Meeting Notes 2015 11 03

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>8----------

DELETE EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE WHEN YOU POST THE MEETING MINUTES KTHX!!!

These are the notes from the The XXXth Meeting of Noisebridge. Note-taker: Alex; Moderators: Mari.

  • One or two bullet points of high-level meeting summary.

Introductions[edit]

  • Torrie: Noisebridge is art!... People who do cool things can be found here.
  • Invite a knowledgeable volunteer to explain what Noisebridge is about:

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?
  • Mari: I hack wearables.
  • Torrie: I've been here over an hour. Over a year.
  • Bruce: I'm a product manager in search of a product to work on!
  • Gabriel: From france. Engineer at low-latency network engineer.
  • Dan: Coming to NB for 3 years. Mostly for Neurohacking meetup wednesdays. Other times, knowledge base for neuromorphic computation. That's my story, sticking to it.
  • Douglas: I work on audio stuff. Recently started hackign wellness with Alex and Joyti, restarting Geeks & Depression. Excited. Glad Noisebridge still here. Thank you to all who worked hard to make it not nuts. I lived on the strees for years but I used to be scared here sometimes.
  • Dan: Coming to Noisebridge for like 5 years! Sysadmin software developer.
  • Steve: Theoretical physicist, making a graphics app for notetaking.
  • Alex: I teach Songbridge before meetings, Gamebridge after meetings, and started our first planning meeting earlier to have the first reboot of Depression meetup.
  • Jake: People who want to study on Sunday 11AM algorithms and data structures!
  • Joyti: Been coming here for 3 months. Part of geeks&depression and algorithms group. Working on interviews.
  • Matt: My name is Matt and I'm addicted to games.
  • Nathan: I do graphics and video production, post. Looking for a job and helping friend reposition company to grow.
  • Carl: I write software and I work on ergonomics HW and SW and haskell.
  • I flew in from Amsterdam and China for the hackerspace trip. In between work, taking free time to do whatever. Maybe play with hardware and chilling. Be around a couple days.
  • Zach: Coming to Nosiebridge 6 years now. Hardware person. Teach hardware classes on repair periodically. I make it a point not to know anything about programming. I brought tropical mix nuts if anyone wants any!
  • Michael: I'm here for random programming challenges.
  • Roger: Coming here for about a month. Job hunting, working on small programming projects.
  • Max: Coming since yesterday.
  • Nick: Learning Python. Coming for a few weeks.
  • Brennan: Been coming for a few months since a few years ago. Help Alex run game development workshops. Make new hackathons and videogames.

Short announcements and events[edit]

  • Cool new projects? Something you'd like people to know? Say now, but keep it short! One or two sentences please!
  • Douglas: I'm teaching Ableton live for 10 years.
  • Torrie: Looking for people who live around Oakland who want to help start another hackerspace! Contact tdfisher@hackerbots.net

Sometime Thursday at a coffee shop in Oakland we'll be brainstorming what a new Oakland hackerspace will look like. Hanging nametags with emails on raindroppy LED art things.

  * Steve: Interested.
  • Dor: Here from Germany and excited to become a member of Noisebridge, looking to meet new people.
  • 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!

Membership Binder [edit]

  • Invite a knowledgeable volunteer to describe membership, and the application process.
  • Alex: NB is a way to donate to the space $80 or $40 a month starving hacker rate and apply for 4 weeks with 2 signatures. After that time, if you have the signatures vouching for you, you will be a consensus vote of members to decide if you become a member.

...

  • Torrie: You should apply if you have a DEEP EXCITEMENT about Noisebridge and want to have a say in the future of the space. If you want to just support the space and not be involved in the politics, you can apply to be a Philanthropist. But if you want to keep it running till the heat death of the universe or the city shutting it down first, become a member.
  • Steve: This is not super exclusive. Anyone who wants to support Noisebridge can
  • Zach: Is it now $40 minimum to be a member? Treasurer sent an email suggesting that.
  • Torrie: Not sure. Talk to Patrick and sort it out with him.
  • Zach: I have been at Noisebridge for a long time and I would like to become a member but on my income $40 has been a barrier. Also what payment methods are doable?
  • Torrie: There is literally every way for money to move that is acceptable for membership dues.

