August 23rd, 2012 IRC Meeting

Agenda

1. Freedom Rally.

2. Status of Liquid Feedback server

3. Status of VPN testing

4. Upcoming Events

5. Fundraising & Suggestions for new Treasurer

6. National Party News & Pirate Picnic

7. Anything else folks want to bring up

Attending

[Draft]

• mildbeard - Erik Zoltan, Framingham
• SplendidSpoon - Lauren Pespisa, Boxboro/Cambridge
• mandeville - Alex, Belmont

Observers:

• [bsod]
• brandon
• cmal
• passstab
• ageis

Summary

1. Freedom Rally

• Lauren got us table 17.
• map of event - http://masscann.org/images/stories/MAPS/carty-goods-vendor-map1.gif
• event info - http://masscann.org/rally
• do we need a special flier for this event?
• who will man the table?

2. Adbusters

• general head-scratching combined with approval.
• desire to work together on future promotions.

3. Status of Liquid Feedback server

• are we ready to move beyond alpha testing?

4. Status of VPN testing

• Erik has successfully signed up.
• Waiting for feedback from them about the info they collected.
• sign up page - https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/mass-pirates

5. Upcoming Events

• nothing else

6. Fundraising & Suggestions for new Treasurer

7. National Party News & Pirate Picnic

• California objected to two provisions in the constitution.
• Core Value 6 - wording was changed to accommodate their objections.
  • Old Wording: We are a post-ideological meritocracy. Policy and decision-making must be based on evidence and scientific reasoning. The approach that works best, or the person who does the best job, must be chosen over the alternatives. Where possible, we avoid making decisions or selecting leaders based on tradition, popularity, authority or ideology.
  • Proposed Revision: We are a post-ideological values-based meritocracy. We place all options on the table. We choose a specific approach because the available evidence shows that it is the best way to promote our values. We do not make decisions based merely on tradition, popularity, authority or political expediency.
• Another core value was proposed by California and the PNC came up with the following proposed wording.
  • Proposed addition: We stand for a government that promotes social institutions necessary for the empowerment, health, and well-being of all people.

8. Anything else folks want to bring up

• Payright - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u6wBrAFswXztqLvmaHta41RowN5yB8ZXkBDvlev38RM/edit
• Erik will be proposing this as an official policy and would like to hear any objections that people have now rather than later.

