(2009-03-19) Zed Freehackers Union Fail

Zed Shaw on the Failure of Freehackers Union. The major purpose of FU was to help geeks get the power. Pure and simple. One of the things that prevents geeks from having the power in the whole "founder + geek" dynamic is that they aren't good at public speaking. They don't know how to perform with their geekness. I felt I could teach some of that and maybe have some fun at the same time... Really, the only rule should have been, "No fucking biz dudes."... people have in their mind that there's some special genetic difference between a "founder" and a "geek". In my experience the only difference is Luck and Fo Cus. (See 2012-09-04-RaoEntrepreneursAreTheNewLabor - Hacker and Hustler)

Some things went right. I'd have to say the server setup that let all those people from all over the world get involved was great. I managed to setup a web site, wiki, mailing list, and a icecast server so that people could attend meetings without physically being there... Another thing that sort of worked out was the space. I managed to find a space I could pay $30 for in advance and get it for 2 hours. It was at Think Coffee on Mercer street. They have a space in the basement with long tables, plugs, and it was a decent starter space for the event.

Lessons for the future/others: Second, I wouldn't make it anti-something, but pro-something. Defining the group in terms of anti-business meant that when business went south there wasn't anything to be against. Being pro-hacking is the way to go. (The Craft)