educated groups - among adult Syrian refugees admitted to
> the US, their level of education is higher than the US population at large,
> meaning if you approached a group of adult Syrian refugees for hackerspace
> membership, you'd be more likely to get college educated people than if you
> approached a random group of US citizens.
>
> Syria may not have a huge tech industry or a lot of exports (certainly not
> now), but that doesn't mean the citizens are dumb, or otherwise not
> interested in or in need of educational resources once they arrive.
>
>
> http://www.newsweek.com/who-exactly-are-syrian-refugees-we-have-already-taken-397795
>
> https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/09/25/syrian-refugee-crisis-and-higher-education
>
> -Sam
>
> On Wed, Dec 2, 2015 at 9:00 AM, Danyelle Davis <ddavis at codetemptress.net>
> wrote:
>
> Lol wow.
>
> On Wed, Dec 2, 2015, 10:59 AM Danilo <mail at dbrgn.ch> wrote:
>
> Am Mi, 2. Dez 2015, um 10:44, schrieb matt:
>
> Syria is not known for it's tech base.
>
>
> Yeah, people form Syria are primitive people that dwell in caves and don't
> have any education whatsoever.
>
> https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/Syria
>
> Cheerio from the enlightened central Europe
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