Meeting Minutes

[12:03] <@mildbeard> good afternoon [12:03] <@SplendidSpoon> Hey [12:03] <+mandeville> Hi there [12:03] <@SplendidSpoon> Jamie still on vacation? [12:06] <@mildbeard> No idea, I had assumed he'd be back but I really don't know. [12:06] <@SplendidSpoon> OK, Don't know who's supposed to "run" the meeting then [12:08] <@mildbeard> Well SplendidSpoon, aren't you our First Officer? Are you willing to act on Jamie's behalf? [12:09] <@SplendidSpoon> I am, but Erixoltan outranks me [12:09] <@SplendidSpoon> but if he's not here I guess I can do it [12:09] <@mildbeard> gee that's me :) [12:09] <@mildbeard> changed my handle [12:09] <@SplendidSpoon> omg rly? [12:10] <@SplendidSpoon> wow [12:10] <@mildbeard> technically I think you outrank me though. [12:10] <@SplendidSpoon> Nah I don't think so [12:10] <@SplendidSpoon> Do we even have an agenda? [12:10] <@SplendidSpoon> Is anyone else even here lol? [12:11] <@mildbeard> I'll act as scribe and create an agenda / minutes on the wiki. [12:11] <@SplendidSpoon> ok [12:11] <@SplendidSpoon> Intros first [12:11] <@SplendidSpoon> Lauren - Cambridge/Boxboro [12:11] <+mandeville> Alex - Belmont [12:12] <@mildbeard> Erik - Framingham [12:12] <@SplendidSpoon> ok [12:13] <@SplendidSpoon> So first thing I guess we should talk about Freedom Rally [12:13] <@SplendidSpoon> I talked to organizers and got us a table [12:13] <@SplendidSpoon> and I received the permit in the mail [12:13] <@mildbeard> awesome [12:14] <@mildbeard> btw here is an agenda / minutes [12:14] <@SplendidSpoon> http://masscann.org/images/stories/MAPS/carty-goods-vendor-map1.gif [12:14] <@mildbeard> http://www.masspirates.org/wiki/index.php?title=August_23rd,_2012_IRC_Meeting [12:14] <@SplendidSpoon> cool [12:14] <@SplendidSpoon> If you look at this map I got us table 17 [12:14] <@mildbeard> ooh [12:14] <@SplendidSpoon> It's a flat area he said [12:15] <@mildbeard> hey it's a corner? right in the middle? [12:15] <@SplendidSpoon> Looks like it [12:15] <@SplendidSpoon> We are next to a bongmonger [12:15] <@mildbeard> not a bad location. [12:15] <@mildbeard> lmao [12:15] <@SplendidSpoon> He said it was highly trafficked but also not too loud so people can hear us when we explain [12:15] <@SplendidSpoon> some tables are near music so it's loud [12:16] <@SplendidSpoon> He almost suggested us going next to the Socialists but I vetoed that [12:16] <@SplendidSpoon> I'd rather spread out away from other Political Parties [12:17] <@SplendidSpoon> At some point we should figure out who will man the table when, I may also be manning a Bradley Manning support network table that day at some point too. [12:17] <@SplendidSpoon> Manning a Manning table teehee [12:17] <@mildbeard> I will definitely be there - what are the event hours? [12:18] <@SplendidSpoon> noon - 6 [12:18] <@SplendidSpoon> http://masscann.org/rally [12:18] <@SplendidSpoon> wow they spelled activism wrong on this page [12:18] <@mildbeard> cool [12:18] * SplendidSpoon facepalms [12:18] <@mildbeard> short term memory loss no doubt... [12:19] <@SplendidSpoon> Awww Barney Franks gonna be there [12:19] <@SplendidSpoon> Do you think we should have special info fliers for this particular rally or are our normal ones good enough? [12:20] <@mildbeard> it would be nice to have something special emphasizing our pro-legalization position, but I assume the standard one will be OK if nobody created a special one in time. [12:21] <@SplendidSpoon> We have a little less then a month [12:22] <@SplendidSpoon> Maybe we'll see if someone wants to make one next week [12:22] <@mildbeard> k [12:22] <@SplendidSpoon> OK, another thing I wanted to discuss [12:22] <@SplendidSpoon> I got this months issue of Adbusters [12:23] <@SplendidSpoon> and to my surprise....they had a full 2 page spread talking about how the 2 parties suck and #PiratePartyUSA [12:23] <@SplendidSpoon> the url in the mag just linked to Adbusters regular websigte [12:23] <@SplendidSpoon> and I have no idea what their intentions are [12:23] <@mildbeard> There's been a lot of discussion about that on the SAB list. [12:23] <@SplendidSpoon> Yea [12:23] <@SplendidSpoon> Has anyone figured anything out yet? [12:24] <@SplendidSpoon> I mean I think it's cool, and if Adbusters wants to promote us by all means they should [12:24] <@mildbeard> I think their intentions are assumed to be good, and any publicity is good publicity in my opinion. [12:24] <@SplendidSpoon> I'd rather they actually work with us to