The vending machine now provides some more feedback after money is put in.
Source code associated with my contribution is here. I haven't documented
the other components of the vending machine.
https://thomaslevine.com/scm/sudo-vending
Based on the implementation details, it appears to me that
the bill acceptor is in fact plugged into one board (Arduino Leonardo)
that is connected by serial to another board (Raspberry Pi). Why is
the former board used at all? That is, why is the bill acceptor not
plugged directly into the latter board?
I've set up a jitsi terminal on the wall in Sudoroom!
It's a big TV made by Hitachi, and it has a feature where it can go into "power
saving" mode when the HDMI signal is lost. That means the screen can power
down when DPMS puts the monitor to "sleep". It has a webcam that's clearly
labeled, and on a hinge so it can easily be aimed down at the floor if people
are shy, and it has a Jabra USB speaker/microphone thing which should hopefully
provide good speakerphone functionality. I have the computer setup to start
firefox, and i have firefox set to open the jitsi page, where permissions are
already enabled for webcam/audio. The only remaining need is to automatically
wake the monitor from sleep (using "DISPLAY=:0 xset force dpms on") whenever
there is anyone else detected in the jitsi "room"
This feature is important so that people can see (on the screen) whenever
someone is in the screen/camera/microphone with them. For now the monitor is
either left on a lot, or blanks out due to a timeout.
I've determined that the most direct ways to make the monitor turn on when
anyone joins the jitsi channel are:
1. make an XMPP client in python or something, which connects to the server and
finds out how many people are in the room (and whether there's anyone other
than the telescreen in there) and sets the monitor on/off state accordingly
2. make a browser extension to find the element containing the number of
"Meeting participants" and copy the number to the window title, where it can be
observed from the shell with a command like wmctrl -l
<div class="jss52">Meeting participants (2)</div>
unfortunately the div class is not always jss52 but the innertext is always
Meeting Participans(#) so it should be able to be found.
The idea is that with this setup, people can go on jitsi and talk to whomever
is in sudoroom, as well as each other.
presently i'm using this link but that can change if we find something better:
https://meet.waag.org/turtlesturtlesturtles
note: the telescreen in sudoroom is not signed in right now, not sure why but
i'll fix it asap
We have been waiting for a sensing system to be programmed for security in
CCL and sudo room.
Meanwhile, there have been incidents in and around the Omni that raise
security concerns.
Starting in August we will start closing and locking the entry door.
If someone is having a workshop and wants to keep an open door for the
duration, that's cool, prop it open.
When you exit the area please close the door and check that it locked.
Here's how to unlock the door:
1. check to see no one is watching you
2. press the lever/switch on the box to the left of the door
(see photo) while saying "open sesame"
3. push open the door and enter.
[image: opensezme.jpg]
to lock the door, just close it.
The door also opens from inside.
This message is coming to you via Sudo-discuss or CCL members at google
groups. Please pass it on to anyone who needs to know the procedure.
Sudo Room,
Is next meeting going to be soon ?
I see that there is video. Is this the meeting going on now ? Looks like only one person
https://meet.waag.org/turtlesturtlesturtles
Joma
it's like, it doesn't even have to be even anything tangible like a work
project. or an art project. it can be like the old sudoroom "today I
learned" meetups where we talked about what we learned that week!
https://sudoroom.org/wiki/Today_I_Learned
FYI today i learned was never a "teaching class" like the kind they use to
get funding and stuff for "teaching stem to people" from rich non profits.
it was pretty authentic and people were allowed to be as weird as they
anted to be.
Maybe we can get these started again, it's a lot easier since so much is
online now!
I did one a few years ago on comics, 3d printing and the universe
https://sudoroom.org/wiki/Today_I_Learned#May_11,_2013_Comics,_3D_Printing_…
again it was NOT a teaching class to "teach STEM"
https://sudoroom.org/wiki/ComicsAndMore
=============================
Romy Ilano
romy(a)snowyla.com
HEY!
This *Wednesday, August 31st @ 8 - 9 PM* Sudo Room is hosting its first *in
person on-site* meeting in over two years.
Our agenda is pretty simple: We're going to discuss how closely Sudo Room
is meeting the financial obligations necessary to avoid losing our building
at the end of the year, and lay out plans to meet those obligations in time
to save the Omni Commons.
We will still welcome guests remotely at the usual link:
https://meet.waag.org/turtlesturtlesturtles
You can donate and share the link to the Omni Commons fundraiser here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-omni
Cheers! See you this Wednesday night!
*Andrew R Gross, (he/him)*
412.657.5332 - shrad.org <http://www.shrad.org>
I think it's good to view gender specific activities with caution whether it's creating a women's embroidery group or making events "more friendly for women.
While I like the Girl Scouts, I heard a NY times episode where girls wished they could do all the cool adventure and science projects the boy Scouts do. Usually they get directed to community service and making jewelry which is a little sad!
when I see how Girl Scouts are directed to community service and work it reminds me of the "women's groups" I see popping up even today at women in tech spaces. maybe there's a solution where people can stop getting pushed into these really weird areas.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/23/girl-scouts-boy-scouts-diff…
Despite the similarities between the programs, a 2011 study in Gender & Society, a journal focused on gender studies, found that Girl Scouts are generally discouraged from scientific pursuits while Boy Scouts are pushed away from artistic interests.
The study found that the girls are offered more art activities than the boys, but science activities make up only 2% of their activities and 6% for the boys. The girls’ activities are more communal, with 30% of their badge work taking place in groups, while the boys work is more self-oriented with less than 20% of their work taking place in a group.
The study also found that boys were instructed to look for answers in the back of their guide, something that “fosters intellectual dependence and passivity”, whereas girls were encouraged to do original research.
What badges can they earn?
There are over 100 merit badges offered to Boy Scouts in subject areas including sports, crafts, science, trades, business and future careers. In order to earn a badge, a scout must pick the subject they’re interested in, meet with a merit badge counselor, complete the task, and then present either the finished product or their new knowledge to the counselor.
The Girl Scouts also offer a range of badges, in areas including first aid, crafting and practical life skills. Scouts must prove themselves proficient in an area before receiving a badge. Some subjects (cookie business, financial literacy, skill building, etc) have progression badges, where scouts earn a higher level in the same subject area as they grow increasingly proficient. They also offer the Make Your Own Badge option for those scouts whose interests lie outside of the offerings.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWIMCcVWFxQwFl3knuXmyDg
I'm trying to figure out how to share it.
- Can anyone set up a youtube account that says it's sudoroom? I'm hoping I
don't have exclusive control of this because I can't figure out how to
share the account.
- It has about 3 cyberwizard videos on it.
oh by the way, a PEW study says that half of people who watch youtube do so
for "educational" videos
<https://www.videomaker.com/study-shows-half-of-youtube-users-are-there-for-…>!!!
education! cha-ching! just kidding. No, does anyone have control of this
account?
seems to be linked to a goolge account email does anyone know who owns this?
- sudoroom-3096(a)pages.plusgoogle.com
sorry for the typing, i cut my finger chopping cabbage last week.
=============================
Romy Ilano
romy(a)snowyla.com
I'm heading back from a short trip so won't be able to be in oakland on
time. Coding night is happening anyway, have fun you all!✨✨--
julianaferreira(a)gmail.com
