Meeting Notes 2026 04 28

These are the notes from the The 862nd Meeting of Noisebridge.

Date	2026-04-28
Note-taker[s]	Solderfumesandtea, Matt T
Moderator[s]	Jet, LX

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Meeting Summary

• Announcements: Neotropolis event near Mojave (neotropolis.com); Michael Newman working on kitchen soon; new board members announced: LX, Anh, Carl, Blitzkrieg, Daniel (Web), Solderfumesandtea, Jane (ratlord), EigenVexer, Mister_Name, Noah (CHM), Bilaliyah, Zacchae (matrix only)
• Consensus Items: None
• New Members:
  • Core members: none
  • Access members: Matt, Miss Stencil
• Discussion Items:
  • Front area — modular solutions for bar/cafe, stage under dragon, FT wall mount, ventilation for laser/welder
  • Industrial knitting machine — usage event scheduled after meeting; evaluate keep vs. donate/raffle
  • Room lockup procedures and access control — room locking policy, motion sensors, unified keycard system

Introductions

Tonight's icebreaker: what's your favorite drink?

• Will: absinthe
• Zacchae: Baileys blended with vanilla ice cream
• Josh: whiskey
• Heather: milk tea
• Loren: ginger beer
• Rovin: apple juice
• Max: beer, High Noon peach
• Michael Newman: French chardonnay
• Bjorn: straight bourbon
• Caitlin: wheated bourbon
• Matt: boilermakers
• Lex: Hefeweizen wheat beer
• Marion: gin, generally
• Jet: loves kombucha
• JD: zine brewing, high ABV
• LX: thought he didn't like beer until trying Hefeweizen

Short Announcements and Events

• LX has space in his spaceship to go to Neotropolis on Kepler 4 — only 20 minutes from Mojave. Like a cyber Burning Man, set in 2226. neotropolis.com

• Michael Newman will work on the kitchen soon.

• New board members: LX, Anh, Carl, Blitzkrieg, Daniel (Web), Solderfumesandtea, Jane (ratlord), EigenVexer, Mister_Name, Noah (CHM), Bilaliyah, Zacchae (matrix only)

Excellence

Our One Rule is to Be Excellent to Each Other.

Making things better, go above the minimum, field goal over the standard, putting things back together better than you found them.

What does that mean? Please see our page on excellence https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/Excellence!

Anti-Harassment Policy & Community Standards of Excellence

Noisebridge has an Anti-Harassment Policy!

Everyone is expected to follow the Anti-Harassment Policy, please familiarize yourself with it.

For approachable & specific guidelines see: Community Standards

Please note: https://safespace.noisebridge.net/ is one way to quickly raise issues which will be seen by people in Discord.

Brief Kudos

LX: Thanks to Michael Newman for painting the striping near the gate to provide clearance.

Marion: Someone made an extension cord for the laser fan — thanks to whoever did that.

Michael: Thank LX for carrying the torch.

Chris (Blitzkrieg) has been doing a lot of great work in the woodshop.

Consensus Items

No existing Big C consensus items. None new this week.

• Matt was added to the access member tier.
• Miss Stencil was added to the access member tier.

Discussion Items

1: Front Area Organization and Space Layout

On topic	Front area organization — modular furniture, bar/cafe placement, stage, FT wall mount, ventilation
From/Raised by	Michael Newman, JD, LX
Seeking	advice/decision

Michael Newman: The front area needs to be efficient. What's the goal? Should schedule a discussion. Goal: collaborate with whoever wants to make it easier for events to get in, set up, and clean up.

LX: People are carrying heavy stuff — there should be a dedicated cart for moving heavy things; no heavy-moving infrastructure means injuries. Ingress and egress should be as easy as possible. The setups should not be disturbed. The Telebridge was resurrected — one downstairs and one upstairs, meeting infrastructure for streaming. Telebridges in every conference room.

Loren: Where did the front area band-aids / first aid go?

LX: First aid should be at the front and back of the space, especially close to the woodshop.