create an organized campaign though [12:24] <@SplendidSpoon> It'd be more beneficial [12:25] <@mildbeard> yes [12:25] <@mildbeard> it would help if we were more organized. [12:25] <@SplendidSpoon> but it's also Adbusters, they are good at getting numbers of people to "show up" to something they draw attention to but they don't really do the organizing part well [12:25] * SplendidSpoon coughs *Occupy* [12:25] * mildbeard laughs out loud. [12:26] <+mandeville> I don't know why that example would spring to mind... [12:27] <@mildbeard> I seem to remember Travis was going to contact them to see if we could coordinate better in the future. [12:28] <@mildbeard> So there are a few more agenda items. [12:28] <+mandeville> gtg [12:28] == mandeville [webchat@204.9.zok.qn] has quit [Quit: Web client closed] [12:28] <@mildbeard> Liquid Feedback, VPN testing, Upcoming events, fundraising, new treasurer, national party news and any other business. [12:29] <@mildbeard> On liquid feedback I am hoping we can declare it a success and move out of alpha testing. [12:30] <@mildbeard> On the VPN I have signed up successfully for masspirates VPN. [12:30] <@mildbeard> If anyone else wants to try it, then it's pretty inexpensive and it is a good VPN system. And half of the cost goes to MAPP. [12:30] <@SplendidSpoon> Cool [12:30] <@SplendidSpoon> What's the Bandwidth restrictions? [12:30] <@mildbeard> There isn't one. [12:31] <@SplendidSpoon> Where is it located [12:31] <@mildbeard> it's private-internet-access and they have servers throughout the US, UK and Europe. You can choose which of a dozen servers to connect to. [12:31] <@SplendidSpoon> Like, lets say I need an out of country box to stream all teh NFL games because I don't have DirectTV and can't do it from the US [12:31] <@SplendidSpoon> due to stupid copyright limitations [12:32] <@mildbeard> Right, you can connect to a server in Romania, England, Canada, Switzerland or Netherlands. [12:32] <@SplendidSpoon> but NFL allows people in Europe to stream games for a fee [12:32] <@SplendidSpoon> ah interesting [12:32] <@SplendidSpoon> Sucks you can't watch all the games in America without signing up for DirectTV but you can in Europe [12:32] <@mildbeard> I haven't tried that but it supposedly works. I think it's the same thing that the Canadian Pirate Party offers their subscribers? But I could be mistaken on that. [12:33] <@mildbeard> In America you can watch them for a price, but only after the games are over. [12:33] <@SplendidSpoon> right [12:33] <@mildbeard> And you have to pay. [12:33] <@SplendidSpoon> and it's not live [12:33] <@mildbeard> I take it you're an NFL fan? [12:33] <@SplendidSpoon> Yes but this is more a question for a coworker [12:33] <@SplendidSpoon> He's a Steelers fan [12:34] <@mildbeard> Then tell him there's absolutely no way to watch Steelers games. Any other team it would be fine ...... [12:34] <@SplendidSpoon> and is started a fantasy football company and was asking me if it'd be possible to do something like that so he could watch all games live [12:34] <@SplendidSpoon> lol [12:34] <@SplendidSpoon> and now I'm considering it too because I kind of just like watching football all day on Sundays [12:35] <@SplendidSpoon> But I love my Patriots so at least I can watch them easily [12:35] <@mildbeard> It would be interesting to find out if it works. [12:35] <@SplendidSpoon> Yea [12:35] <@SplendidSpoon> It'd be a good test [12:35] <@SplendidSpoon> anyway sorry to get off-topic [12:35] <@mildbeard> Anyway, I need to hear back from the VPN company to see if they collected all the information we need to get donations from a campaign finance point of view. [12:36] <@mildbeard> They did ask me for that info but I need them to verify that we can see it. [12:36] <@mildbeard> So once that's done we can offer this to our members. [12:36] <@mildbeard> In the meantime I think we can offer it to anyone like you, for whom we definitely have their contact info. [12:36] <@SplendidSpoon> I see [12:37] <@mildbeard> https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/mass-pirates [12:37] <@mildbeard> anyway, that's the sign up page. [12:38] <@mildbeard> I don't think we have anything else on upcoming events? [12:38] <@mildbeard> Or fundraising, or a new treasurer? [12:38] <@SplendidSpoon> Not that I know of [12:39] <@mildbeard> I'm not available to volunteer for treasurer. way too swamped. [12:39] <@SplendidSpoon> Yea [12:39] <@mildbeard> So that brings us to