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.
  • Erica Harvey's second week: "I need a place to hack that is not home! I have tried... Others I didn't fit in. I'm a bit more spunky... I remembered Noisebridge... " No sponsors yet.
  • Mari: This is my week 4. Since I found Noisebridge, I feel it has helped me greatly. I keep it better than my home and keep it spiffy. I run events and I want to expand it and slap arts on the wall. 2 sponsors: Patrick and Jarrod.
  • Mari, what makes you happy?
  • Mari: Video games, Japan, and making all of the things.
  • What's the favorite thing you've done here?
  • Mari: Right now my favorite thing I've done is the arts I've made like panels that look like Millenium Falcon.

Torrie: BTW, these questions appear in notes but when she steps outside those notes don't .

  • Do you plan to sleep at Noisebridge?
  • Mari: No when I stay overnight I don't sleep!
  • Do you plan to bring consoles to Noisebridge?
  • Mari: Yes!
  • What's your perspective on consensus?
  • Mari: Honestly, I'm anti-confrontation. I would only block something if I really believed it would harm the space. Everyone for the most part comes up with excellent ideas, but if I ever blocked I would come up with a plan as an alternative.
  • What does excellence mean to you?
  • Mari: Doing right by those around you. Caring about space, things, putting love into stuff and being conscientious and making it a point not to do shitty things. Love people, be cool to everyone.
  • When have you seen someone be excellent?
  • Mari: All the time. Joyti is one of my favorite near-members. When you first started coming you would always refill the bathroom soaps and people don't think about it but you did. If I become member I would sponsor her.
  • How has excellence affected your life?
  • Mari: Greatly. It gives me hope in life.

Torrie: Mari, we're going to ask you to step out of the Noisebridge and we'll contemplate you and let you know when to come back.

Consensus: Mari is now a member of Noisebridge.

Philanthropists[edit]

  • A philanthropist is like a member without voting block consensus capacity. But another warden of space who cleans and donates same amounts and makes sure space is closed and safe after hours if all philanthropists and members are gone. They get a 24/7 access token RFID badge. The process to apply is to pick up the form, write your name, get one member to sponsor you and sign. The sponsor stands up and suggests you are cool and anyone can object otherwise you become Philanthropist. If you did a thing like #$ in the woodshop, you have 30 days to mediate a resolution to it. If you're approved, you become a 24/7 philanthropist responsible for locking up if you're the last one here. You know how to lock up, give tours, ask people who come in to ensure they're excellent.
  • Invite a knowledgeable member to describe Philantropy, and the application process.
  • Read off any names from the binder for the past month. Any applicants must have their sponsor present to vouch for them.
  • If there are no objections, they're a philanthropist! Their pledge should be handed over to the Secretary posthaste, after which their token will be updated to give them the 24/7 access they've earned(?)

Erica Harvey filled out Philanthropy has no signatures.

Financial Report[edit]

Treasurer is having fun hopefully somewhere else.

  • Funds in bank:
  • Noisetor (See the bulletpoints at the bottom of http://noisetor.net/finances/#summary):
  • Any other details by those participating in handling our financials
  • Dan: Last week we had a little over $20K for Noisebridge after Noisetor, 3 months + operating expenses. Thanks to Patrick for taking good care of treasure.
  • Torrie: He's working on taxes and there's insurance to pay for about $1k so it may dip. Noisebridge is always broke and loves you for money.
  • Alex: You can donate towards the water cooler to drink high quality H2O or the shop window repair with sturdy breakproof polycarbonate.
  • Torrie: You can say your donation is towards a project but legally Noisebridge can spend it on a splendid new Pinto.

