First want to say that everyone I have ever met at synhak is cool. This is my POV so please take the little it is worth.
I would like to make it clear that I never intended to cause someone to be upset by donating equipment. BUT I did donate it to SynHak not an individual. I hope that everyone can understand the difference. If the items were deemed limbo property when given, they are NOT a charitable gift. I do feel that synhak should help others with equipment either by releasing it to individuals (selling and/or giving), Loaning (under the membership loan a tool plan), or retaining it for a fixed community resource (like the welder or lathe or 3d Printer) When I donate items to synhak I donate them to strengthen the hackerspace community. I know that others (like Omar and others) will take the precious time to sift through it and determine a good communal use. This communal use may support others to come to the space work on projects and provide their support. Together we all support each other. I see no reason that if a certain widget/part/item would help you in a personal project why synhak (as a voting membership) would not grant that property to be yours forever. BUT I don't assume anything (except consumables and items deemed JUNK) as to mine when I visit the space. I have access to them, can use them (if trained) but I don't own them. When I loan items to synhak (large fans and future items) I entrust the community to be excellent and treat them like they would other more expensive items (powertools, 3d printer, lathe) I hope everyone understands the place I am coming from even if you don't see it the same way. /end rant Much Love Justin On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 7:57 PM, Torrie Fischer <[email protected]>wrote: > On Friday, December 06, 2013 15:43:22 Omar Rassi wrote: > > Philip, > > > > First, you are right about the confusion about the junk pile and > donations > > pile. I discussed this with a Champion and we are clarifying this VERY > soon > > because it is very important to avoid this kind of confusion. Second, to > > dispel any feeling that anyone was worried about you, that is false, I > put > > it back in the storage room because that is our storage room for member > > projects and synhak property. The recent donations had not gone their > > because they had not been sorted yet. > > Except it isn't SYNHAK property. It is stuff that *nobody* wants to do > anything with. If someone claims something from the donation pile, then > they > are free to do whatever they want with it, but it needs to leave that > area. If > their next step is to fit it into SYNHAK's infrastructure, then it remains > SYNHAK's. > > If their next step is to make something, then I feel that they're free to > claim it as their own, *regardless of membership status*. Seriously, you > don't > need to be a member to stop in one day of the year and happen to see the > exact > hardware that you need to finish your project. > > We are an infrastructure provider for creative people. Part of that > infrastructure is having a physical location for people to drop off unused > equipment and others to use it to continue to create. > > We are not an infrastructure provider for members of SYNHAK. Members of > SYNHAK > support the hackerspace. They are not the hackerspace. They provide the > funds > to keep the lights on and have the right to shape the space through direct > involvement, as opposed to trying to convince someone who can to do it for > them. > > > > > I was not able to get to the rest of the computing equipment until the > > festivities were over and I have done so, though the desktops have not > yet > > been looked at. I have no issues with helping anyone with their computer > > equipment and answering questions and I am more than happy to help you > with > > your HP as I'm an experience repair technician however, that particular > HP > > that was in the donation pile is of great use to synhak and should not > have > > been left at the junk pile (the differentiation between junk and > donations > > will be rectified). > > > > Of the donation of those computer equipment, I have already identified > some > > things that going right back to the junk pile as it is just too old to be > > of use to synhak, newer equipment may be put to use as a computer, for a > > project or resold to maintain our operating funds. I expect that this > will > > be an important topic of discussion this coming meeting, fleshing out a > > clear and precise donation/scrapping procedure (I hate the word policy). > I > > was a manager for a thrift store for a time so I'll see about drafting a > > generic procedure for the membership to modify as we choose. > > > > The basic foundation of all donations to Synhak is that it belongs to > > Synhak until we (by we, I mean any member, it doesn't have to be me, > I.E. A > > No. No, no, no, no. Please see above. The stuff in the junk pile is *not* > automatically SYNHAK's property! Just because it shows up doesn't mean it > is > instantly part of our infrastructure. This is a very dangerous idea, as it > restricts access to our resources to only people who pay their dues and > have > jumped through the hoops to become a full member. Again, infrastructure > provider. Not members-only workshop. > > > member appropriated something from the recent donations for his own > project > > before I got a chance to look at it and therefore it is not included in > my > > recent report) can determine their future purpose, we are not a recycling > > facility for e-waste, but will work with members, the community, and > local > > recycling centers to ensure all donations get maximum use/reuse. The > > general public may then use recent donations during our open hours once > our > > members have had enough time to figure out what these donations can be > used > > for, ALL of the equipment seen at synhak, computers, monitors, mixers, > > soldering tools, welders, saws, power tools, projector, etc. were donated > > and then repaired/refurbished and then set up for public use. I promise > > that everyone will get a chance to use donations including the