JD: The laser filter is not being very effective — may be malfunctioning, cannot convince the vendor; new filter coming. The laser is smelly so it was moved to the front. We are supposed to have an exhaust vent going outside; technically not required but the city and county say it should be exhausted outside. Moving it to the front creates an opportunity to make an exhaust system that pulls dirty air from the fiber laser, 3D printing, and normal laser. The 240V outlet for the Quilm and welder is near the front — these items need outside ventilation. A garage area for the Quilm and welder would be ideal; having the laser and welder right at the entrance sets a certain vibe.

LX: The cafe has been moved to the side temporarily. Where does the cafe go? Where does the hot shop go? What information and signup stuff can greet new people entering Noisebridge for the first time?

Daniel: The bar should be near the front, near sunlight, so it can be nice. It lets people sit in chairs outside for the cafe. We shouldn't take over the front area with just machines — it won't be as inviting. I could see people doing sewing or things with plants, less industrial things. We want more beauty in the space. We should have things outside.

Loren: The bar just got moved to this wall; it could be accessible there with WAG and stickers stocked there. Would wheels help?

Daniel: If it was on wheels it could be wheeled outside temporarily, but it would be awkward to make beverages in the hallway. The dream is it's outside with an umbrella.

Heather: Point about sunlight access — as someone who sews, I use the RNA lounge because it's well lit and comfy. If the patio had comfy seating, that could be a great space.

LX: Agree with everyone so far. The stage doesn't belong right where it is — it's super awkward. It's been suggested the stage goes under the dragon, which would make it less obstructive and all presentations better. That would open up a better space for a bar for an indoor party. With wheels the bar/cafe could be a cafe by day and a bar for evening events.

Chris: Where exactly?

LX: The permanent stage goes under the dragon, the bar goes where the stage is now on wheels so it can also go outside for the cafe. That puts the teal dragon above it.

Chris: Agreed — better with wheels there instead of in the hallway where it gets in the way.

Michael Newman: Agree the front should be useful and beautiful. Agree with JD that having machines in the front can also be beautiful — we can do both with a beautiful, functional, modular space. Wheels and respectful scheduling can make this work.

Chris: Everything has to be modular for it to work for everyone.

Michael Newman: Setup and cleanup need to be easy.

Chris: Sometimes people put things on the cafe and it ends up gross.

LX: Everything should have wheels by default.

Loren: Zacchae is talking about mounting the FlaschenTaschen on the wall — less on wheels.

Chris (Blitzkrieg): FlaschenTaschen is being mounted.

Blue: We are going to fix it directly to the wall so it takes up less space.

Loren: Do you need help buying hardware?

Blue: The building will fall down before the FT does. Julius helped reposition the stage at the back with the projector — we should keep the projector in the back.

LX: The projector is fine but we should have a projector on every wall. Elements that should welcome people at the front: literature, information, and swag. We leave cultural knowledge at the bar — it serves a teaching function.

Jet: To summarize action items: find modular solutions for the bar, Quilm, welder, and fiber laser; put the stage near the dragon; mount the FT; welcome-to-Noisebridge materials behind glass; mounted kiosks and neon signage attached to the bar.

2: Industrial Knitting Machine

On topic	Industrial knitting machine — keep, donate to imagineKNIT, or raffle?
From/Raised by	Wheezy
Seeking	decision

Wheezy: There are people on 18th St at imagineKNIT. We should replace the knitting machine spot with the cafe/bar. Reach out to them and see if they want the knitting machine.

LX: Would they let us use it?

Wheezy: They have a knitting store.

Loren: Good community hub.

Blue: It's a fundraising opportunity.

Zacchae: People's eyes light up when they see the machine — it's pretty cool, but it takes up a lot of space.

LX: Could they teach us to use it? What would they use it for?

Wheezy: They wouldn't use it — they would sell it to someone.

Zacchae: We could hoist it up; it can't keep taking up space as it is.

Eduardo: What Zacchae said — what's the point if no one uses it? Could we encourage someone to use it?

Jet: I've been hosting for about 4 months and all the time people want to get rid of the knitting machine.

LX: Why don't we make as much use of it as we can until it's gone — immediately after and before the meeting.

Michael: Raffle idea? Fundraiser? imagineKNIT?

Wheezy: They know people who would want it. Are you open to other ways to get rid of it, like a raffle?

