Noisebridge Vision

2014-06-07T21:58:18Z

JorgeRadio:

__NOEDITSECTION__[[Image:Noisebridge_soldering.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Learning by doing!]]
[[Image:Evocell_ecoli15.png|thumb|right|180px|Do cool stuff!]]
[[Image:Noisebridge_at_night.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Interact with interesting people!]]
Noisebridge is a space for sharing, creation, collaboration, research, development, mentoring, and of course, learning. Noisebridge is also more than a physical space, it's a community with roots extending around the world.

<blockquote>
For we're excellent to each other here 
We rarely ever block 
We value tools over pre-emptive rules 
And spurn the key and the lock. 
       — Danny O'Brien, 2010-11-09 general meeting notes
</blockquote>

''We make stuff. So can you.''

== The Idea ==

Noisebridge is an educational non-profit corporation, 501(c)3 public charity status.

We provide infrastructure and collaboration opportunities for people interested in programming, hardware hacking, physics, chemistry, mathematics, photography, security, robotics, all kinds of art, and, of course, technology. Through talks, workshops, and [[projects]] we encourage knowledge exchange, learning, and mentoring.

As a space for artistic collaboration and experimentation, we are open to all types of art - with a special emphasis on the crossover of art and technology. From hardware labs to electronics, cooking, photography, and sound labs, anything that's creative is welcome.

Many interesting things are happening at all times. Sharing is essential to making this work. We believe in starting from a point of respect and trust. We believe it builds a safe community and that this will foster innovation and creation.
Our code of conduct is "Be excellent to each other".

Leadership is taken by individual members for specific projects. We call this "sudo leadership" after the *nix command sudo which allows a regular user to do one root-level, or superuser, task. In other words, if you want Noisebridge to do something, start doing it.

Here's some paraphrasing from our bylaws:
Through talks, classes, workshops, collaborative projects, and other activities, we want to encourage research, knowledge exchange, learning, and mentoring in a safe, clean space. We provide educational spaces for teaching practical skills and theory of technology, science, and art. We provide work space, storage, and other resources for projects related to art, science, and technology that will benefit the individual members' personal growth in their fields of interest, encouraging the individual members to share their projects and knowledge for the betterment of society through art, science and technology. We create, learn, and teach, individually and as a group, inviting members of the community in the San Francisco Bay area and the world. We develop, support the development of, and provide resources for the development of free and open source software and hardware for the benefit of society. We promote collaboration across disciplines for the benefit of cultural, charitable, and scientific causes.

== Tripartite Pillars ==

===Excellence===
'''Be excellent to each other''' is the guiding principle of Noisebridge. Wikipedia uses [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Don't_be_a_dick a somewhat similar rule], which they call "''the fundamental rule of all social spaces. Every other policy for getting along is a special case of it.''" Unlike Wikipedia, Noisebridge takes a positive approach, and avoids the practice of officially enumerating the myriad potential special cases; "be excellent" is enough.

===Consensus===
We make official Noisebridge decisions by consensus, which means the willing consent of all of our members. Decisions are made at our [[:Category:Meeting_Notes|weekly meetings]], and items proposed for consensus are announced at least a week in advance to give everyone time to hear about them. Members may block by proxy if they are unable to attend or if they wish to block anonymously.

More information on the [[Consensus Process]].

===Do-ocracy===
Doing excellent stuff at Noisebridge does not require permission or an official consensus decision. If you're uncertain about the excellence of something you want to do, you should ask someone else what they think.

== Testimonials ==

[[Testimonials | Why people love Noisebridge]]

* Smart creative people, welcoming community, friendly to newbies
* Equipment, tools, books, materials, and the space itself
* Its culture of free, open, accessible, DIY awesomeness

== Financing it ==

We self-finance through membership fees ($80 per member/month with $40 "starving hacker" rate), beverage sales, and parties, the way European hacker spaces do it. We also welcome one-time or recurring [[Donate_or_Pay_Dues|donations]] from members and non-members alike. Donations and sponsorships will accompany renovation and equipment purchase. Within the first 24 hours of renting a space, we raised over $10,000 for a cool location and meaningful projects. Within our first month, we've nearly become cash flow positive from membership dues alone. Further discussion is happening on the [[Finances]] wiki page.

