[SpaceProgram] Request: accountability frameworks for makerspace governance?

Sat May 28 08:18:10 CEST 2016

Regards,
Michael Turner
Executive Director
Project Persephone
K-1 bldg 3F
7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
turner at projectpersephone.org
http://www.projectpersephone.org/

"Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward
together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

On Sat, May 28, 2016 at 12:28 PM, cole santos <cksantos85 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Every iota of every fund was tracked. Im sure some accountant has it
> somewhere. Its why i didn't get all our projects funding(most didnt). The
> reporting requirements exceeded the value of the contract by an order of
> magnitude. In almost all cases each project bit off more than it could chew
> with funds avail. On the admin side, I got this grant funded under a
> friends lcc because no one else could get it done. I didn't have the balls
> to quit my job to run it. So I pushed it on the founder of our local
> makerspace. For better or worse he didnt really want to do it, saw it as a
> burdensome thing. Because of that they did not spend the money to create a
> lasting program. The whole thing was very complicated in the beginning, but
> once the contract was awarded to a sole proprietorship, the mojo flew out
> the door. Jerry felt like he had liability so he saw making decisions with
> no group input as necessary to his financial well being. Most likely scared
> of being sued by disgruntled makers who complain alot...
>
> On Thu, May 26, 2016 at 5:14 PM, Michael Turner <
> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> "I don't necessarily subscribe to Michael's statement "every iota of
>> effort on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending can
>> be recorded"."
>>
>> Let me be literal: "Can be" is not "will be" or "must be". It's just the
>> capability. Used to the degree that's called for.
>>
>> And here's what that literal requirement came out of, more so than the
>> SpaceGAMBIT debacle: going to Kenya on a mission to set up a hacking-themed
>> non-profit. You know, Kenya? Where corruption is a way of life? The high
>> life, for the big winners of that game?
>>
>> I went to Kenya with an idea in mind: femtosatellites that can now be
>> built for around $100 in parts cost could be great educational tools for
>> getting kids excited about "bare-metal programming", instrumentation and
>> electronics generally. With only ~$10,000, I might supply 100 East African
>> schools with an actual spacecraft. (Stretching the definition of spacecraft
>> a little.) I even brought along a KickSat Sprite development kit to
>> demonstrate to people. I had plans to make 20 more kits back home, kits I'd
>> need put together myself, for $2,000 in fab costs and parts.
>>
>> But I also went to dip a toe in the water. What would it really be like,
>> trying to do that? I didn't want it to be one-time-only. I didn't want it
>> to be fire-and-forget. I wanted to build an organization there. I had
>> longer-term goals, going beyond these femtosats. And that meant figuring
>> out how to keep the money coming.
>>
>> Before I went, I spoke about my plans with a guy here in Tokyo who'd been
>> to Kenya several times in search of organizations to fund -- and in
>> particular, to learn how to responsibly spend the donations he was
>> collecting from members of his Tokyo society. I told him what I wanted to
>> do. He just looked at me, furrowed his brow, and said nothing.
>>
>> I came back from Kenya with quite a few stories. I told him these
>> stories. He nodded. He said, "I met with over 100 non-profits and
>> community-based organizations in Kenya. I found only five I felt I could
>> trust."
>>
>> This was demoralizing -- so far beyond my own merely-anecdotal evidence
>> that I couldn't deny what the major challenge was: becoming tightfisted,
>> suspicious, and controlling. It's not my nature. But I am software
>> engineer. (Or was.) Could it be automated to any degree?
>>
>> And there was hope, suddenly: I exchanged email with a Kenyan database
>> analyst and admin who'd done work for such organizations. She said the ones
>> that managed to not piss off and alienate donors -- the ones that could
>> survive and execute on a strategy that amounted to more than just finding
>> yet another one of those donors that's born every minute -- were the ones
>> that installed down-to-the-penny accounting systems and
>> down-to-the-half-hour accountability frameworks.
>>
>> I want a framework that CAN scale down to the resolution of a penny
>> because, in places where pennies matter, there are always people who will
>> try to rob you of them. And if you lose a significant amount of money to
>> internal corruption, enough to think of taking the theft to court, well,
>> good luck with that. Because then you're up against /external/ corruption.
