Geek List Guidelines

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Margaret Rosas

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Apr 14, 2012, 1:20:38 AM4/14/12
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Hey Geeks,

It's been a lively couple of weeks on the list and it feels appropriate to post some thoughts about how this list is managed.

About three years ago, I wrote a blog post titled "Cultivating a Community Garden, not a Public Toilet" (http://www.pbs.org/idealab/2009/04/cultivating-a-community-garden-not-a-public-toilet106.html). In it I quote Merlin Mann as saying:

Creating community is not as simple as turning on comments ... That is not a community; that's a public toilet.

The community garden metaphor embodies my philosophy about community management and it is the approach I use in managing the Geeks list. This is our space, this is public space, this is a place for conversation, a place for debate, a place for thought leadership, a place for inquiry, a place for pondering problems.

There is no space in this garden for trolls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29). It has never been my intent to censor or stifle conversation. Trolling requires handling with diplomacy and tact. But sometimes it just requires a ban. I urge everyone to refrain from feeding trolls in whatever online forum you find yourself.

Santa Cruz Geeks List Guidelines

Group discussion serves a variety of purposes to include:

  • Announce future Geek Dinners, New Tech Meetups, and other Geeky Events
  • Announce job openings or project work for local Geeks
  • Ask Geeky questions about Geeky stuff to Santa Cruz's finest Geeks
  • Promote your own Geeky projects/companies
Group logistics:
  • New members subscribe here: http://groups.google.com/group/santacruzgeeks/subscribe
  • We ask folks to answer the question "What makes you geeky and what do you love most about Santa Cruz?"
  • Membership is approved by group moderators (this is based on a legit answer to the question)
  • Every list member is empowered to be a community curator. We all contribute to creating the culture of this list. We are aligned around creating a strong, vibrant, tech community in Santa Cruz. The conversation here supports that value.

Questions or comments are most welcome.

Thanks, Margaret


--
productOps
Margaret Rosas
Architect and Community Evangelist
http://twitter.com/mrosas

pro...@silcon.com

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Apr 14, 2012, 1:25:57 AM4/14/12
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I agree 100% and appreciate your input very much before things got "too"
out of hand. The Garden vs Toilet analogy is an excellent one by the way.

======================================================

Hey Geeks,
>
> It's been a lively couple of weeks on the list and it feels appropriate to
> post some thoughts about how this list is managed.
>
> About three years ago, I wrote a blog post titled "Cultivating a Community
> Garden, not a Public Toilet" (
> http://www.pbs.org/idealab/2009/04/cultivating-a-community-garden-not-a-public-toilet106.html).
> In it I quote Merlin Mann as saying:
>

>> *Creating community is not as simple as turning on comments ... That is
>> not a community; that's a public toilet.*


>>
> The community garden metaphor embodies my philosophy about community
> management and it is the approach I use in managing the Geeks list. This
> is
> our space, this is public space, this is a place for conversation, a place
> for debate, a place for thought leadership, a place for inquiry, a place
> for pondering problems.
>
> There is no space in this garden for trolls (
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29). It has never been my
> intent to censor or stifle conversation. Trolling requires handling with
> diplomacy and tact. But sometimes it just requires a ban. I urge everyone
> to refrain from feeding trolls in whatever online forum you find yourself.

> **


>
> Santa Cruz Geeks List Guidelines

> **


> Group discussion serves a variety of purposes to include:
>

> - Announce future Geek Dinners, New Tech Meetups, and other Geeky
> Events
> - Announce job openings or project work for local Geeks
> - Ask Geeky questions about Geeky stuff to Santa Cruz's finest Geeks
> - Promote your own Geeky projects/companies
>
> Group logistics:
>
> - New members subscribe here:
> http://groups.google.com/group/santacruzgeeks/subscribe
> - We ask folks to answer the question "What makes you geeky and what do


> you love most about Santa Cruz?"

> - Membership is approved by group moderators (this is based on a legit
> answer to the question)
> - Every list member is empowered to be a community curator. We all


> contribute to creating the culture of this list. We are aligned around
> creating a strong, vibrant, tech community in Santa Cruz. The
> conversation
> here supports that value.
>
> Questions or comments are most welcome.
>
> Thanks, Margaret
>
>
> --
> productOps
> Margaret Rosas
> Architect and Community Evangelist
> http://twitter.com/mrosas
>

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Santa Cruz Geeks" group.
> To post to this group, send email to santacr...@googlegroups.com.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> santacruzgeek...@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/santacruzgeeks?hl=en.
>
>


Sara Isenberg Web Consulting

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Apr 14, 2012, 1:52:47 AM4/14/12
to santacr...@googlegroups.com, Sara Isenberg Web Consulting
Margaret, you rock! Thanks for your leadership.
Sara
===
Sara Isenberg
Sara Isenberg Web Consulting & Project Management
831-334-0701 (Pacific Time)

Jeremy Neuner

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Apr 14, 2012, 10:19:43 AM4/14/12
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Hi Geeks,

+1 to Margaret for her vision and leadership.  My two cents on how this list might work (some of you have heard this before):

When I first moved to Santa Cruz about 5 years ago, someone shared with me a little aphorism about our fair seaside town:  "Silicon Valley likes to win and Santa Cruz likes to whine."  Unfortunately, there's too much truth in this aphorism for my liking.  However, I love the Geeks List because so many of us on this list toil mightily every day, focusing on winning instead of whining (again, special props to Margaret as Geek-Mama-In-Chief). 

When you read a post on this list, or when you're moved to write/respond, perhaps ask yourself this question:  How am I/we using this list as a tool for winning?  Of course, "winning" has a different definition for each of us (and, I might humbly suggest, our collective definition of "winning" in Santa Cruz is different than the collective definition of "winning" in Silicon Valley or anyplace else for that matter).  Margaret's list below offers a great set of guidelines for how to use this list at a tool for winning.     

How will you use this list as a tool for winning, for your own benefit and for the benefit of everyone on this list?

Cheers,
Jeremy
 
Jeremy Neuner
CEO + (R)evolutionary-in-Chief
NextSpace Coworking + Innovation, Inc.
www.NextSpace.us


From: Margaret Rosas <marg...@productops.com>
To: santacr...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2012 10:20 PM
Subject: [santacruzgeeks] Geek List Guidelines

Jason Wehmhoener

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Apr 14, 2012, 12:24:20 PM4/14/12
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It's true that we've chosen to live here and not in Silicon Valley.

-Jason
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