Editing Meeting Notes 2016 09 27

These are the notes from the [https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/Category:Meeting_Notes The XXXth Meeting of Noisebridge]. Date: September 27, 2016 Note-taker: Nick; Moderator: Roger.
* Halloween party for the Lasers in the works
* 2 New Members: Kyle and Roger
* Discussing Jason & Safe spaces at Noisebridge

== Meeting Summary ==
TLDR what happened at the meeting:
* Announcements: Halloween Party!
* Finances: $61K. Lol, Google.
* New members: Kyle Ng, Roger Filmyer 🎉🎉🎉
* New philanthropists:
* Consensus Items: 
* Discussion Items: Jason.

= Introductions =

* '''Invite a knowledgeable volunteer to explain''' [[Noisebridge_Vision|what Noisebridge is about]]:
<blockquote>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'."</blockquote>
* Introduce any experimental or unusual moderation techniques that may be using during the meeting like: direct responses, limited speaking time, orderless stack, &c.

Blake: NB is a hackerspace for creative technical projects
J: But it's not whatever the hell we want- we must be excellent to eachother and repsect eachother and the space


* 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?

Shushone: Hi this is my first time here

Blake: Hi I'm blake i'm a programmer

Alex: Hi i am a tacher and I do game stuff

Ryan: I am ryan, I am particpating in stuff and food camp, doing a laser cutter class

J: I teach circuit hacking monday and a more advandced electronics course on WEDNESDAY

Vicky: I hack on things some times and shrug

Rozzi: I am a hacker

David: I am new in town and I had a dream I lost 10 years of my life in a PhD program, there was another guy who spent 15 years- dropped out and then died

Roger: I am a hacker by night and a hack by day- I am very proud of this joke, have been waiting all week

= Short announcements and events =
* Cool new projects? Something you'd like people to know? Say now, but keep it short! One or two sentences please!
* 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!

* Vicky: JSlack and Naomi  may help through a Halloween party - the date is TBD- it will likely be the 28th or 29th- we just started talking about it- it will be a costume party and a fundraiser for the laser cutter

Alex: There's a laser themed costume party? Where?!

VIcky: Here!


= Safe Space =

'''Note:''' This section is experimental.  We discussed it at [[Meeting_Notes_2016_06_28]]. We're going to try it for the next meeting, and see how it goes, and then discuss in the discussion section how it went, and how we'd like to tweak it.

Noisebridge is a safe space.  '''Invite a volunteer to describe''' what that means.

Some specific points you might prompt the group to touch on, if it doesn't happen naturally:
* What to do if you feel uncomfortable.
* Noisebridge strives to be radically inclusive. What does that mean?
* Noisebridge has an antiharassment policy. What does that mean?

Blake: A safe space means we don't tolerate harassment- the thing that I like about this is that we discuss it every meeting and we get to talk about how safe our space really is- we do not tolerate sexism, and racism in the space. 

Vicky: If we feel you are a danger to yourself, others, and the space we reserve the right to tell you to take a leave

Blake: This is not a space for bigoted hateful speech

= Participation =

Invite a knowledgable volunteer to describe who can participate at Noisebridge, including:
* Describe how to get an rfid key for the door system
* Describe how to get access to slack

= [[Philanthropists]]=
* '''Invite a knowledgeable volunteer to describe''' [[Philanthropist/Pledge|Philanthropy]], 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(?)

J: A philanthropist is for peole who get to know us and who we know and who contribute monetarily to the space and with knowledge of greeting people and closing the space with a vouch from a current member we add you and grow the space.

Roger: There is currently no applications in the folder for philanthropy but Rozzi might have been confirmed last week - we will check to see if he was confirmed
Blake: Did you take communion
Everyone: hahahahaha

= [[ Membership Binder ]] =

* '''Invite a knowledgeable volunteer to describe''' [[membership]], and the application process.
<blockquote>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.</blockquote>
* 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.


* J: You have probably run a couple of meetings and you have become one of the people who protects the space, you know are consensed and become one of the people who is part of the concensus of the space

Blake: It is more than a monogamous relationship because it does not have to be comittment to only one hackerspace

J: It is an open relationship but it is a comitted relationship

* Roger: We have three forms in the binder- James Sundquist, who is not here. We also have two people up for their last week- Kyle and Roger. Let's do some questions.

* J: We have a quorum and we have enough people to determine concensus so each would-be member will leave sequentially and we will no take notes and will determine on 
their leave whether they have become members.  
 
* Roger: It is done one at a time?
J: Yes, it is done one at a time.

Roger[is confused]
J and Roger go back and forth

* Kyle: I am Kyle, I want to be a member becaseu I want to contribute more to NB and in order for it to survive we must continue this reciprocal relationship which at this poitn means me becoming a member. 