>> The judge is always the thief's nephew's best friend's father-in-law's
>> uncle, or else can be had for a bribe.
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Michael Turner
>> Executive Director
>> Project Persephone
>> K-1 bldg 3F
>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>
>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward
>> together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>
>> On Fri, May 27, 2016 at 8:53 AM, Paul Szymkowiak <paulszym at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Having been involved in the "hackerspace space program" and the
>>> subsequent "Space GAMBIT" projects being discussed here from the beginning,
>>> and also having been a moderator for previous interactions Michael Turner
>>> has had on mailing lists associated with these efforts, I'd like to add a
>>> few comments.
>>>
>>> Sam, I have also worked with a number of philanthropist groups, and I
>>> agree it is possible - for certain types of projects in certain contexts -
>>> to remain focused on an outcome and operate predominantly on trust.
>>> However, I would argue that this often relies on existing organisational
>>> structures and constitutions, either implicit or explicit, and that scaling
>>> this is possible but often problematic (in my experience, most cases fail).
>>>
>>> In the case of Space GAMBIT, we attempted to form a globally operating
>>> entity (or network of) based on a significant founding grant under a highly
>>> regulated set of industry rules and regulations. I think that makes this
>>> context significantly different and the associated problems much more
>>> wicked. If we're to contemplate further space-program efforts within the
>>> global maker & hacker hobbyist communities, we need to learn from the
>>> mistakes made here and find a better way forward.
>>>
>>> I think Michael's request to discuss accountability frameworks is a
>>> completely reasonable proposal, and in light of the serious failings in the
>>> execution of the Space GAMBIT effort, completely justified. In the past,
>>> I've critiqued Michael for personal attacks, but I'm not seeing that in
>>> this case: I'm seeing what I consider quite reasonable critique: and given
>>> that I'm one of the people that critique is directed at, I welcome it.
>>>
>>> From my perspective, Michael's request is an important and valid one in
>>> the light of Space GAMBIT, and so-far I haven't seen anything in the way of
>>> constructive response. Does that mean that no such accountability
>>> framework(s) exist in the hacker/ maker community, and that we're all
>>> operating on systems based on good will, trust and personal integrity?
>>>
>>> If not, I'd welcome folks sharing their experiences with suitable
>>> frameworks they've found workable. If so, I'd echo Michael's concern that
>>> when donors are contributing significant funds, good will, trust and
>>> personal integrity aren't enough to support such endeavours, and in the
>>> case of Space GAMBIT, failed horribly. It's completely justifiable and I
>>> think helpful, to look back on the mistake, critique it and learn from it
>>> so that we can avoid making it again.
>>>
>>> I don't necessarily subscribe to Michael's statement "every iota of
>>> effort on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending can
>>> be recorded". There are various ways in which "every iota" and "every
>>> penny" might be problematic, however I think the general idea of tracking
>>> spending, revenue, effort, assets (including intellectual property) is
>>> completely reasonable - in fact, needed - and there should be ways to do
>>> this transparently and simply as a natural part of doing work on the
>>> project.
>>>
>>> In some ways, we're looking at how open communities can operate in a way
>>> true to our ethics and principles, within required legislative structures
>>> that are arguably based on dated western ideals of organisations/ legal
>>> entities. We need supporting structures and systems that allow us to
>>> operate legally and with manageable risk within the existing overarching
>>> system(s).
>>>
>>> If anything, Michael has been somewhat charitable in his critique. When
>>> Michael says "the dodge took the form of locating all authority over
>>> spending that $500,000 in a tiny handful of people who operated in a pretty
>>> opaque fashion", it would be more accurate to say that, once the funding
>>> landed, "in the hands of a single person".
>>>
>>> That was never the intention of the project, went against everything the
>>> group had specifically worked hard on over many months on the grant
>>> application, and ultimately destroyed the global collaborative nature of
>>> the project. Once that occurred, there seemed to be no way back from
>>> that fatal mistake, and that cast the actions of the individual involved in
>>> an increasingly negative light. It was easy to paint a picture alleging corruption,
>>> although I suspect it was predominantly a mix of overbearing control-freak
>>> personality and personal financial fear.