general > > public but we have to think about our members and our operating costs > first. > > That is not the protocol. If it is, please correct me so it can get changed > through the proper channel of a proposal. > > > > > I sincerely apologize for the confusion this has caused and I feel > horrible > > for the disappointment. I am working as quickly as I can to sort the > > equipment so they can be put to good use. > > > > On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 2:54 PM, Philip P. Patnode <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > *Suggestions for consideration by SYNHAK members -* > > > > > > *To avoid confusion, disappointment, and wasting time on projects that > > > will never happen, I suggest that the JUNK PILE (clearly marked with a > > > sign, usage policy established) be separated from the RECENT DONATIONS > > > PILE > > > (not marked, no policy) and I suggest **a formal SH policy be > established > > > for donations.* > > > > > > *In my opinion, two things need to happen at SYNHAK regarding future > > > donations.* > > > > > > *One*, *the SH policy* on all donations - from any source, of any kind > - > > > needs to be clearly stated and communicated to all members and > > > non-members, > > > in print or by email or as added text on the SH webpage or all three. > > > > > > *Two*,* the physical location* at SH for recent hardware donations > needs > > > to be clearly marked with a sign/appropriate comments. For example, > > > "Don't > > > Take" or "Not Available" or "Death by Laser" or "To Be Evaluated" > might be > > > used to convey the message. > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > ------------------ > > > > > > Here is the back story behind the suggestions. My apologies for the > > > length and details necessary to tell the story. > > > > > > At about 7.15pm last night, because of the delay over the turkey > cooking > > > experiment, I spent some time taking a casual look at the contents of > the > > > hardware junk pile near the entrance to the main room. Looked at and > dug > > > through lots of boxes and shelves full of stuff, all under a sign > > > indicating that all of it was in the correct place - the Junk Pile. > > > > > > Much to my surprise, I found a HP g7 series laptop that was very > similar > > > to the HP g7-1019wm that I had brought with me to SH last night, in the > > > hope of finding someone to help me diagnose/identify the problems and > > > guide > > > me through the repair process. The HP I brought is a personal laptop > and > > > not an item I plan to sell on eBay or Craigslist. It has a bad cooling > > > fan > > > (does not rotate - ever), a glitchy on/off switch, and two keys > damaged - > > > the K and the L, and maybe other problems. > > > > > > A long-time full member of SH (not to be named) stopped by to chat and > > > discuss the situation with me. During the conversation, he made it > very > > > clear that I could "claim" the donated item I found in the junk pile > and > > > use parts from it to fix my laptop. He was aware that I am not a > > > sponsored > > > member of SH, only a recent interested person who likes the concept of > SH > > > and has made an effort to swim with the rolling tide. As the turkey > > > frying > > > situation was still developing out on the loading deck, I spent the > next > > > 45 > > > minutes doing some online research about the specs for both HP laptops > and > > > going through the HP support forums to read the comments about similar > > > problems. I was on page two of my notes when a dark cloud appeared on > the > > > horizon. > > > > > > My joy of finding a possible solution to my laptop problem turned to > > > serious disappointment and frustration when another long-time full > member > > > of SH (again, not to be named) approached and summarily declared that > the > > > donated item was not available to me or anyone else, but would be > retained > > > by SH to be diagnosed and possibly repaired and used by SH or sold for > > > cash. There was no room allowed for any further discussion about the > > > donated laptop. Do'ocracy in action? > > > > > > As a non-member, with no power, no influence, no ace-in-the-hole, and > > > definitely no say about anything regarding anything at SH, I tried to > > > minimize my comments and watched as the member picked up the laptop off > > > the > > > work area where I had it and proceeded to disassemble it on another > bench, > > > check out a few items, and put it back together again. He then moved > to a > > > back room, out of sight and out of reach, as if he was concerned that > it > > > would find a way back to the junk pile, or worse, out to someone's car > and > > > disappear forever. The series of actions by the member almost > appeared > > > as > > > if he was worried I would run off with the donated HP moment he turned > his > > > back on it, although I might be entirely in error about his thoughts on > > > the > > > matter. > > > > > > The names of the SH members who were involved are not essential to the > > > issue and are not the basis for the suggestions. Personalities play > no > > > part in my suggestion to take action on the matter of donations to SH. > > > > > > Only turkey feathers should be ruffled, as I am not making this an > issue > > > > > > about any particular member. > > > > > > On a final note, I would consider buying the donated HP g7 series > laptop > > > from SH at a reasonable price to use for parts or repair, if it is > > > available now or becomes available in the near future. > > > > > > In the meantime, I will avoid even looking at anything within 10ft of > the > > > combo donations/junk pile. I don't want to get my hope up and then > have > > > it > > > dashed again. > > > > > > Philip > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Discuss mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > https://synhak.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > https://synhak.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss >
_______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] https://synhak.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
