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> meetups about "how to node.js apolitically" are sidelining people who want "how to node.js pro-socially." This statement did turn me off a bit. "how to node.
by t_mann 2y ago
> meetups about "how to node.js apolitically" are sidelining people who want "how to node.js pro-socially."
This statement did turn me off a bit. "how to node.js apolitically" would in practice ofc just be "how to node.js", which should be perfectly fine for a computer club, just as a pro-social computing course. Maybe someone wants to use their computing skills for social good, maybe they want to use them for bioscience, smart contracts, home automation, or maybe they just want to create a website for their corner shop. I feel like all of those should have a place in a computer club.
- easterncalculus 2y agoRent alone is expensive enough, having rules that micromanage the many ways people have reasonable conversation and give basic presentations is only going to get your space killed from people wanting to stir up drama. There are enough real problems running these, there's no point in creating more of them.
- pastage 2y agoThis has not been a problem in my many years of club meetings. There will always be drama not this though. Never micromanaged behaviour though, but that is a very undefined term.
- plantwallshoe 2y agoI read that mostly to mean that the club shouldn’t be about once specific thing/topic so it has broad appeal to anyone interested in computer
- bigstrat2003 2y agoFor me it was the part where the author claims that "computing is political", therefore computer clubs should be too. Computing is very much not political. It's a tool. Like any tool, it can be used for various ends, both political and apolitical. If you want a computer club, have a computer club. If you want a political club, have a political club. But I think forcing the two together weakens both pursuits.
- monocasa 2y agoTools are political. They're constructed to fulfill people's needs. "Political" doesn't have to mean 'relating to a political party or election'.
- plantwallshoe 2y agoI think computer is political in the way art is inherently political. Even if a piece of art isn’t explicitly about politics (an oil painting of a sunset), it’s still born of the lived experience and thoughts and emotions and politics of the artist.
- kybernetyk 2y agoNot everyone revolves their life around politics.
- mordae 2y agoEverybody does. Every day. According to Wikipedia, Politics: > is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals
- ImHereToVote 2y agoNot knowingly; they are though.
- TeMPOraL 2y agoNo, they're not, except to those who want to drag them into politics. For people whose lives revolve around politics, everything is politics, but that's just them.
- onionisafruit 2y agoso not political
- 2y ago
- renewiltord 2y agoEveryone knows why these 'X but apolitical' clubs start. It's because there was an X club but then someone decided there had to be a Code of Conduct maybe influenced by a previous member of X club doing something inappropriate or unacceptable. Then the Code of Conduct slowly expands to being the entirety of what the club concerns itself with. In time, all club time is spent navel gazing. If the CoC doesn't do it, there will come a time when the club has to take a stance on opposing an invasion in Gaza or something and that'll be the thing to do it. You can't even suggest not doing this because that's also meta-discussion. There is no way to fight this meme without engaging in the meme. It's the same story over and over again. I think it was around the Donglegate era that this stuff started becoming really popular but that's how it is.