[hackpgh-discuss] Re: HackPGH Google Groups reminder
- From: Geno Soroka <ukranians2@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: hackpgh-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2017 12:56:05 -0400
On Thu, Apr 20, 2017 at 10:10 AM, James Keener <jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I also really take offense to the group
being private. It's not private, it's just not public-by-default.
There is a big difference.
I don't think having a private mailing list is going against the original
spirit of HackPittsburgh. Our wiki is public and will always remain public,
including our member meeting minutes. But just like you have to be a member
to use our tools, and to participate in certain things, in order to
participate in HackPittsburgh related discussions, and to edit the wiki
(anyone can view it), you have to be a member of HackPittsburgh.
Let me give you an example. Lets say a bunch of members get together and
want to collaborate in a competition against another makerspace. If the
list is public, the competition can go and read exactly what our plans are.
This has happened in the past (we worked together on competitions), and
everything we ever wrote can be accessed by anyone right now.
You can say, "just be cautious and dont give away plans", people forget all
the time. I forget myself. You post something, like a phone number, and a
second later go, oh crap I forgot that the list is public...
It makes working together on competitions nearly impossible, without having
to start your own mailing list just for that competition. Autonomous power
wheels is a good example. They have their own google groups, and that is
one of the reasons.
It doesnt have to be a competition, there are many things that
HackPittsburgh does which is private HackPittsburgh business only available
to members. There is nothing morally wrong with keeping that information
private only to members.
If you really want to know whats going on, anyone can always read the
meeting minutes, but we always approach those with knowing that they are
public.I as the secretary can't relax when I write those. I have to go back
and re-read them 20 times to make sure I didn't say anything which someone
could find offensive.
That is our public image. I would love to have a private forum for
discussion where we can just forget what society happens to think (today),
and be ourselves. Be funny, be silly, have fun. That is part of the Hacker
spirit too.
-Geno
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