2 Mar
2013
2 Mar
'13
12:51 p.m.
Anca's right, this is a huge opportunity.
Lower dues, anyone?
Here's my caricature of opportunism, feel free to tune down the tone to your tact
level of preference:
The admonition of lockpicking classes by the Mayor and Police Chief of Oakland are as
unconscionable as the thefts they purport to be in fear of. While the alarmists claim
that publicly available lockpicking classes may promote criminal activity, they lose sight
that this class is in the context of a larger public enrichment.
Despite being only a few months old, Sudoroom has already made itself host to a wide
variety of educational, cooperative, and even marketable skill-building classes and events
for hundreds of local residents. From programming computers and 3-D printing to curing
cheese and modifying DNA, Sudo Room is a free, community sponsored place for fostering the
collaborative creativity that comes with groups full of intellectual curiosity in a time
of as much change and development as this one.
In a time where people's opportunities might lead them to crime, perhaps we ought to
provide better alternatives rather than stupefying the public as a form of self defense.
Let us address the cause of this sickness rather than try to snuff out its symptoms, and
give ourselves access to an unfettered flow of knowledge and opportunity. We encourage
you to participate in this local renaissance, by visiting the Sudoroom yourself, and
taking part in any of the classes of your interest. You can always find the upcoming
events at sudoroom.org/calendar, or just stop by almost any time to join your neighbors in
their curious pursuits.
Feel free to fork it at https://gist.github.com/flyswatter/5070131
-Dan
On Mar 1, 2013, at 11:27 PM, Anca Mosoiu <anca(a)techliminal.com> wrote:
On Fri, Mar 1, 2013 at 6:35 PM, Michael Scroggins <michaeljscroggins(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
The sentence implicitly draws a difference of kind between the lock picking class and the
other Workshop Weekend classes. Doing so invites the question: What is the difference that
makes broadcasting this workshop (in the way it was) regrettable? In an environment where
the mayor, the chief of police and the media have all given the same answer - the class
breeds criminals - allowing that question is regrettable.
It's regrettable because it gave some easy pickings for the people who want to
portray Oakland, and the current administration, in a certain way. Many of the people who
are upset about the workshop aren't upset about lockpicking, they're upset that
Jean Quan appears to encourage crime in her newsletter.
It's regrettable because it sucked up airwaves and mental effort that might have been
better spent.
Drafting a reasoned and reasonable response lowers the blood pressure of the people who
are up in arms just because they aren't informed. Some of them will come around,
especially if they understand the actual intent of the class.
Eddan, I'd like to participate in writing a statement. I was really taken aback when
I read some of the emails and talked to some of the people who were actually upset.
The media storm will blow over with the next foot-in-mouth opportunity from a local
politician, but we have a great opportunity to reach out while the world is looking.
Anca.
--
-=-=-=-
Anca Mosoiu | Tech Liminal
anca(a)techliminal.com
M: (510) 220-6660
http://techliminal.com | T: @techliminal | F: facebook.com/techliminal
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