I don't have time to do this but it looks like a great cause!
The EnCorps STEM Teachers Program offers an opportunity for STEM
Professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area to explore teaching with the
support of a classroom teacher - and you don't need prior experience in
education! Find out more here or apply directly to our program here:
https://encorps.org/teach.
Do you have time to attend an Informational Session to learn more about our
program? Please register for one of our upcoming sessions here:
https://encorps.org/meet/.
*Romy Mimi Ilano*
*romy.ilano(a)gmail.com <romy.ilano(a)gmail.com>*
https://www.meetup.com/sudoroom/events/298321617/
Hey guys, we do have a meetup page for tuesday hardware hack nights. There
have been people signing up - (for example tonight Hogun and Vrushank have
signed up).
https://www.meetup.com/sudoroom/events/298321617/
I'm going to make an effort to feature the women and binary nights more too
on the meetup page - people just seem to be able to track the meetings
better there than on our wordpress calendar page.
We have the problem of all our meetups looking exactly the same. it'd be
cool if there could a be a theme once in a while (if I have time I might
volunteer, like showing how Paige taught me some basics in audio
engineering even though that happened Monday night)
*Romy Mimi Ilano*
*romy.ilano(a)gmail.com <romy.ilano(a)gmail.com>*
This past Saturday, 1/20/24 was an incredible event! We hosted a Winter
Revival DIY art fair to help fundraise the Omni. We had over dozens of art
vendors & performers. We also had Sudo Room, Food not Bombs, Free Store &
Media Lab table their amazing collectives to share with the community!
*We raised over $800 from door donations and art vendors !*
Here are photos captured
by Anka https://www.flickr.com/photos/ankakarewicz/albums/72177720314225877/
& Phil
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bMaeuC-MYlVfbbpMFOcTlFNqmL5PBmqu
Huge thank you to G, Pallavi, Phil, Paige, Angela, June, Anka, Toan, Yar,
Tanya & so many more for making this event a success! May we organize more
fundraiser gatherings where the community and collectives can share space
We are still needing to fundraise to support our day to day costs to secure
the building! Please share our fundraiser ! https://givebutter.com/gHpD3e
[image: Solidarity for Palestinian Liberation (7).png]
Hi all,
This is some little thing I do every third Sunday. Now hosted at SudoRoom
since I became a member.
Anyways, Just a little group to hang around and work on Pi projects or
whatever.
Maybe like a Sunday afternoon edition of Hardware Hack.
So I have a couple of the PI 5 and just received some nvme hats. Going to
see if I can get the Pi to boot off nvme. Also if there is time maybe see
if can connect pcie devices to the m.2 port.
All are welcome to come by. Pi or no Pi.
Also I would like to plan for the February meetup. I want to do something
special. Because 12 years ago on Feb 29th the first Raspberry Pi was
released and here we are at another leap year.
My idea is to submit an official event to the Raspberry Pi foundation (They
call this a Pi Jam)
We would be listed on their webpage (seen by people all over the world) and
maybe get some swag out of it. I expect at least 2 or 3 Pi 5 kits.
Also we would likely have a few new people come by and see the space.
I think a Meetup event page would bring 10 or so new people.
Maybe you have something you'd like to show off or demo.
I welcome ideas.
Thanks, Thomas
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2024 22:53:59 -0800
From: Scott Scheraga <scottscheraga(a)gmail.com>
Cc: robots-on-ice-team-2024(a)googlegroups.com
Subject: [sudo-info] Robots On Ice 2024 - Sudo Room
Hello Sudo Room Members,
I’m Scott Scheraga, a board member for the Robots on Ice event. Since 2020,
Robots on Ice has hosted (Human) Skating and Robotics exhibitions on ice.
While the robotics aspect of Robots on Ice is focused more on the
demonstrations of robots, we will have casual robot races and sumo.
https://www.robotsonice.org/
This year, we will be hosting the event at the Yerba Buena Ice Skating &
Bowling Center in San Francisco, 3:45-7:45pm on April 21st. Would your
organization be interested in hosting a booth/table to promote your
makerspace, and demo some of the projects made at your space?
(family-friendly only, please!). We are offering two price structures for
booths.
-
Booth that will be selling items: $300, which includes 5 tickets. ($25
for anyone additional)
-
Booth that will not be selling anything: $25 per person.
Lastly, we are aware that this year’s Robots on Ice will be taking place on
the same weekend as RoboGames. Our event was booked a few weeks before the
RoboGames dates were announced. RoboGames runs until 5pm on that Sunday,
so while there is some overlap, we feel that it is likely that around the
time Robots on Ice starts, Robogames will be winding down.