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]

Laser cutter repair[edit]

  • Zach: Laser cutter and e-waste. Henner and I are working on it. We looked at it and found it had some missing parts. It was one of our most popular items in the space. Someone may have taken parts to sabotage it. Originally we thought it needs a new bulb and Mitch bought an expensive one. Mitch should still get reimbursed for it.

Tip of the iceberg. The power board is not working. There was random metal in there We need to keep it from being opened and fed sandwiches. A controller board is missing. There is a board that communicates. There is a board but not a second one that's missing. I looked on ebay but nobody lists laser cutter stuff.

  • Q: Would it be cheaper to replace it?
  • Zach: I don't think so but its hard to know without information about it. The controller board serial I don't know. Henner might hack one he has at home and make a board. The bulb has been replaced. There's a power board and one that communicates via USB. There's one board missing. Maybe mosfets and power.

Alex: WHO DID THIS? Zach: Theories abound. Sid. Wouldn't doubt he would and he knew how it worked. He knew how to remove these things. Not many people would know how to remove that and sabotage it over time. Dan: Sid's in jail. Alex: Could Sudo's laser cutter be similar and help us learn about ours? Zach: Possible but chinese manufacturings change each cycle and year and the case could look the same but the guts could be 90% the same and have a different part or rearrangement. Given the lack of a brand we can call and ask, its tricky. There is a model on it though for the notes:

   MLE-40
   www.jnmydy.com
   Revision 6.0
   If we could get ahold of the company and had to buy it, I'd be surprised if there were any parts but they couldn't likely charge more than $300. It cost to make under $20.
   
  • ?: I have a key to Noisebridge. I don't know where it should go.

=== Ableton pad

  • Dor: I'd like to leave an Ableton music control pad at Nosiebridge for the class. I might want to take it back later down the road.
  • Torrie: It is a public space so anybody can do their noisebridge the way they do it.
  • Alex: We can see if it fits in the locker at Noisebridge.

=== EWASTE

  • Zach: People brought a haul of e-waste. We just got rid of some and I brought some and I want to take more action in helping organize e-waste management. I have some suggestions in mind. There are some really positive things we get from the donations we get. So many people have benefitted from it in the space. It has been neat to meet people in the space who need something and we have what they're looking for then they want to get more involved with the community. The donations we have are one of the main reasons I come here. I have a stake in that different than others who code.
  • ?: As someone who did some e-waste hauling, suggestion: If 4 computers are amongst things you're recycling, they'll take the rest for free. We can have a wheelie cart with 4 computers + a budget for ewaste. When the cart fills up we wheel it off then. If we had bigger wheeled cart it would go down the street better.
  • Zach: What do people think.
  • Dan: Identify a problem with a cultural solution: People going through the ewaste thinking that that's what we're here for. It runs the risk of being a tweaker magnet. That's a serious cost concern, balaned by the benefit of helping people out. It brings people in who harsh the vibe and add stress to people. Maybe some adjustment to the culture like "here's a notebook in this locker that you can use for projects. It's like leaving food out, food is good but it takes some stewardship. Solveable but needs to be addressed.

Zach: Thanks for bringing that up, it was discussed on list. I want to bring up positives too. Even something as simple as "don't take things to sell", Guidelines for people coming into the space. Sketchy people coming in brought sketchy folks. Dan: We'ere becoming aware of it when Zach: It's part of a larger problem. Zach: Alex: Could we move the ewaste out of sight such as with a curtain over it unless participants know where to look for it? Zach: The best waste spot we had was the corner in the back with shelves. Curtain could be a good idea.

Trent: Recapping ideas from mail. Somebody suggested we have an incoming shelf for processing of new stuff. Get and process quick.

Idea 2: Incorporate hack shelves into the electronics area. We could do categorizations.

Dan: We could use signage to advise people on how to donate and use ewaste excellently.

It has been a concern and a source of stress.

Zach: Its amazing that we can get laptops fixed.

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.