Daniel: It's not really a gift for anyone besides hackers. The only people who'd want it are from Sequoia Fabrica — they got one a few months ago. They could teach us how to use it here. No one would want to buy it, and if they did they wouldn't know what they're getting into. I can show you how to use the machine; Ms. Stencil might be able to help translate.

Loren: It has some broken English settings; it can be learned.

Daniel: It's fun for the reverse-engineering ethos — that's why I'd want to keep it.

LX: The only thing I could use it for is cranking out artisanal merch we could sell. Making banners and things on the internet until it goes away.

Wheezy: I don't think it'll be worthwhile.

Josh: Selling it or giving it away?

Daniel: It's worth something but there are transportation costs.

Wheezy: I will take it away.

Loren: What usage would we need to justify keeping it?

Wheezy: Enough donations that it's worth the amount of space it's taking up. If enough people use it and donate for it, it pays for itself.

Loren: Maybe worthwhile in custom scarves.

Michael: I can get it upstairs.

Zacchae: Set a deadline. If I want to see socks—

Wheezy: We could make a scarf.

LX: If it doesn't have a bus number of 2 or more then it has to go — and have events every week.

Daniel: This is a false equivalence; this machine is so much more difficult to learn.

LX: Last chance class.

Loren: More people, people who are happy, making notes and videos.

LX: Can we do a class before the meeting every week?

Loren: This takes a very long time to do a class on.

Eduardo: I'm here for a week — if someone wants to do it Thursday or Friday, maybe, but not soon.

Will: I'd do it tonight.

Jet: Is there an agreed-upon bar for getting rid of it or keeping it?

Wheezy: QR code to track donation amounts.

LX: A class needs to be announced — no one knows how to use it. A quarter of people here are just here for the laser.

Loren: The event is after the meeting tonight. (The machine takes up about 50 square feet.)

Wheezy: Will pay $100 for an NB scarf.

LX: Can we make a huge banner and send it as a gift?

Loren: All the work is in dialing it in — make cut points. We can train tonight and once a month, then lessen the training load.

Jet: Is it sustainable?

Loren: Yes — a burst of effort, then less so.

Michael: The sewing space is poorly managed — limbo land in the sewing room to the right.

Jet: Are you opposed to it leaving the space?

Loren: I'd like to give it an effort to keep it.

3: Room Lockup Procedures and Access Control

On topic	Room lockup procedures and access control for guilds
From/Raised by	Heather, Loren
Seeking	advice/decision

Loren: On the membership sheet, the back has the days for trash night — should be updated with clear trash bags. The lockup procedure: sometimes people grief rooms intentionally or not. 3D printing and sewing are requesting rooms be locked. Music might need to be locked too. See if that policy is needed.

JD: Is it on the list to check the music room for people hiding?

Zacchae: You don't know if rooms are locked from the inside — it's better to leave them unlocked so it's easy to check, especially the music room.

Loren: Motion sensors — PIR; Seeed Studio has 24GHz stuff for motion detection. An activity sensor tucked away so it's not too visible. Let's put the new policies on the wiki.

Daniel (web): How do we make a music room door that you can exit but not lock yourself in?

Daniel (web): CO2 sensors are cool.

Loren: Revisit locking of doors. In about a month — for 3D printing and sewing — ask them if they want more door infrastructure. Work on music room locking.

Michael: I can't represent the sewing guild but we should lock it whenever you leave.

LX: Does the sewing room use an electronic keycard? We should have unified access control.

Loren: Physical keys don't scale. Access control for Noisebridge — maybe Jet and Solderfumes should work on it for guilds. Do people want to work on access control?

LX: I want it to work with Noise Portal — one account, in progress.

Loren: IndieAuth would be good.

LX: Sign up and get all the things in one place.

LX: Need an official consensus item for casters on everything.

Woodworking Night on Thursdays. (Blue)

Do-ocratic Task Board

Participation also means doing stuff to contribute to the space. Propose new tasks or pick some tasks from Github, from what needs to be done around you, or whatever, and see if someone will sign up to work on that task. Anyone can sign up and it's a great way to show you are contributing!

• What wiki pages need updating? What new wiki pages do we need?
• Knitting machine demo/class: the post-meeting event did not happen — needs to be scheduled. See Discord knitting machine channel to coordinate.