Let us know what you think!
Thank you,
Scott Scheraga
One week after we approved Silver's collective and they're already attacking
us for making decisions they don't agree with, describing our members as
"resistant to collective collaboration" and complaining about our delegates
turnover.
Why is Silver blaming Sudoroom for delegate turnover that started with CLP
targeting me in September, and includes Jamal targeting Eric last week?
Why should closed delegate's meetings have an exception for "working group
leads"? Because Silver is a working group lead? The delegates meetings can
be closed for only delegates, that was actually a proposal I made a few weeks
ago, but I don't see why self-appointed "working group leads" should be
treaded as if they're delegates.
This is unfortunately more politicking and is really tiresome. Either have
the delegates meetings be delegates only, or keep letting whomever wants to
show up, but don't try to carve out exceptions for yourself to be there.
-jake
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2024 18:06:25 -0800
From: Z Silver Zahn <natashazahn27(a)gmail.com>
To: consensus <consensus(a)lists.omnicommons.org>
Subject: [omni-consensus] report back
Omni Commons has missed the deadline for repaying the $870,000 balloon
payment to Mulberry Trust, due on December 31, 2023. In light of this, Omni
delegates and working groups have been actively exploring various proposal
options to avert an immediate foreclosure. We had emailed our lawyer to
request a few months extension. Still waiting to hear back.
People Program has put forth a proposal aimed at paying off the remaining
debt. The proposal suggests offering shared or full ownership of the
building, allowing Omni collectives to continue their operations and rent
their existing spaces.
people program original proposal
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lCoi6BJX9F1jgkIJI5eCQg1Aw0X-hs2v/view?usp=…>
People Program presented their proposal during three consecutive delegate
meetings held on December 7, 15, and 21. Initial discussions began to
establish a rapport, but due to differing opinions among delegates, Jamal
was engaged on December 21 to facilitate conversations with People Program
and other stakeholders proposing alternative ideas.
Regrettably, the delegates have struggled to reach a consensus on which
proposal to prioritize. Various proposals have been submitted, including a
brief mention of an LLC proposal energized by Sudo Room on December 15.
Additionally, there is interest in the concept of land trusts, but no
specific proposal is currently being led or developed.
suggested proposals
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wDzotx3D07brWXLkylRlSb9r_alI8fqaBFUDxki…>
On January 4, 2024, Phil Bell submitted a proposal suggesting the repayment
of a loan for partial ownership of the building, as city in motion. phil
bell proposal
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ina3NPu4fDUdUDeyVDdNaNraDvhcViRK/view?usp=…>
Recognizing the challenges faced by Omni delegates in making collective
decisions, a two-day meeting was held on January 5 and 6, facilitated by
Jamal. At the conclusion of this meeting, the proposal's most popular
option was still to acquire a new loan, People's Programs and Phil Bell's
proposal were deemed the most realistic options on the table currently. Yar
and Patrik drafted a counter proposal for People Program, and Jamal
proposed the hiring of an interim Executive Director (ED) to streamline
actions and decision-making. Jamal volunteered for this role and committed
to self-funding their payroll, considering Omni's financial constraints.
Tentative approval was granted for Jamal's offer during the subsequent
delegate meeting on January 11. However, concerns raised by Sudo Room
members resistant to collective collaboration prompted a reevaluation. In
the same meeting, People Program suggested joining as a collective to
foster relationships, but delegates did not feel ready to proceed.
Despite over two months of weekly delegate meetings and a two-day
accountability retreat, we find ourselves without a clear plan or
functioning working groups. The decision-making process has been a
longstanding challenge, and the time has come for a focused approach. With
Sudo Room changing delegates four times in two months and the addition of
two new delegates from Sketchboard and Media Lab, there is a pressing need
to define delegate duties, establish rules and regulations, and ensure
active participation in working groups to prevent crucial decisions from
slipping through the cracks. Each collective should only have 1 delegate
present at the meeting.
At the January 11 delegate meeting, there were conflicts among old and new
Omni members, derailing the focus of the work. We propose temporarily
closing delegate meetings to only delegates and working group leads. This
measure aims to address conflicts and streamline the decision-making
process.
For those who don't know - Jamal has set a clear boundary with us. He is
not willing to be ED as long as Eric remains a sudoroom delegate, due to
concerns about Eric telling lies about him, treating him with disrespect,
and normalizing or tolerating anti-Black attitudes and behaviors.
I am personally not interested in escalating any conflicts with Eric. I do
have concerns as well about Eric's ability to navigate power differentials
or represent marginalized members. I voted against him last week, but I
didn't block because I think saving Omni will require us to focus on bigger
things. But now he's become a direct obstacle. I think that it would be
best for Omni if we honor Jamal's boundary and ask Eric to step down as
delegate.