*Roger: I invite anybody to ask questions. 

* Alex: Should we promote more projects in the space to build physical things?

Kyle: Yes, (talk about small business and the relationship with NB) But I don't want to rule out hobbyist

* J: You've been a philantropist since January, why the big step

Kyle: Giving people access. It hard to look at someone and judge them and that's a hard task but is needed to expand excellance at NB

J:  please elaborate

Kyle: *explains consensus* 

Vicky: YOu've been super awesome since you've been here, what do you envision for NB? 

Kyle: That's a huge question, something I'd really like is ownership of the building and it's the beginning of talking about whether that is at all possible. To keep the accessibility of the building, even id there are hickups at times

David: What are the limits to accessibility

Kyle: *Explains a brief history of openess at NB and being overrun by it's openess*

Roger: Anymore questions, no?

*Kyle leaves*

*Kyle is accepted and is now from here on part of the body-NOisebridge*

Roger: Who will facilitate my inquistion?

Torrie: Me

Vicky: How many mouth-mellows

Roger: 13-14, it's worth testing again

Torrie: Why did you come back to NB after the first time?

Roger: I needed a space to work, but then the poeple and community that are a level above anything that I have experienced. NB has cool shit and ppl in this shit

Kyle: What don't you like about NB?

Roger: Good question, Safety- it's not that I don't like but NB attracts the people who exploit the safe and are unsafe, it requires vigilance. It takes effort.

J: what would you do?

Roger: NB is at it's best with lots of peole in it, whether it's door access or dealing with the unsafe, I would have more people for safety in numbers.

-: What's your mission statement in life

Roger: Do cool shit

Blake: Gotta catch them all?

ROger: Also that I love pokemon

Torrie: HOw would you explain NB to a finacial trader?

ROger: Execellence is doing somehting positive and being a positive person to the community. Even in small ways. Dooacracy is the notion that the only inhibitor to doin something excellent is you, that there is a permissive standard for what sort of things you can do to the space or with the space. Concensus is the - Big C concensus is the - if there is a change- existential- major- to the space that we need to get buy in form all of NB's members, it is a process that we have used very rarely. MOst of the recent events I have seen are orgnaisational. Little C concensus is getting buy in from the local community adn it is how Nb is governed day-to-day

J: You are marrying my daughter- what do you bring to this marriage?

Roger: Good quesiton, I guess technically- there is not much that I am bringing in- I have an extra pair of eyes and an extra set of key cards for cool people that I kniw to nio longer ring the doorbell. This comes with long lasting ocmmitment to the space. That is the most interesting thing. Helping wiht projects, helping with tours, rnadom python stuff. 

Torrie: We know what you bring to NB, how has NB changed you?

Roger: NB has brought me in contact with a lot of interesting people and has brought me in contact with a global communtiy and with new expierences- I would have never used a laser cutter without NB. 

-: Has NB pushed you beyond you're comfort zone?

Roger: I think it already has, I have shared a hand in situations I normally wouldn't. NB asked a bit more, you don't have to answer the call but it certianly will ask.

*Roger leaves*

*Roger is concensed*

= Financial Report =
* 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

Roger: Last is finances- we have 61,271, 11,555 is equipment, 15k is the survival fund

Roger: NB is not a dumpster, concensus items

Torrie: Jason is a discussion item for next week, I have tape for wheelchair accesible areas at NB, Jaosn is no longer at NB and I'd liek to propose a meeting of the safe space meeting area and I have a few issues with the way this was dealed with

= Consensus and Discussion =

* '''invite a knowledgeable volunteer to give '''[[Consensus Process|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.

== [[ Consensus Items History | Proposals from last week ]] ==
''(Add any items which are consensed upon or someone has raised a principle objection for to the [[Consensus Items History]] page.)''

== [[ Current Consensus Items | Proposals for next week ]] ==
''(Add any new items for consensus to the [[Current Consensus Items]] page.)''

== Discussion Items ==

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

Torrie: Jason is a discussion item for next week, I have tape for wheelchair accesible areas at NB, Jason is no longer at NB and I'd like to propose a meeting of the safe space meeting area and I have a few issues with the way this was dealed with 

Kyle: Jason is outside and this is more than a problem for the working group. 

(Roger is taking notes)

Torrie: Let's talk about this right now.

Kyle: Jason has bothered and threatened employees of Oh Happy Day. I talked to him at 6:00 PM today, asking how he was. He said "I am great right now. I got weed, I got beer, I'm selling my stuff". He was staying around. He's been around for 48 hours.

Torrie: Has anyone told him to move on?

Kyle: I don't think anyone has done that.

Torrie: We should take this first step.