>>>
>>> This is an important community failure that I for one am keen to learn
>>> from, never repeat, and find better ways of undertaking in the future.
>>>
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>>
>>> Paul
>>>
>>> Paul Szymkowiak
>>>
>>>
>>> On 27 May 2016 at 08:43, Sam Tobin <sam.tobin at nrsnz.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Diminishing return guys/girls...
>>>>
>>>> I've worked on large ESA projects with massive overheads and scrutiny,
>>>> and on tiny garage-based projects. Accountability, workplans etc are
>>>> tools... and as always one needs the right tools for the task at hand.
>>>>
>>>> I've also worked for a philanthropist group, and (might be unique, but
>>>> maybe not)... they were mostly interested in outcomes, not details. Simply
>>>> put, the approach was to trust the person/group, check outcomes, repeat
>>>> with person/group at larger $ scale if good.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Cheers
>>>> Sam
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 27 May 2016 at 05:08, Michael Turner <
>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I'm sure that's been your experience, Matt. Subjectively, it has also
>>>>> been mine. I've chafed under accountability frameworks in almost every
>>>>> organization I've ever been in. They've always felt like a "massive,
>>>>> worthless drain."
>>>>>
>>>>> Here's the thing, though: the ones that didn't have them, fell apart.
>>>>> Sometimes in very embarrassing ways. And one thing I've learned in trying
>>>>> to work with nonprofits in some parts of the world is that if you ask for
>>>>> accountability, and get only indignation in response, you're better off
>>>>> turning away and not bothering with those people ever again. They are on
>>>>> the take. I don't want to be like them. When potential donors say, "I need
>>>>> to look at how you spend money," I want to be in a position throw all the
>>>>> verification at them that they could possibly want, and more. They'll want
>>>>> to know that the level of parasitism in my organization is acceptably low.
>>>>> How can I blame them?
>>>>>
>>>>> Permit a biological metaphor: a fair amount of any creature's
>>>>> metabolism goes into supporting its immune system. It's a lot. It's a
>>>>> massive, worthless drain, actually. Until there's an infection, or a
>>>>> cluster of mutant cells that might turn into a malignant tumor.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
>>>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>
>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward
>>>>> together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>
>>>>> On Fri, May 27, 2016 at 1:26 AM, Silence Dogood <matt at nycresistor.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> In my experience, working for a space agency, people who are
>>>>>> interested in "setting up a framework in which every iota of effort
>>>>>> on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending can be
>>>>>> recorded."  are usually a massive worthless drain on the project and
>>>>>> very interested in inserting themselves in places they have no earthly
>>>>>> business being, just to justify their continued leeching upon the project.
>>>>>> And, more often then not, they cost more than they benefit anyone... not
>>>>>> just in fiduciary cost, but in time, complexity, and general nuisance
>>>>>> factor introduced into the day to day operational workflow of the group
>>>>>> working on the project.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Matt
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Thu, May 26, 2016 at 12:13 PM, Michael Turner <
>>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Matt, in my experience of hackerspaces, there's lots of bitter
>>>>>>> argument by people who aren't contributing much of anything, much of the
>>>>>>> time. I tried. Eventually, I walked. I contributed time, money, equipment,
>>>>>>> project ideas ... but ultimately, I walked. I felt pretty alienated by
>>>>>>> know-it-all attitudes and a kind of knee-jerk anti-authoritarianism that
>>>>>>> prefers unproductive chaos to reasonable order.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So, again:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm interested in setting up a framework in which every iota of
>>>>>>> effort on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending can
>>>>>>> be recorded. I'm interested in this because I'll need donors at some point,
>>>>>>> and donors typically require high transparency -- and results. I'd like to
>>>>>>> hear from makerspace leaders who've been successful at setting up such
>>>>>>> frameworks.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
>>>>>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking
>>>>>>> outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Fri, May 27, 2016 at 1:08 AM, Silence Dogood <
>>>>>>> matt at nycresistor.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> In open source, committers walk and everyone else talks... and is
>>>>>>>> promptly ignored.  If you think something can be done better, do it
>>>>>>>> better.  Leadership is an act of demonstrating a better path forward.