Sudoroom meeting tonight at 7PM, we're having weekly meetings since a lot of
fundamental issues to Omni and Sudoroom are being discussed every week.
Please show up, there will be important discussions which will have an effect
on Sudoroom's survival as well as what Sudoroom stands for going forward.
Most of us meet in person, some join the meeting remotely through our Jitsi
video link at this address:
https://meet.waag.org/turtlesturtlesturtles
-jake
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2024 15:35:19 -0800
From: Andrew Werby via sudo-discuss <sudo-discuss(a)sudoroom.org>
Reply-To: Andrew Werby <awerby(a)juxtamorph.com>
To: sudo-discuss(a)sudoroom.org
Subject: [sudo-discuss] Re: Retaining our executive director
I think we can safely let Jamal go. I really don't see what he is really able
to do for us, and he seemed mainly interested in banning or sidelining people
he saw as obstacles, using spurious arguments as justification. More clarity in
leadership would be a good thing, but eliminating our delegate seems like a
step backward. I do think we need to institute some kind of governing body,
like a board, that can make decisions without long, tedious, and
counterproductive general meetings. It needs to focus on saving the space, or
if that's not possible, saving the equity built up for the benefit of the
existing stakeholders.
AW
On 1/17/2024 3:02 PM, Yardena Cohen via sudo-discuss wrote:
> For those who don't know - Jamal has set a clear boundary with us. He is not
> willing to be ED as long as Eric remains a sudoroom delegate, due to concerns
> about Eric telling lies about him, treating him with disrespect, and
> normalizing or tolerating anti-Black attitudes and behaviors.
>
> I am personally not interested in escalating any conflicts with Eric. I do
> have concerns as well about Eric's ability to navigate power differentials or
> represent marginalized members. I voted against him last week, but I didn't
> block because I think saving Omni will require us to focus on bigger things.
> But now he's become a direct obstacle. I think that it would be best for Omni
> if we honor Jamal's boundary and ask Eric to step down as delegate.
>
> _______________________________________________
> sudo-discuss mailing list -- sudo-discuss(a)sudoroom.org
> To unsubscribe send an email to sudo-discuss-leave(a)sudoroom.org
> More options at
> https://sudoroom.org/lists/postorius/lists/sudo-discuss.sudoroom.org/
--
Andrew Werby
Juxtamorph.com
_______________________________________________
sudo-discuss mailing list -- sudo-discuss(a)sudoroom.org
To unsubscribe send an email to sudo-discuss-leave(a)sudoroom.org
More options at
https://sudoroom.org/lists/postorius/lists/sudo-discuss.sudoroom.org/
From guerilla:
anyone here have CAD/CAM & cnc experience?
i work with a tq/bipoc team of artists building the first platform for
community-owned distribution networks to sustainably support music Artists.
right now we're producing a tool for sharing music that involves cnc
metalwork. we're looking for someone experienced who's looking for
short-term work and is down to hop on the project for a couple weeks! we
will offer a contract to compensate you :-)
https://recurrent.org/
Please contact guerrilla(a)currents.fm
Hi everyone,
You're getting this email either because 1) you're on the sudoroom discuss
email list, or 2) because I BCC'd you directly.
Tonight I'll be hosting Sudoroom for those who want to come hack on whatever,
in person, or through telepresence (see the last link in this email)
in the past few weeks, we've had about 5-15 people over the course of the
evening, not including remote participants who logged in through telepresence
Here it is on the sudoroom page:
https://sudoroom.org/events/categories/sudo-room-events/
I am usually there by 8PM but people do show up before me!
if you get to the door (at the corner of 48th and shattuck) and you can't get
in, call me or someone else who's there to let you in! Email me if you don't
have my phone number. Actually a great way to get our attention is to join the
video chat link at the end of this email!
We don't always hear the doorbell and I don't answer it anyway!
You should get on this sudoroom discuss mailinglist! click here:
https://sudoroom.org/lists/postorius/lists/sudo-discuss.sudoroom.org/
and you should donate monthly to sudoroom, monthly, by signing up here:
https://sudoroom.org/humans
and if you want to make a one-time donation, you can go here:
https://sudoroom.org/donate
if you can't make it in person: join the jitsi videochat with the room, and
chat with each other as well as a giant TV screen/speakerphone on the wall:
https://meet.waag.org/turtlesturtlesturtles
Sudoroom/The Omni needs help! Contact me directly to learn more.
