by BrianDorsey?
wikified by LionKimbro
We tried to make some decisions - if any of this seems wrong/unfair/weird/unclear, please, please, please say so!
(6 week trial period for this method, see decisions, below)
Jason Guel was volunteered and has agreed to put events on a google calendar as people post them to the list. We’re assuming that there can’t be ‘conflicts’ for now - if several events are signed up at the same time, they’re all happening at once. Also, no events are exclusive - there is always a chance that co-workers or other people might be there.
(6 week trial period for this method, see decisions, below)
Pretty much any event is OK. The event will need someone to open the space, buzz people in, keep things sane and lockup. For now, this means someone with 24/7 access to the space - they have the codes and the commitment to the space. So, if you can convince someone to open and close for you, or you become someone who can open and close, then you can host an event.
For time sensitive decisions: Rather than making proposals and waiting for complete consensus from everyone on the mailing list, we thought that some things would be probably served better by just trying something that sounds good enough and see how it goes. We recursively came up with a plan and applied it tonight.
Three elements of our decision making plan, dubbed “Cigar Chomping”:
Other decisions are ought to have more participation - consensus polling seems like it might work well for these.
Rent is due tomorrow. As of the beginning of the meeting, we were $700 in the hole. (When I checked at the end of the meeting we were only down $300 - who knows what happened while I was writing this!)
John Aegard is in nesting mode. He’s already done a few things and has volunteered to coordinate decoration & layout of the space. If you’ve got some ideas, get together with him and make it happen! He bought a large power strip, etc and has setup tables in the middle of the large room. It made for a much more communal feel. Lots of ideas for the future.
There is a danger of crap accretion in the space. Donations are happily accepted - please coordinate with John, and make sure you label them, so we can give it back later. 
We’re going to need to setup a “Lost and found” - some stuff in that category already, like a nice black jacket. If it stays too long, we’re going to give it away.
The tennants in our building are planning an open house and party on Saturday December 8th, starting at 6ish and going until whenever. There will be a self-serve bar and a live band at the end of the hall. Seems like a great chance to meet our neighbors. Also, since it’s Saturday, we pretty much have to participate. 
John A has volunteered to be the contact. We’ll have to figure out what our open house participation will be… maybe some sort of whiteboard drawing competition? 
Minutes 2007-11-14 Wednesday
recorder: LionKimbro
attending: BrianDorsey?, JohnAegard?, JasonGuel?, Rob, BrianRice?, LionKimbro
MP3 of second half : http://briandorsey-public.s3.amazonaws.com/MetaConverstation2007-11-14.MP3
initial agenda:
defered:
BD:
only non-sat-house event so far: SeaPIG? – in corner room, Nelson & projector
Bob (landlord) asked, “How work space on that? Who will lock up?”
somebody who has access to open & close - knows the routine - closing checklist
as long as we can deal w/ scheduling stuff, that’s the minimum we need to figure out
M: who has keys? BD: about 6 JA: someone who wants access for space: “pony up!” incentive = good
BD: main question is: how do we organize this? – who opens/closes, and how do we deal with scheduling
note that: not necessarily a problem, if there are two user groups present at the same time!
defer question of scheduling: we have no collisions
“we’re going to use Google Calendar, it’s going to be posted, anyone can post”
give everyone access through a common account? (pw maintenance questions) manual submission? (e-mail the group, someone puts it on)
obscure URL for calendar
anxiety about kicking people out – what if there are people coworking here?
google calendaring – recurrances – all can view, someone emails an ICAL – can we make a bot to put it on? will someone volunteer? (AAI) Lion volunteers Jason Guel to do it. Jason accepts.
time-bound decisions (emergency)
calendaring: “let’s try this out for a month and a half”
100% consensus at German co-op, for the people who bothered to go to the meeting
“the cigar chomping doctrine”: what people said at the meeting goes, is posted (no secrets), and anyone
who has an objection on the list can force a redress
place for consensus polling: “guiding principles”, “purpose of the group”, “what the front page says”, → Consensus Polling
BD against the “cigar chomping” metaphor– “it’s so wrong”, JA: “it’s so wrong, it goes around and becomes right”; Lion in favor of the humor
NO SECRETS
makes sense to record and post the meeting
“cigar chomping” it is!
Three elements of our decision making:
What about squeaky wheel? “I’m against everything” – Lion on “N” number of people, where you have to do 90%, 95%, rather than 100%
BD: Where can we store recordings MP3s? archive.org will host ANYTHING – LK: Why wouldn’t we use archive.org? BD: “It’s a very permanent decision.” LK: I get your point – well, can we just put it on your computer BD: OK
W: “The access code to the building is…” “The really good porn on the Internet is at…” BD: “NO JOKING AT THESE MEETINGS! AT ALL!”
full month this time
$700 in the hole as of tonight
donations 1st month: about same number donating 7 or 8 $100, 6+ $25.
so far this month: 4 $100 so far, none smaller ; will be 6 at least by end of night; hoping for smaller donations
google spreadsheet thing - we have $608 now, owe $1275 tomorrow (15th)
“Will anyone be treasurer?”
ways to make it interesting or easier, to give $25?
Brian Rice: we don’t want to do $25 / access ..?
JA: moving glass desk into place, mimic an Ethiopian restaurant
BD: more nesting would be good
JA: I think we need to do something with the firehose…
BD: It’s an opportunity that should not be wasted!
JA: We have a lot of weird expensive stuff here… we should ut it to good use.
LK: convert the rack into a coat hanger?
W: “This is not Re-PC.”
BD: “Saturday House accepts donations, AS LONG AS you put your name on it, for when we don’t want it anymore.”
BR: “Good idea.”
W: “OK, I won’t bring my Burning Man tent.”
Whiteboards. 12’ x 4’ sheets of white board (bathroom material) $12 / sheet … blackhat getting x6 whiteboards
JA: “Some burly men should take away the Rack.” LK: “Craig’s list it?” BD: “Well, it’s not exactly ours..”
The Chomping Cigars have nominated John Aegard to be Chief Nester Martha Steward.
JA: OK– I’d like to decree that donations are vetted (by me!) JA: There is a danger of crap accretion.
BD: “What to do with lost & found?” – the mysterious jacket, … “We’re going to end up with a Seattle wardrobe.” LK: CraigsList? it? BD: post to the list? take a picture & put it online? JA: doing too much for fleece, … ; e-Bay?
decision: “We’re going to give away stuff if you leave it too long.”
6:00PM … a SATURDAY!
food & drink
want to buy alcohol as a group on the floor – every tenent of floor chips in
BD: (A) we WANT to participate, (B) we HAVE to participate, since we’ll be here!
BD: Perhaps JA will be contact point? – (JA: OK!)
We’ll put Lion’s fliers out, to explain at the Open House, what we are and what we do.
brief interlude: meditation room, MindCamp? silent session, and “mellow”