Meeting Notes 2015 05 12

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These are the notes from the The 512th Meeting of Noisebridge. Note-taker: Kevin; Moderators: J.

  • Alex Peak is once again a member of Noisebridge

Introductions[edit]

Noisebridge is a 501c3 nonprofit that provides a space for creation, collaboration, and learning about technology and creative projects. Noisebridge provides space, power tools, and infrastructure to help the public learn new skills and create cool things. Noisebridge continues to exist through and depends entirely on membership fees and donations. Our code of conduct is 'Be excellent to each other'."

  • Introduce any experimental or unusual moderation techniques that may be using during the meeting like: direct responses, limited speaking time, orderless stack, &c.
  • Round of introductions (remember, announcements come later):
    • What's your name
    • What do you do
    • What do you maintain at Noisebridge?
    • if you are new: how did you hear about Noisebridge?
  • Steve
  • Jade
  • Andrea
  • Olivier
  • Kyle
  • Kevin
  • Dan
  • J
  • Raj
  • Mike
  • Carl
  • Jack
  • Will
  • Greg
  • Jon
  • Frank
  • Nikita
  • Torrie
  • Monad
  • Francis

Short announcements and events[edit]

  • Cool new projects? Something you'd like people to know? Say now, but keep it short!
  • Any happenings at the space of which members should be made aware.
  • Don't hog everyone's time since we all just want to hack!
  • Booth at [1] -- bring your cool hacks and things to display -- also need folks to work the booth, prefer atleast 5 to be present on Saturday and Sunday, we have passes.
  • June 1st, 19:30-21:30 -- meeting of minds -- conversation gift economies, open source, liberated zones, etc...
  • We have a pick and place machine from The Light Placer. Being put together right now. Will be on display at Maker Faire, then traveling back to Noisebridge for use after.
  • Fox lounge hacking complete. Ready for use.

Membership Binder [edit]

  • Invite a knowledgeable volunteer to describe membership, and the application process.

Being a member of Noisebridge is not like being a member of a gym or your local chess club. Anyone can come to Noisebridge to hack and learn: you don't need to be a member for that. At Noisebridge, membership is something different: it means taking responsibility and committing to help to maintain, improve, and govern Noisebridge. As a member of Noisebridge, you don't just come here to hack and learn, you actively work to improve what you see around you, help to deal with problems, and make this community and space better than it is today.

  • Read off any names from the binder for the past month. Mark down a check or other indicator on every open application to keep track of how many weeks they've been read out.
  • Anyone eligible to join this week should
    • introduce themselves,
    • answer any questions members may have for them, then
    • leave the area in search of gifts (traditionally beer and a lime, or cookies) for the rest of the group.
  • The rest of the meeting should reach consensus on whether they may join.
  • Remember to applaud new members when they return.
  • Alex Peak week 4 two sponsors Torrie and Carl

Alex membership discussion[edit]

Alex: I love Noisebridge. Was a member, moved to Sillicon Valley and membershipped lapsed. Thought about joining Hacker Dojo, it is however now a dictatorship. Scared me, made me want to come back to Noisebridge and make people want to become members. Main goal to make Noisebridge more friendly to new people (Ex: 3D Occulus Noisebridge).

J: What is your take on consensus? Ex not consense.
Alex: Have long, open, public discussions prior to consensus coming to a meeting. I would block a proposal to make Noisebridge a co-working facility. Diffcult decisions in the past have to do with access and membership. I notice Noisebridge being more inclusive for real use. In the past, Noisebridge was used as a day-care facility, great non-participation. Had been plenty of controversial proposals, were all complex. These are issues that require care. Would be sad if Noisebridge became a place that people could not discover.

Monad: Alex is great, very productive. He's not one to twiddle his thumb or watch porn. Alex: Except maybe at 5MoF.

Dan: How do you see blocking?
Alex: Things that are irreversable (Ex change of governance), I would block. For reversible things, I would abstain. In general I prefer to accept and see how things go, even if I disagree. "A poor plan violently executed today is better than a plan tomorrow".

Dan: What then after the block?
Alex: Go on the record explaining why blocking. There's a discussion that needs to happend, beginning of an argument.

Monad: Point of clairification.. blocking membership requires no explination.

Jade: Why do you want to become a member?
Alex: Noisebridge is a spiritual home that I want to see grow and thrive. Upsetting if the future of that home ever comes into doubt.

Carl: Alex has been coming for many years. A positive contributor to the space. High endorsements.

Torrie: What makes you happy?
Alex: People learning and becoming hackers.

Jade: How is access control and membership related?
Alex: In some hackerspaces you will get hasseled if your not a paying member. Sometimes about exclusivity, sometimes financials. Noisebridge has open door hours, where people can get in. Had conflicts with a completely open door, current access control found a balance that works. I can tell people about Noisebridge, and they can come and get in. Not too many weird people that don't belong, yet people can still get in.

Nikita: What is a hacker?
Alex: People who take things about and put them back together. Hacking-hacking or hacker-hackers specify the infosec hackers.

Torrie: What have you contributed to Noisebridge?
Alex: Made the bathroom sign. Talk a class here. Helped with Maker Faire stuff. Making a 3D Noisebridge. In the future, I would like to make more signage.

Alex departs and the notetaker takes a break...

It is consensed that Alex is a Member of Noisebridge[edit]

Financial Report[edit]

  • Funds in bank: $29,000
  • Noisetor (See the bulletpoints at the bottom of http://noisetor.net/finances/#summary): about $10,000 of the $29,000
  • Any other details by those participating in handling our financials

Andy is in discussion with the landlord towards renewing the lease.
We currenlty pay $3,960/month in rent

Consensus and Discussion[edit]

  • invite a knowledgeable volunteer to give a brief primer on consensus process
  • It is important that everyone in attendance understands at least:
    • Blocking with verbalized principled objections.
    • Why we use consensus over other approaches to decision making.
    • How consensus isn't a legislative process
    • Why consensus isn't applicable to some things like conflict resolution, resolution of time sinks, and the like.

Proposals from last week [edit]

(Add any items which are consensed upon or someone has raised a principle objection for to the Consensus Items History page.)

Proposals for next week [edit]

(Add any new items for consensus to the Current Consensus Items page.)

Discussion Items[edit]

If any important discussion happens, it should be happening after forward progress is made during consensus.

End of Meeting[edit]

  • Reprise of the Hackernationale. [This is anarchy - we do what the wiki says!]
  • PGP Key Signing could happen now (if it doesn't happen before any given Meeting). Ask others around the space or check the list to see who wants in on the action.
  • Return the membership binder to its rightful location.
  • Clean and tidy the meeting notes including removing all these really verbose instructions, then save them to the wiki.
  • Send a summary of the meeting notes to the discussion list.
  • Enjoy the company of your fellow hacker, robot, or robothacker.
  • Discuss any items for which there was not time during the meeting.