We'll be having a Sudoroom meeting tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 7PM.
Show up!
see you soon!
-jake
Hello all,
We are having a winter market fundraiser this Saturday 3pm to 10pm and
would to confirm a booth for Sudo room to share some cool projects going
on! Can folks confirm to set something up?
Great way to spread the word of Sudo room to the community!
Hi everyone, please try and show up close to on time! So we dont waste so
much time sitting around.
Would be great if we could get a volunteer for facilitator and agenda but I
am not able to make that today. Two obvious discussions are ED position and
how to move past recent conflicts.
Paige
This email just came in as general inquiry on repair.org:
======
Hello,
I'm a writer working on a story for the Washington Post and am getting
in touch to see if The Repair Association might have someone who would
be able to speak to the story I'm working on.
The story is this: We're looking into how we wound up with so many
remotes in our homes. The story is a bit on the history and the "why" of
why our entertainment centers of the home have come to have a pile of
remotes and why they don't all work together, how it came to be this
way. I'm looking for experts who work on TVs and entertainment products
that have an understanding of why we're here and why there haven't been
solutions that keep the consumer in mind.
Thanks for any assistance you're able to provide.
=======
Does anyone here know how we arrived this cambrian explosion of IR
remote codes?
-Peter
I find it sad how often I find provisional acceptance within safe white spaces because my speech and deportment are perceived as an affectation, an engagement in “pick-me” social dynamics. It's doubly tragic, when it becomes clear I am not the safe, non-challenging Black face — and white fragility and passive aggression give rise to a façade of emotional calm and passive-aggressive rhetorical sophistry. If you are Black, and think I’m cooning and deluding myself about it, my DM is always open, use the email for this account.
For non-Black people who don’t know, “Cooning” is not so much a slur, but a critique of Black people who engage in anti-Blackness, throwing Black people under the bus for personal gain. It is not saying that person is not Black because only Black people can be a “coon” or engage in “cooning”. Other disenfranchised communities have their equivalent. There can be intersectionality, such as a transgender person who carries water for, defends anti-Trans individuals or communities, patriarchy, as well as anti-Blackness. They often fall back on some point of the Mantan Manifesto, like claiming they can’t be anti-Black because they are Black (can’t be anti-Trans because they are trans), and the conservative apologetic “we are not one cultural monolith”.
Note: Mantan Manifesto summary explanation, and video clip
https://reddit.com/user/AnMuiren/comments/19210pi/spike_lees_bamboozled_the…
The physical violence of white supremacy could not exist without the cover of polite white supremacy, and denial by a majority of white Americans across the political spectrum is a major barrier to change. Throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, the leadership of every white led progressive leaning institution I’ve spoken too has told me they cannot organize inclusive outreach programs because that would be political action and endanger their 501(c)(3) status.
Kicking Jake to the curb for allegedly putting his foot in it doesn’t magically prove the rest of you are not white supremacist just because you are better at self-regulation. And as Jake and others have inferred, a vaguely defined anti-Racist goal without a plan is only a wish. Nearly every Sudo Room member I’ve spoken to, has defended an assumed right to be self-serving, individualistic, extractive members.
To me, it appears members want a McDonald’s drive-thru brand of progressive politics and a space white space, free of uncomfortable, messy human complexity. Refusing to be vulnerable and socially invest means whites and minorities with proximity to whiteness cannot be trusted to accept the unavoidable discomfort and risks that come with subverting and dismantling the system of racialized class hierarchy promoted by law, commerce, and custom.
This selfishness rationalized as virtuous freedom, the mythology of rugged individualists who have objectively earned their place in the world, is a willful self-deception. The reality of American Exceptionalism, is a projected image of being responsible, while avoiding the fact, Tom Sawyer’s Whitewashing the Fence scheme, writ large across a dystopian, colonial landscape.
The difference is that Tom Sawyer faced those hard truths about himself and grew up.
Note: Tom Sawyer Whitewashing the Fence summary explanation
https://storyboardthat.com/lesson-plans/the-adventures-of-tom-sawyer-by-mar…
I just wanted to provide some clarifications and professional suggestions
on this proposal. For those who don't know me, I am Omni's soon-to-be
former bookkeeper / finance person. I am not opposed to this proposal at a
"high level" but there are things that should be considered.
Silver also shared this with me last month: 2021 delegates meeting with
> summary "agreed to hire Operations Coordinator (eventually) ":
> https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2021/03/11_Delegates. More discussion
> was done the week before
> https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2021/03/04_Delegates. Operations
> Coordinator shakes out to be the same thing as Executive Director.