== Inspiration ==
Noisebridge is inspired by similar European clubs like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metalab Metalab] of Vienna, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-base CBase] of Berlin, [http://www.mi2.hr/ MAMA] of Zagreb, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASCII_%28squat%29 ASCII] of Amsterdam. Many other clubs of a similar stripe can be found at [http://hacklabs.org/index_en.php Hacklabs] and [http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/List_of_Hacker_Spaces Hackerspaces dot Org]. It would not be out of the question to consider Noisebridge a possible [http://events.ccc.de/2007/09/27/say-hello-to-bitkanonecccde/ San Francisco Chaostreff]. Noisebridge is a hacker space and community that shares a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorkbot Dorkbot]-like ethic, and indeed, many of the members of Noisebridge are long-time Dorkbotters.

== The Name ==
A "noise bridge" performs useful services by injecting noise into a system. Such a device is often used in RF electronics.

== The Space ==
Read some [[oral histories]] from members, or add your own!

=See Also=
*[[Community Standards]]

[[Category:Pages with a Noisebridge Tiny URL]]

[[File:2.jpg]]

About

2014-06-07T21:56:37Z

JorgeRadio:

'''Noisebridge''' is a physical space open and welcoming to all, providing infrastructure and collaboration opportunities for anyone interested in programming, hardware, crafts, science, food, robotics, art, and technology. We teach, we learn, we share. With no leaders, we have one rule: "Be excellent to each other". 

Read on for answers to some frequently asked questions, or navigate to find out more about us.

'''Governance and Goals:''' [[Vision]], [[Do-ocracy]], [[Consensus_Process]], [[Meeting]], [[Community_Standards]], [[Board_and_Officers]]

'''Nuts and Bolts:''' [[Hours]], [[Visitor_advice]], [[Getting_In]], [[Getting_Here]], [[Resources]]

'''Conflict and Concerns:''' [[Safety]], [[Conflict_Resolution]], [[Mediation]], [[Rats]]

 
'''Our Name:''' A "noise bridge" is a piece of electronic test equipment that injects noise into a system to see how it responds, so you can fix or improve it. Such a device is often used in RF electronics. 
 
'''What can I do here?''' Meet techie, arty, and crafty folks, take a class, teach a class, use the power tools and electronic labs, build something out of stuff on the hack shelves, use our library, surf the web, cook up something in the kitchen, and so on. 
 
'''Getting Here:''' Noisebridge is close to the 16th & Mission BART station, and the 14 Mission, 33 Stanyan, and 49 Van Ness-Mission Muni buses. The 22 Fillmore and 12 Folsom Muni buses are within a couple blocks. 
 
'''Do I need to be a member?''' You don't need to be a member to take or give a class or workshop at Noisebridge. All are welcome!
Noisebridge is also a great place to hang out and work on projects. However, if you spend a lot of time at Noisebridge and you're not paying for membership, you'll be expected to contribute in some other material way to the space and the geek culture surrounding it. 
 
'''How do I become a member?''' A good first step is to introduce yourself at a Tuesday meeting.
Membership is $80 a month (or a $40 “starving hacker” rate) and allows you to vote at meetings. If you aren’t a member but use the space, please drop off a few dollars in the donation bin, or set up a regular monthly donation for a smaller amount. Noisebridge runs off of membership dues and donations. 
 
'''Meetings''' are every Tuesday at 8pm at the 2169 Mission space. Meetings are mostly for organizational purposes. 
Any time is a good time to '''introduce yourself'''. Come on up and have a refreshment, tell others about your interests, or ask people what projects they are working on. 
 
'''Where can I find out more?''' The wiki is at https://www.noisebridge.net. The “Noisebridge-discuss” email list (and other lists) at https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo 
 
'''Events, workshops, classes!''' Every week there are lots of activities at Noisebridge, planned and otherwise. Check the wiki for upcoming events, workshops, and classes. And feel free to add your own! 
 
Noisebridge is a fairly '''open and permissive space''', and the equipment (unless otherwise marked, or on a member shelf) is open for public use. Safety first! Feel free to come to Noisebridge to work and play on your project, or help others with theirs. 
 
Noisebridge has '''lots of space''' available as a community resource for individuals and organizations to use -- please use it! 
 
'''Can I leave my stuff here?''' Noisebridge is open to the public, so use your judgment when leaving valuables here. Noisebridge is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Avoid leaving your bicycle here overnight. The daily storage shelves provide a space to leave your things for the day. The lost and found box is located on top of the shelves. Members can leave items on their labeled member shelf for an extended period. Please label any projects left here with your name, email, and the date. Putting your project into a box labeled with your name is best. 

[[File:1.png]]

Noisebridge - User contributions [en]

Noisebridge Vision

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