131–140 of 251 posts
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Right. The rent is the problem. You can find coffee shops/bookstores/wine bars/libraries that will provide or rent out space for these events and it's far less risky.
I double-dog-dare you to find a library that will rent out space for that guy who is welding a 27 foot tall phallus.
> Then, a few months later, you wake up to the headline that 36 people died at Ghost Ship, an artist collective in Oakland, CA. When it’s all said and done, it won’t be the landlord, but the leaseholders, Derick Almena and Max Harris, who’ll be charged with manslaughter and face up to 39 years in prison. That's a big problem right there (all the bureaucracy that has creeped up for having a space or shop etc, a lot of…
The place hadn't been inspected for decades, and didn't have basics like a fire alarm, multiple staircases, or a suitable electricity supply. People who had warned the owner of problems had been ignored.
> Shit happens. If adults burn in a building, it's a risk they should be willing to take
Ridiculous — those adults aren't in a position to evaluate the risk. Are they supposed each to check the fire alarm works before entering, or just ask to see a certificate showing the building has been inspected recently? Can they do a flammability test on the staircase?
And what about the 17 year old who died?
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Yup - first line of advice I give to family now is "shut your social profiles, and get off of the internet. Failing which here are the things you need to look out for" and the proceed to list a fraction of the issues that I know about, and see them get uncomfortable.
I'd be interested in seeing your list.
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Actually I think the interior looked really awesome. Nonetheless some more thinking should have been put to a scenario in case a fire starts. But still I think the problem is that modern media coverage causes every hazard to be a reason to implement even more rules and regulations for how a building or room has to be designed to be fit for a public event. That's another reason why those non- or semi-professional happ…
The Ghost Ship didn't have smoke detectors, a fire alarm, or emergency lighting. It did have blocked staircases and cluttered pathways, and the available staircase was fairly flammable. It had people warning about some of these problems; they were ignored. It looks cool/arty, and OK to wander through in an afternoon, but it also looks like the last place I'd expect to find a party. The closest place I can think of fo…
In Hamburg we have really nice planetarium. Recently a guy in a wheelchair wasn't allowed to just attend the show sitting next to a seating row because in case of a fire he might block the corridor and who would be able to quickly evacuate him? Of course the reasoning makes sense but where do we end up when everything needs to be extremely safe or is otherwise forbidden?
This development is a systemic effect which cannot be stopped as far as I can tell. The desire for freedom will be satisfied simply by people refusing to be super strict in practice. Also too many regulations usually will be harder to enforce.
> Then, a few months later, you wake up to the headline that 36 people died at Ghost Ship, an artist collective in Oakland, CA. When it’s all said and done, it won’t be the landlord, but the leaseholders, Derick Almena and Max Harris, who’ll be charged with manslaughter and face up to 39 years in prison. That's a big problem right there (all the bureaucracy that has creeped up for having a space or shop etc, a lot of…
That is exactly how it works now. You don't get convicted of manslaughter because someone died in your shop, you get convicted because you were grossly negligent in preventing someone dying in your shop. If the place was inspected regularly, and was as it should be (fire extinguishers etc), then they won't be convicted. And typically, prosecutors won't charge them unless they are confident of a conviction.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Oakland_warehouse_fire?wp...
As a rule, you don't kill 36 out of 50 people without putting some effort in.
The author talks about this as a charitable (501c3) vs for-profit endeavor. I don't see any talk about using a cooperative structure. Cooperatives don't need IRS approval, since they operate commercially; any profits (and there won't be) are distributed proportionally to the users of the facility via 1099-DIV. Then, you run a membership drive to raise money. The membership then is used to select the board. Anyway, th…
Wouldn’t the members each be legally liable for anything that goes wrong?
One has to be an exceptional, way above average artist before making himself a brand. Actually, a branding follows being exceptional.
A recent experience from a hackerspace showed me how incredibly thankless people can be. After working really insanely hard to build an inclusive space with loads of features, every little hobby revolutionary in the community just shits all over the work and proclaims the people actually getting stuff done should just stop and leave it to them. Even if I had the time, money and expertise I would never do something li…
Thank you for sharing your experience. I've been chewing on an idea. Please bear with me. A friend's MBA thesis (WIP) is on the business model of evangelical churches. How the players build their flock, manage the brand, shape the culture, revenue, run their meetings, etc. Kinda eye opening. I'm even going to church again, a new one every few weeks. To gleen the strategies and techniques that have been hiding in plai…
https://www.gimletmedia.com/startup/church-planting-1-the-mo...
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That place was a matchbox waiting to get struck. And the electrical situation was a total mess... I mean that's why it burned down. How shitty of a landlord can you be that you wouldn't prioritize people's safety.
Probably not shitty, just oblivious. A Hackerspace in Germany was proud of its smartphone-activated door lock. I was less impressed on their open house event when I saw firsthand how they struggled to open it for several minutes (with no mechanical override on the inside!), while dozens of guests were there. When I voiced my safety concerns they simply didn't seem to understand. I mean it's just a fun hack, right?
> And because you aren’t independently wealthy and/or don’t have a spouse who makes six figures, you’re probably going to be non-profit. I don't understand the logic behind this. Wouldn't not being independently wealthy rather imply attempting to be for-profit?