As someone who was part of the discussions around the Operations
Coordinator role (which was conceived partly in the context of Omni's
initial efforts to refinance), *saying that it is the "same thing" as
Executive Director is actually inaccurate.* There was a lot of discussion
at the time about whether it would be the same as an Executive Director,
and the consensus was that it would very much NOT BE an Executive Director
role, with the ability to make unilateral "executive" decisions. That was
why "Coordinator" was included in the title, Having an "Executive Director"
is actually new territory for Omni.
The closest thing was when Emily was hired in December 2022 as "Finance
Manager" after delegates decided that giving her an "Executive Director"
role was too much power, among other reasons.
> - Jamal has a lot of organizational and professional experience, and
> connections to city officials and orgs who may help. His primary immediate
> strategy is to try and get our lender to give us another extension.
It is a bit awkward to read this, as we have received multiple
communications from the lender through our lawyer that there would not be
another extension. However, if someone new wants to give it a go, maybe the
results will be different? But I am skeptical. However, I have been told
that my natural skepticism is a personality flaw. At the very least, I
would hope that Jamal has been forwarded / filled in on all the
communications to date on this topic.
> - *How can we pay for it?* Jamal has offered to fund the position himself
> for the most part (current proposal, some small monthly fee ~$250, with the
> rest of the money coming from a percentage of what he raises). This is a
> big deal for Omni, which has almost no funds right now!
Here's the professional guidance, as someone who has worked in the
"nonprofit industrial complex" for the past two decades ... being paid a
percentage of fundraised income is really counter to "best practices" and
is generally frowned upon by most "aligned" non-profit fundraising
professionals. There are numerous reasons to avoid a contract where a staff
person is "paid a percentage of what they raise." Some of them are legal
regulations about "private inurement" -- which I believe Jesse can explain
to you.
In general, having a staff person responsible for "raising their own
salary" is something that is frowned on, because it creates a lot of stress
for the staff person, and it is tied into equity issues. However,
considering Jamal being hired for this role is an effort to create/improve
equity (in the DEI sense, not in the financial sense), it does make things
more complicated and worthy of discussion.
> Sincerely,
Sarah L
Hi everyone,
You're getting this email either because 1) you're on the sudoroom discuss
email list, or 2) because I BCC'd you directly.
URGENT: Sudoroom/The Omni needs help! Contact me directly to learn more.
We'll be having a Sudoroom meeting tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 7PM.
Tonight I'll be hosting Sudoroom for those who want to come hack on whatever,
in person, or through telepresence (see the last link in this email)
in the past few weeks, we've had about 5-15 people over the course of the
evening, not including remote participants who logged in through telepresence
Here it is on the sudoroom page:
https://sudoroom.org/events/categories/sudo-room-events/
I am usually there by 8PM but people do show up before me!
if you get to the door (at the corner of 48th and shattuck) and you can't get
in, call me or someone else who's there to let you in! Email me if you don't
have my phone number. Actually a great way to get our attention is to join the
video chat link at the end of this email!
We don't always hear the doorbell and I don't answer it anyway!
You should get on this sudoroom discuss mailinglist! click here:
https://sudoroom.org/lists/postorius/lists/sudo-discuss.sudoroom.org/
and you should donate monthly to sudoroom, monthly, by signing up here:
https://sudoroom.org/humans
and if you want to make a one-time donation, you can go here:
https://sudoroom.org/donate
if you can't make it in person: join the jitsi videochat with the room, and
chat with each other as well as a giant TV screen/speakerphone on the wall:
https://meet.waag.org/turtlesturtlesturtles
see you soon!
-jake
Hi, I want to make a new thread to talk about this.
I was first introduced to the idea of the role of ED at Omni along with a
discussion about formalizing the Omni President/Treasurer/Secretary roles
in September. This has been something discussed a lot by the fundraising
working group, who has struggled in the past to talk to funders due to
Omni's lack of point people and structure.
Silver also shared this with me last month: 2021 delegates meeting with
summary "agreed to hire Operations Coordinator (eventually) ":
https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2021/03/11_Delegates. More discussion
was done the week before
https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2021/03/04_Delegates. Operations
Coordinator shakes out to be the same thing as Executive Director.