>>>>>>>> Decrying folks is not productive.  We know success when we see it,
>>>>>>>> everything else is just more of the same.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So, stop bitching, and go make a difference.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -Matt
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Thu, May 26, 2016 at 12:03 PM, Michael Turner <
>>>>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "You have to admit, Michael, that nearly every email you've sent has
>>>>>>>>> been a slash and burn."
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'm destructive? What's more destructive: criticism of corruption,
>>>>>>>>> or corruption?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>>>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>>>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
>>>>>>>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking
>>>>>>>>> outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Fri, May 27, 2016 at 12:57 AM, David <ainut at hiwaay.net> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> You have to admit, Michael, that nearly every email you've sent
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On 05/18/2016 11:02 AM, cole santos wrote:has been a slash and
>>>>>>>>>> burn.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> David Merchant
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Lol you just don't get it troll
>>>>>>>>>> On May 18, 2016 1:03 AM, "Michael Turner" <
>>>>>>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> "Mike no one wanted to work with you because of emails like you
>>>>>>>>>>> just sent."
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I thought there should be more openness and oversight, and so
>>>>>>>>>>> nobody wanted to work with me? Interesting. I hadn't realized that openness
>>>>>>>>>>> and oversight were such unpopular things when spending taxpayers money.
>>>>>>>>>>> Unless, of course, you're a taxpayer. Are you?
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> "Since I wrote the grant, and got the Corp formed, and followed
>>>>>>>>>>> through until the project start, I think it's ok moraly."
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I always assumed an education in philosophy would acquaint a
>>>>>>>>>>> person with the difference between morals and ethics. You learn something
>>>>>>>>>>> every day, I guess.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>>>>>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>>>>>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682 <%2B81%20%2890%29%205203-8682>
>>>>>>>>>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking
>>>>>>>>>>> outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> On Wed, May 18, 2016 at 1:48 AM, cole santos <
>>>>>>>>>>> cksantos85 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Mike no one wanted to work with you because of emails like you
>>>>>>>>>>>> just sent. We are amateurs hacking it. Ps haesh was my project and it was
>>>>>>>>>>>> somewhat a sweetheart deal. I had to choose between a project or a job.
>>>>>>>>>>>> Since I wrote the grant, and got the Corp formed, and followed through
>>>>>>>>>>>> until the project start, I think it's ok moraly. The other projects were
>>>>>>>>>>>> all random submissions. The principal aka jerry got overwhelmed and didn't
>>>>>>>>>>>> even really want the job. I kinda forced it on him as I had a full time
>>>>>>>>>>>> job. Reality is not nearly as sensational as u wish.
>>>>>>>>>>>> On May 16, 2016 9:07 PM, "Michael Turner" <
>>>>>>>>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> First things first:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm interested in setting up a framework in which every iota
>>>>>>>>>>>>> of effort on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending
>>>>>>>>>>>>> can be recorded. I'm interested in this because I'll need donors at some
>>>>>>>>>>>>> point, and donors typically require high transparency -- and results. I'd
>>>>>>>>>>>>> like to hear from makerspace leaders who've been successful at setting up
>>>>>>>>>>>>> such frameworks.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Now, about the "drama":
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Tue, May 17, 2016 at 2:51 AM, gmc < <gmc at hackerspaces.org>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> gmc at hackerspaces.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yay, drama. It's what hackers are best at! Bye bye mailing
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> list.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Clearly, some disillusionment and malaise has set in.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hackerspaces.org? No blog update since just about two years
>>>>>>>>>>>>> ago.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Interesting critique there, though:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://flux.hackerspaces.org/2014/01/19/diversity-and-the-hacker-scene/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Drama will never go away permanently. Sometimes the only way
>>>>>>>>>>>>> to quell drama is with rules.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you're going to have rules, you can try counting on ideas
>>>>>>>>>>>>> like legitimizing all decisions through the rule of relying on consensus
>>>>>>>>>>>>> (it always breaks down). Or on rules set by some "benevolent oligarchy"
>>>>>>>>>>>>> (the "oligarchs" often get tired of arbitration and moderation, and go
>>>>>>>>>>>>> missing.) There are a variety of other dodges of the basic responsibility
>>>>>>>>>>>>> of collective governance, which is tedious and stressful compared to making
>>>>>>>>>>>>> things.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> In the case of SpaceGAMBIT, the dodge took the form of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> locating all authority over spending that $500,000 in a tiny handful of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> people who operated in a pretty opaque fashion. In at least one case, the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> opacity was defended by a SpaceGAMBIT principal in terms of DARPA's tight
>>>>>>>>>>>>> regulations about the release of information. When I asked for chapter and
>>>>>>>>>>>>> verse of those regulations, there was no answer. Wait: you're saying you
>>>>>>>>>>>>> got money from a government agency that doesn't tell taxpayers the basis on
>>>>>>>>>>>>> which it allows awarded organizations to release information about how
>>>>>>>>>>>>> taxpayer money is being spent? Interesting.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Given the nature of the political differences over taking
>>>>>>>>>>>>> money from DARPA, I can see a reason for not identifying winning teams when
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the awards went out. It might have been defensible as a way to protect the
>>>>>>>>>>>>> awarded teams from harassment by those who were most loudly opposed to that
>>>>>>>>>>>>> money, and to what any hackerspace group taking that money symbolized to
