[occupyaustin-it] Report from GA last night (Nov 17)

[Nolan Darilek]

Agreed. Thank you both for representing.

Are there GAs on the weekends? I don't recall if I heard "every 
weeknight" or "every night" when I asked on Wednesday. If anyone is 
signed up for Sunday, I might be willing to go with and represent. I 
want to be on the ground more, especially after last night.


On 11/18/2011 01:16 PM, Gregory Foster wrote:
> Thanks to Jim & Alan for representing IT so well last night.  That's a 
> great first step towards richer and sustained engagement with the 
> occupation.  I'll get that conversation started about sharing the load 
> amongst the IT magnets.
>
> re: web team.  I spoke with Anton last night, and he agreed to come to 
> our Saturday meetup.  I expressed how the IT group is now receiving 
> blowback for the website, and our continued interest in bringing the 
> web team within IT as a working group to leverage our organization and 
> strength.  Regarding an earlier conversation w/ Boyd, Anton stated he 
> will not rescind ownership of the OA.org domain until a board of 
> directors has been formed for OA.  I would like to strongly encourage 
> the group to welcome Anton on Saturday and naturally illustrate the 
> constructive and healthy culture we have been developing in IT.
>
> re: the performance art group.  Is there a technical component to 
> their work?  If so, perhaps we should direct them to Bishop's Creative 
> Technologies working group?
>
> re: Ken's offer of potential military surplus equipment.  Please relay 
> his contact info if you have it, not sure I've met this person.
>
> re: set format for IT presentation at GA's.  Excellent idea.
>
> Thank you both for representing, and for following through by keeping 
> us all up to date.  This is an example and practice I would like to 
> strongly encourage the magnets follow.
>
> gf
>
>
> On 11/18/11 12:33 PM, James Casey wrote:
>> Hello to all:
>>
>> Here is a summary of last night's OA events that were directly 
>> tangential to the IT working group.
>>
>> * Report to the GA:
>>     - The IT working group supports open conversation about the 
>> relationship of anti-oppression and global justice issues to its own 
>> agenda and practices.
>>     - We want to talk with any anyone who has concerns about the IT 
>> group, regardless of whether they have IT-related interests or abilities.
>>       [Jim: Alan pointed out that this message would have been more 
>> effective if I had specifically mentioned women and people from 
>> marginalized communities.  Mea culpa.]
>>     - To facilitate these discussions the IT working group will meet 
>> with anyone who cares to have a conversation about the agenda or 
>> practices of the group, after each GA (at AJ, for now).
>>     - The IT working group recognizes and acknowledges that many 
>> people have concerns about OA's web site.
>>     - Our group is currently working on this issue.  Come talk to us 
>> about it if you have concerns.
>>
>> The announcements seemed well received.
>>
>> * Also during the GA
>> We talked to a gentleman who had questions about setting up FB and 
>> Twitter sites for a performance art group that wants to work with OA. 
>> We disabused him of the notion that either service was in any way 
>> private/secure.  Suggested an email list for a little more privacy 
>> (perhaps usingriseup.net <http://riseup.net/>). (Anyone on this list 
>> that has suggestions about alternatives for a group that wants a 
>> secure method to have discussions, please let us know.)
>>
>> * Post-GA meeting:
>> Besides Jim and Alan, three people showed up at AJ  (Ellen, Kunti, 
>> and Ken) We discussed concerns about the web site.  Kunti said it was 
>> news to her that the web site was not currently under the aegis of 
>> the IT working group. This is a widespread misconception :( We said 
>> our group was working on the issue and hoped to have some resolution 
>> very shortly. There was agreement that people needed to be able to go 
>> the web site and quickly find out what's happening at OA, who to 
>> contact for volunteering in various efforts, issues currently being 
>> discussed by the GA, etc. Alan explained our efforts to come up with 
>> an off-the-grid power solution, and this was well received. We were 
>> encouraged to do a better job of getting the word out about our goals 
>> and working agenda. Kunti and Ellen said they would seek out people 
>> who currently feel disaffected (about the IT working group) and 
>> encourage them to come speak to us.
>>
>> * Post-post GA
>> In some conversations later that night, we learned that a few people 
>> who planned to come speak to us did not show up because of the 
>> excitement going on in the plaza. (IT is always going to play second 
>> fiddle to direct action :-)  Megan (who is a network tech at Cisco) 
>> said she had not been told anything about what the IT working group 
>> is doing for quite awhile.  (It sounded like she had made contact 
>> previously, but has not been included in any communication for some 
>> time). Jim said he would send her a summary of our current agenda, 
>> meeting time and place, and list address.  Also, that similar 
>> information would be placed on the wiki if not already there. Ken 
>> offered to use his contacts to obtain military surplus items (from 
>> military sources) if we will get him a list of stuff we're looking for.
>>
>> * Tower safety concerns
>> With the heavy-handed police intervention and arrests last night 
>> there was some initial concern that the tower might have to be 
>> pulled.  Some gentleman named "Ryder" had unplugged the cords and 
>> power strips from the tower before Jim and Alan showed up on the 
>> scene and stashed them with other items from the Info booth. As the 
>> night unfolded it became apparent that the cops were not going to 
>> bother the tower so it was left in place (the base covered with a 
>> tarp for protection against the power washing).
>>
>> Alan suggested we come up with a template for our GA report, that we 
>> follow more or less as circumstances dictate.  Here is the suggested 
>> template:
>>
>> 1. Generally address any concerns that have been brought to the IT 
>> group (e.g. website issues).
>> 2. Briefly explain a couple of current projects of IT group (could 
>> change depending on who is speaking at the GA).
>> 3. Invite people with concerns/question to have conversation w/ IT 
>> group after GA, and invitation for new members of IT team 
>> (specifically invite women and people from marginalized communities).
>>
>> We're always open to suggestions/comments about how to make this 
>> on-site connection-communication process better.
>>
>> Kind regards to all,
>>
>> Jim and Alan
>
> -- 
> Gregory Foster ||gfoster at entersection.org
> @gregoryfoster<>  http://entersection.com/
>
>
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