I am in strong support of Jamal as interim ED along with other delegates,
Patrik from CCL, Natalie from Sketchboard, John from Liberated Lens, and
partial support (at least in contract writing) from Toan from FNB. However
Jamal has not been officially approved yet. To answer some questions
- *Who is Jamal? *Jamal was originally hired on to facilitate
conversation between People's Programs and Omni. After that meeting, there
was informal consensus that he would be a good fit for hiring to facilitate
our internal Omni accountability retreat. All of these funds are coming
from the $4000 approved from the Hellman grant for DEI in November. Jamal
has a lot of organizational and professional experience, and connections to
city officials and orgs who may help. His primary immediate strategy is to
try and get our lender to give us another extension. They have not yet
filed for foreclosure. Jamal is hopeful with a clear, credible roadmap to
better organization, along with tidying up the space/getting rid of
clutter, and press involvement, that we will have a good chance at securing
this extension. In parallel, we are working on all other proposals on the
table. I have had uneasiness with the thought of professionalizing, having
been part of an organized nonprofit before, and all the fakeness that
marketing and fundraising requires, but have had to reflect on how our past
ways of organizing have led to burnout, exclusion, and disempowerment and
feel like this is a good answer (though I welcome discussion). Past meeting
notes give some indication of how Jamal leads, but I encourage you all to
come in person or remotely to meet him first and foremost.
- *What is the timeline?* goal is to have paperwork written by Jesse,
our lawyer, outlining job description and payment ready by Thursday, to be
voted on by delegates. Given the formal paperwork might not be ready
before Wednesday, SR should decide what they are okay with seeing or how
much they are willing to trust the delegate with the decision.
- *Isn't this not-horizontal?* Please read meeting notes above which have
very thoughtful discussion of this. Also please understand we are facing
foreclosure and have had extreme issues with unity and organizing
ourselves. We need someone responsible for coordinating all the many
threads of work going on right now.
- *Is this a permanent decision? *No - Jamal has offered to work as ED
for 2-3 months, given that is when he is available/in-state
- *How can we pay for it?* Jamal has offered to fund the position
himself for the most part (current proposal, some small monthly fee ~$250,
with the rest of the money coming from a percentage of what he raises).
This is a big deal for Omni, which has almost no funds right now!
- *How do we build trust?* Jamal agreed to come to our Wednesday Sudo
Room meeting remotely. He has been very insistent about leaving the room
when decisions were made about him (he left the room when delegates decided
to pursue writing a contract), so we can expect he will give time for Sudo
Room to discuss privately. He has done a lot of difficult labor for us, and
the job he's been tasked with is extremely difficult, something we have
failed at. The main points of distrust I've heard are that (1) he favors
People's Programs and (2) is working with Silver to unjustly remove Jake.
The first claim I think can be assuaged by meeting Jamal, and reading the
meeting notes from the accountability meeting. The "Current proposals, next
steps" https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2024/01/05_06_Delegates
section was actually a couple hours of work, in which point people were
assigned to every proposal, with Jamal stressing that priority go to
pursuing extension from our current lender. As for (2), Silver and Jake
have been in many conflicts, and while Jamal was informed of these, he did
not bring up these conflicts to the delegates, nor encourage Jake's
removal. Responsibility goes to the delegates, including me. I can speak to
that in a different thread.
- *How do we not build trust?* We don't build trust by discrediting
people who have strong feelings about anti-racism (i.e. Pallavi last
meeting). Even if you have disagreement or discomfort, as a predominately
white space in Oakland that is critically underutilized, these discussions
of equity, racism, and rules of engagement need to be on the table and must
be given space, respect, and reflection.
Paige
I have deep reservations about the actions taken at yesterday's “retreat.” I informed my co-delegate that I would be delayed by one hour and ultimately arrived at the meeting at approximately 3:30pm. Jamal, Angela, Jemma, Anwar, Silver, Patrik, Yar, Paige, Toan, and John were there in person. Our newly hired facilitator, Jamal, was dictating the above letter to Paige. Jake was not present. I was told that before I arrived, Jamal had called a vote on what accountability measure would be suitable to address “the Jake problem.” During this vote, delegates John (LL), Patrik (CCL), Paige (SR), and Natalie (SB) voted in favor of inflicting this punishment and Toan (FNB) blocked the measure. Toan’s block was overruled and the issue was then passed by consensus-minus one. Paige did not consult with or inform me that this vote was taking place. Jamal asked me to keep this information secret from Jake. I found this request objectionable as this was allegedly meant to be an open meeting.
The meeting notes on the wiki say barely anything about how and why this decision was reached. Jake was tried, convicted, and harshly sentenced - in absence - without a chance to hear any charges, defend himself or plead his case. Abandoning due process is not restorative in any way - it’s shameful - it makes the meeting seem less about accountability and more about silencing dissent.
When I consulted with my co-delegate after the meeting, I asked if they believed that they had voted in line with the wishes of our collective - they acknowledged that they had not done so and would understand if they were asked to step down from the position. I understand that Paige was under a lot of pressure and clearly cares deeply about our community. I have great esteem for Paige and appreciation for much of the work they’ve done in our space, however, it looks like the meeting may have escalated more quickly than anyone could have expected. When I asked if it was possible to appeal this judgment I was directed to consult with Jamal.