>>>>>>>>>>>>> them.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> The problem was: opacity could enable sweetheart deals. Waste.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Lax controls.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> And what do we have at the end?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Examples:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> $20,000 for an open source satellite mission design project
>>>>>>>>>>>>> that apparently never checked anything into a repo.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> The HAESH project, which, by some odd coincidence, was based
>>>>>>>>>>>>> in Hawaii. (And apparently on Maui.)That was statistically unlikely,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> especially when you consider that the main SpaceGAMBIT executive exulted at
>>>>>>>>>>>>> one point about how great it was to work internationally, not just in
>>>>>>>>>>>>> America, and not just in his tiny home region of -- you guessed it --
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hawaii. Maui, in fact.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> How about the thousands of dollars for the open source
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Make-a-Space Kit? It had a laudable goal.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> "The goal of this project is to complete the content--finalize
>>>>>>>>>>>>> the entire kit-- and then create a turn-key online template which a new or
>>>>>>>>>>>>> existing space can use to instantiate the online project management, assign
>>>>>>>>>>>>> specific tasks to board members, track accountability, and effectively
>>>>>>>>>>>>> communicate about the status of the activities as the space is launched and
>>>>>>>>>>>>> formed."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Where is it? Dead links on the SpaceGAMBIT site. Try to get
>>>>>>>>>>>>> something back from the Wayback Machine? Unsuccessful.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> How about that Asteroid Badge?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://github.com/CuriosityHacked/Learning/wiki/SpaceAsteroids
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> There's something in there that looks like a rough draft of
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Make-a-Space Kit, but certainly nothing that looks "finalized."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thousands of dollars spent on those two projects. And this is
>>>>>>>>>>>>> all there is to show for it?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> It's what happens when there's no openness or accountability,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> and when money can be spent without significant oversight by a small group
>>>>>>>>>>>>> of people.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> So, to repeat my request:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm interested in setting up a framework in which every iota
>>>>>>>>>>>>> of effort on funded projects can be tracked, and every penny of spending
>>>>>>>>>>>>> can be recorded. I'm interested in this because I'll need donors at some
>>>>>>>>>>>>> point, and donors typically require high transparency -- and results. I'd
>>>>>>>>>>>>> like to hear from makerspace leaders who've been successful at setting up
>>>>>>>>>>>>> such frameworks.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>>>>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140 <%2B81%20%283%29%206890-1140>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158 <%2B81%20%283%29%206890-1158>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682 <%2B81%20%2890%29%205203-8682>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking
>>>>>>>>>>>>> outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 16 May 2016 18:26:04 CEST, Michael Turner <
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Tue, May 17, 2016 at 12:55 AM, cole santos <
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <cksantos85 at gmail.com>cksantos85 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Actually we took the DarPA money and the project was a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> great success. <http://Www.spacegambit.Com>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Www.spacegambit.Com
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> A great success for some people, I suppose.  In a certain
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> sense.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I pick a project at random.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <http://www.spacegambit.org/satstatsim/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.spacegambit.org/satstatsim/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Funding: $20,000
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceGAMBIT claim: only open source projects will be funded.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Reality: well, ta! ke a look.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>    <http://satstatsim.blogspot.jp/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://satstatsim.blogspot.jp/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Excuse: "schedules slip". OK, but you can't check in any
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> code, anywhere?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   <https://code.google.com/archive/p/satstatsim/source>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://code.google.com/archive/p/satstatsim/source
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> At least, that's the only repo I could find.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> There's nothing in it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It was largely because of my concerns about openness, clear
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> communication, democratic process, and leadership accountability that I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> decided to have nothing further to do with SpaceGAMBIT. This was after
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> feeling enthusiastic about it and even defending it against what I thought
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> was unfair criticism.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Really, I'd prefer to have been wrong in my suspicions.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Executive Director
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Project Persephone
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140 <%2B81%20%283%29%206890-1140>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158 <%2B81%20%283%29%206890-1158>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682 <%2B81%20%2890%29%205203-8682>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <turner at projectpersephone.org>turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <http://www.projectpersephone.org/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> looking outward together in the same direction." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Monday, May 16, 2016, Michael P Weber II <