Kyle: There's one issue - he has extreme delusions around white people. And I was trying to be very nonconfrontational at all costs. It would totally change him if he was confronted at all. He would flip out if someone said something like "I think you're wrong"

Torrie: You're not the first person to say this and I trust your assertion. I'm not sure that a crisis hotline would be the be best thing. We should call the police.

Blake: The police is not the solution.

Blake: We can't make him leave. He's on the street. 

Torrie: Would you be willing to go down there and ask him to move on yourself?

Blake: I don't think that would go over well. He can't be there forever.

David: I actually moved on after finishing a Psychology PhD. I would be happy to go down there myself.
Roger: What would you do?

David: Protect your own safety first. Beyond that, it's a matter of having the proper experience. I don't have any general advice. Protect your safety and call the authorities if you are being threatened.

Torrie: This is not a new problem. This is not something that has precipitated in the hour. I'm going to be that bitch and call the cops if people at Noisebridge are feeling unsafe. We are the people who make Noisebridge the way it is. We have gone to the limit of what we can do. I don't think there is a single person here who feels safe talking to him. If this person is a threat, something has to be done and it can't fucking wait.

Blake: I don't think that Jason is a threat to anyone except for people who ask him to leave. I don't think it warrants people potentially getting killed for our safety. He can't be out there forever. He's been out for 48 hours, he'll have to move on.

Blake: He's not berating people, only people that he knows.

Torrie: Jason doesn't know me and he called me a "cunt" and a "bitch" and "get your whore face away from me".

Kyle: People downstairs have similar sentiments and they aren't affiliated with Noisebridge. I totally agree with you, 5150 is fucking terrible. The mental health hotline is a better option, but I have no idea. The third option, which I volunteer for, is to ask him to leave. Although I have been extremely unconfrontational, this is risky. People have felt threatened. I would like somebody to be closeby.

Jervon: I was here working yesterday, and when I went outside, Jason was a lot more comfortable. He felt like he didn't have a place to express himself freely. He was trying to say like he didn't have a voice, but threatening people is not okay.
Kyle: He was approached and asked to leave by 3 or 4 people, and felt berated. I want help, but I don't want him to be singled out.

Jervon: I should go with you. He's a gentle guy but he's got so much going on.

Torrie: Backstory - He totally seems like a cool dude. Part of the things that have led to this situation were some of the things that he expressed. He was expressing views of intolerance. We can't tolerate intolerance. We can't have people expressing views that shut down other people. There's been a lot of shit that Noisebridge has talked about. Advocating for fascist behaviors is a line that we draw.

J: He admitted to at least one person that he has schizophrenia & BPD. Are these confrontations, or delusions? He will backflip on a reasonable person. He cannot be dealt with like a neurotypical person. He is a nice guy. But he has issues. We cannot overlook these issues and the way that he is affecting people at noisebridge.

Kyle: He's still there. With some other vendors. They let us have our conversation. I was planning on leaving a while ago.

J, Torrie: I'm here until this is done.

Kyle: I want to grab things and leave when this is done. I want to approach this with compassion. I think it would be a better approach if I was on my way out, rather than if I got my stuff. At least 1 person. 

Vicky: If we're going to call the cops, we need to humanize him & make sure he's not a scary black guy.

= End of Meeting =

# Return the [[membership binder]] to its rightful location.
# Discuss any items for which there was not time during the meeting.
# Enjoy the company of your fellow hacker, robot, or robothacker.

== Note taker posts the notes ==
# Clean and tidy the meeting notes including removing all these really verbose instructions.
# Fill out the short summary at the top listing just announcements, consensus items, discussion topics, and names of new members and philanthropists.
# Copy paste the notes to the [http://www.noisebridge.net//Next_meeting next meeting] page. (They will become [[Last meeting]] at midnight.)
# Email the meeting summary to [mailto:noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net?subject=MeetingNotes Noisebridge Discuss] and [mailto:noisebridge-announce@lists.noisebridge.net?subject=MeetingNotes Noisebridge Announce] lists.
# CC on the email treasurer@noisebridge.net and secretary@noisebridge.net if there are new members and philanthropists.
# Edit the [[Current_Consensus_Items|Current Consensus Items]] if anything is proposed for consensus next week.
# Edit the [[Consensus_Items_History|Consensus Items History]] if anything was reached consensus or failed to reach consensus this week.

== Fun things to do after ==
* Reprise of the [[Hackernationale]]. [This is anarchy - we do what the wiki says!]
* [[PGP|PGP Key Signing]] could happen now (if it doesn't happen '''before''' any given Meeting).  Ask others around the space or check the [[PGP|list]] to see who wants in on the action.


[[Category:Meeting Notes]]