I call upon all people of sudoroom who share my fondness for due process and distaste for secret trials to object by responding to this thread and making your views clear. Last night, judgment was passed against one of our members without that person even being present, and fundamental structural changes were made to our organization without consultation of the general membership.
-Eric
Sudoroom Co-delegate
Last week I flashed the last of the chromebooks. (At least all the ones in
the cabinet -- Maybe Peter has another stack.)
Now they all have an unlocked bios firmware and ready to take an OS.
Most of the chromebooks are Google "Candy" (have the plastic bezel around
the screen) with a
few of Google "Wolf" (all glass screen) Both are 4GB ram and 16GB storage
soldered in place with no upgrade.
16GB makes Windows impossible. And even for Linux it is hard to get a
modern experience.
Linux: (on Candy, I haven't checked Wolf)
You can get some of the media keys working if you change keyboard layout to
"chromebook"
(Volume works but I don't think screen backlight control works)
Sound: Works in full featured distros but then you run out of space in the
16GB emmc.
Minimal distros miss some things that are needed for sound:
Need the sound chip firmware. On Debian it is sof-firmware so "sudo apt
install sof-firmware"
Even after installing the firmware many times the speakers are muted
Run alsamixer from terminal ("sudo apt install alsa-utils" if alsamixer is
not available) By default the Intel digital audio is selected. F6 to
change soundcard but on the chromebook the F keys are shared with the media
keys. Depends on the layout but either search (key with mag glass icon) or
right ALT key is the Fn key. Hold Fn key (search or R ALT) and press
"lower backlight" (small sun icon or count 6 from ESC) When the right
sound card is selected press arrow keys until "Left speaker left dac" and
press "m" to unmute then "Right speaker right dac"
Should work now.
Unless you have a minimal Linux distro without an audio server installed.
Then "sudo apt install pulseaudio pavucontrol" Some distros need
pulseaudio-alsa (Arch) Some desktop environments may need plugins for the
GUI (XFCE need xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin)
Disk space: This is a tough one because we have only 16GB. There are many
very small Linux distros but they are not easy for the noob or non-expert
Linux user. And if you start small and try to add you end up chasing the
stuff that doesn't work. (like Try to install wifi gui but wpa-supplicant
is not automatically installed?) You can start with something a little too
big like Lubuntu then "sudo apt purge" to free space (purging Libreoffice
gets Lubuntu to around 8GB)
I will try some more distros and have some recommendations soon.
Thomas
A lot of us are already goth club regulars but
I had fun dancing with Noisebridge and SudoRoom folks at my birthday Friday
We were able to talk about stuff briefly outside of a depressing meeting with everyone sitting and yelling
There’s a cool dance session at sweets ballroom for ecstatic dance - anyone interested in coming???
They also have dances Wednesday
I’ll send invites every so often movement is a great way to loosen people up instead of just alcohol !
Part of me hopes we can somehow have similar dance events on a more regular basis at the Omni ballroom
There are so many yoga studios all over Oakland ! Why don’t more apply to be hosted at our space? We’re certainly cheaper and have a more interesting venue
https://ecstaticdance.org/dance/oakland-ecstatic-dance-sunday-morning/
Sent from my iPhone
did sudoroom vote for this? what are the accusations? why was i not notified
i was on trial?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 07 Jan 2024 21:04:41 +0000
From: maydayjt(a)riseup.net
To: jake(a)spaz.org
Cc: Paige P <pgeplan(a)gmail.com>, Jamal Taylor <lemmeeducateyou(a)gmail.com>,
Yardenack <yardenack(a)gmail.com>
Subject: Temporary Ban from Omni Commons
Jake,
Yesterday's Omni Commons delegates accountability meeting voted to
temporarily ban you from all communications and access to Omni Commons
for a 3 month period (effective until March 7, 2024).
This decision was made given a history of harm, including
conflict-escalating behavior, disrespect, racist comments, and a lack of
accountability. Your behavior has been unacceptable, and mediation
sessions with you have been ineffective.
If you choose to participate in an accountability process until
resolution, we will welcome you back to the space after the 3 month time
period. We will follow up with you on this process.
In the meantime, we offer you space to sit with yourself, and
self-reflect on harm done. We hope you come back with a commitment to
listen deeply and learn from complaints made rather than acting
defensively.
We appreciate all the work you have done here and hope you do the work
required to be a part of this community.