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <michaelweberii at gmail.com>michaelweberii at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 3:05 AM, Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <michael.eugene.turner at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Whether intentional or not, the choice of watercress
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> could be very
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > space-relevant.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > (1) Biosphere II saw the direct participation of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> late Roy Walford, MD, a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > pioneer self-experimenter in CRON (calorie restriction
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> with optimal
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > nutrition) as a strategy for life extension. This
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> research interested the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Biosphere II organizers because, in feeding
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> long-duration space mission
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > participants, fewer calories eaten means, to a good
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> first approximation,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > less mass for the ecological life support system,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> leading to lower mission
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > cost, etc.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > (2) Research into how CRON appears to increase lifespans
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (in part by
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > reducing cancer risk -- a big issue in space travel
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> because of space
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > radiation) reveals that it's more about protein
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> restriction than about
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > calorie restriction per se.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > (3) Further research has suggested that it's
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> specifically reduction of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > methionine intake that is the main driver of life
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> extension in CRON (hence,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > presumably, lower cancer risk);
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > (4) High-glycine diets sop up excess methionine. (To be
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> sure: methionine is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > an essential amino acid; glycine is not. But it seems
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that with methionine,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > you can get too much of a good thing.)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > (5) Watercress is very high in glycine, quite low in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> methionine. Watercress
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > might be ideal for offsetting the cancer risks from
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> space radiation in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > long-duration space missions.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > I think a good next step in such work would be to try to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> optimize watercress
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > production in an aeroponic rather than a hydroponic
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> style. Hydroponics is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > great, highly productive, but ... water is heavy.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aeroponics can give you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > much of the benefit of hydroponics but with a fraction
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> of the equipment
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > mass. Aeroponics should be more adaptable to low-g and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> microgravity
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > environments since it's not gravity-dependent -- it's
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> basically just the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > deposition of nutrient-enriched mist droplets on plant
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> roots. Aeroponics may
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > have gotten its start from NASA funding.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Regards,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Executive Director
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Project Persephone
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > K-1 bldg 3F
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > 7-2-6 Nishishinjuku
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Tel: +81 (3) 6890-1140
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Fax: +81 (3) 6890-1158
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Mobile: +81 (90) 5203-8682
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > turner at projectpersephone.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > <http://www.projectpersephone.org/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.projectpersephone.org/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> looking outward
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > together in the same direction." -- Antoine de
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Saint-Exupéry
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 4:35 PM, Michael Turner
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Michael,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Are you going to take over the list then?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing listSpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.orghttp://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ SpaceProgram
>>>>>>>>>>>>> mailing list SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ SpaceProgram
>>>>>>>>>>>> mailing list SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ SpaceProgram
>>>>>>>>>>> mailing list SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing listSpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.orghttp://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> SpaceProgram mailing list
>>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>>
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> SpaceProgram at lists.hackerspaces.org
>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceprogram
>>
>>
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