To schedule a time to collect belongings, or if you have further
questions you may contact Jamal.
John Torok
Liberated Lens Film Collective delegate
On Behalf of the Omni Commons Delegates Assembly
I guess the ban is formally "dissolved" by decree of the Executive Director,
after a threat not to talk about the ban,
along with instructions not to talk about the dissolving of the ban.
Sudoroom, please lets have a meeting and talk about what is going on.
-jake
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2024 11:34:50 -0800
From: Jamal Taylor <lemmeeducateyou(a)gmail.com>
To: jake(a)spaz.org
Cc: Paige P <pgeplan(a)gmail.com>, maydayjt(a)riseup.net
Subject: Re: Temporary Ban from Omni Commons
Good morning,
After a few conversations I have informed the board that it is my position
in the role they have asked me to occupy that it is your right to have a
full response and a list of the complaints. In that regard, and given the
nature of the complaints a full investigation will take place. This will
take time and a series of conversations with those that have made
complaints against you and a review of emails and messages that have been
sent. Once that fact finding is completed you will be given a notice of the
complaints and an opportunity to make your responses.
You may not interfere with the investigation in any way, nor may you
attempt to unduly influence board members or witnesses. Following your
written response, after the notice, I will review the facts and inform the
board and you of my dispensation. Once this action is complete you may
appeal my final dispensation to the board.
This notice is not a public notice, nor is it a tool to generate any
additional controversy. The ban is dissolved with the stipulations set
forth above. Have a great day!
On Sun, Jan 7, 2024 at 6:38 PM Jamal Taylor <lemmeeducateyou(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
> Good evening, Jake,
>
> I want to take the time to send this correspondence to invite you to make
> time to speak with me if you need more clarity on this decision.
> Accountability can feel dysregulating, sometimes confusing, and emotional.
> We want to make sure that you feel supported as you engage in much needed
> reflection. In the face of the serious nature of complaints that have been
> made against you it is imperative that you sit with the fact that these
> events noted have not been isolated, nor or they limited to one person.
>
> Additionally, it has been brought to my attention that there are a series
> of emails going back and forth in your collective. The email that I am
> responding to has also been shared with an entire collective. I want you to
> reflect and think about what goal you had in sending this message rather
> than reaching out to me or a member of the board. Did you think it showed
> that you were reflective of the decision that was made? I want to mention
> that not only is this counterproductive, but it distracts from the ability
> of the organization to focus on the pressing matter of foreclosure. This
> self-centering behavior that invites additional conflict into this space is
> unwelcome and quite frankly is not indicative of an individual that has
> stopped to think what additional harm might be caused. I invite you to
> truly think how you are continuously centering yourself and quite frankly
> consuming valuable space for healing.
>
> As a final thought I want to mention very directly that sending messages
> inquiring about who made decisions relative to your behavior, to an entire
> collective, is counterproductive and borders on retaliatory conduct. I also
> want to name that additional accountability action will be taken where
> repeat behaviors occur during this ban. I say with a spirit of sincerity
> that love is liberatory, and I am happy to meet and chat with you in that
> spirit. I am happy to walk you through what might also help to lessen the
> time period of the ban. Feel free to reach out. I would once again admonish
> you to discontinue retaliatory or harmful behaviors that may in fact
> continue to perpetuate a cycle of harm or distract from the business of
> focusing on foreclosure.
>
> I wish you a season of reflection and healing.
>
> Jamal
>
> On Sun, Jan 7, 2024 at 1:04 PM <maydayjt(a)riseup.net> wrote:
>
>> Jake,
>>
>> Yesterday's Omni Commons delegates accountability meeting voted to
>> temporarily ban you from all communications and access to Omni Commons
>> for a 3 month period (effective until March 7, 2024).
>>
>> This decision was made given a history of harm, including
>> conflict-escalating behavior, disrespect, racist comments, and a lack of
>> accountability. Your behavior has been unacceptable, and mediation
>> sessions with you have been ineffective.
>>
>> If you choose to participate in an accountability process until
>> resolution, we will welcome you back to the space after the 3 month time
>> period. We will follow up with you on this process.
>>
>> In the meantime, we offer you space to sit with yourself, and
>> self-reflect on harm done. We hope you come back with a commitment to
>> listen deeply and learn from complaints made rather than acting
>> defensively.
>>
>> We appreciate all the work you have done here and hope you do the work
>> required to be a part of this community.
>>
>> To schedule a time to collect belongings, or if you have further
>> questions you may contact Jamal.
>>
>> John Torok
>> Liberated Lens Film Collective delegate
>> On Behalf of the Omni Commons Delegates Assembly
>>
>