national party news. [12:39] <@mildbeard> The California Pirate Party has objected to two major things in the US Pirate Party constitution. They consider these issues to be obstacles to ratifying the constitution. [12:40] <@SplendidSpoon> oh [12:41] <@mildbeard> At the PNC meeting we basically agreed on a proposed new core value to add to the constitution. It covers the fact that everyone is equal and that everyone deserves some basic level of having a good life. It's very vague but it essentially means that we support health care, education, universal internet access and so on. [12:41] <@SplendidSpoon> Sounds reasonable [12:42] <@mildbeard> The second one - they objected to a core value that says we are a meritocracy. It turns out they felt it would prevent a pirate from supporting affirmative action. [12:42] <@mildbeard> That certainly wasn't the intent of the measure. [12:42] <@SplendidSpoon> oh [12:42] <@SplendidSpoon> Change the wording? [12:42] <@mildbeard> So I sent out a proposed revision of the text on the SAB list, and we could vote on it next time. [12:42] <@SplendidSpoon> Meritocracy maybe a loaded term? [12:42] <@mildbeard> Well, here's what I proposed instead of what we had before. [12:43] <@SplendidSpoon> http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Elites-America-after-Meritocracy/dp/0307720454 [12:43] <@mildbeard> This is what we had. [12:43] <@mildbeard> We are a post-ideological meritocracy. Policy and decision-making must be based on evidence and scientific reasoning. The approach that works best, or the person who does the best job, must be chosen over the alternatives. Where possible, we avoid making decisions or selecting leaders based on tradition, popularity, authority or ideology. [12:43] <@SplendidSpoon> oh yea I saw that I liked it [12:43] <@SplendidSpoon> I like the idea of "Data-Driven policymaking" [12:44] <@mildbeard> Here is what I proposed to change it to. [12:44] <@mildbeard> We are a post-ideological values-based meritocracy. We place all options on the table. We choose a specific approach because the available evidence shows that it is the best way to promote our values. We do not make decisions based merely on tradition, popularity, authority or political expediency. [12:44] <@SplendidSpoon> oh yea that IS better I guess [12:45] <@SplendidSpoon> Why didn't California come up with the change though? [12:45] <@mildbeard> California proposed to strike the item entirely. I objected to that, and so did others. [12:45] <@SplendidSpoon> ok [12:46] <@mildbeard> I think they misunderstood it - but I think the proposed revision is better as a result. [12:46] <@SplendidSpoon> Yea hope they like it [12:47] <@mildbeard> me too, because they're our biggest state and we kinda need them to come on board! [12:48] <@mildbeard> It's ironic that a few months ago we were battling over whether the pirate party can stand for anything beyond the three planks, and here we have our largest member state objecting that we don't go far enough beyond those three planks. So I think we've come a long way. [12:48] <@SplendidSpoon> Good [12:48] <@mildbeard> So I have one last thing and then it's sandwich time. [12:48] <@SplendidSpoon> ok [12:48] <@mildbeard> I wrote a proposed policy on copyright reform called Payright - did you ever take a look at it? [12:49] <@SplendidSpoon> Awhile ago I believe [12:49] <@mildbeard> OK here's the updated version which contains many changes. [12:49] <@mildbeard> Took out the reference to science, and clarified that the idea of "meritocracy" is "values-based." So if we have a core value of equality, then the idea is to choose the best idea to promote that value. Therefore there's no reason why you couldn't support affirmative action. [12:49] <@mildbeard> Whoops. [12:49] <@[4Q]> pfft, only human [12:49] <@mildbeard> take two [12:49] <@SplendidSpoon> lol [12:49] <@mildbeard> https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#sent/139541219444340f [12:50] <@mildbeard> I will be proposing this as an official policy soon, and if anyone has objections that would cause them to oppose it, then I'd love to hear what they are now rather than later. [12:51] <@SplendidSpoon> I'm sorry I can't open this [12:51] <@SplendidSpoon> ? [12:51] <@SplendidSpoon> "The conversation that you requested no longer exists" [12:51] <@mildbeard> darn it [12:51] <@mildbeard> try this [12:51] <@mildbeard> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u6wBrAFswXztqLvmaHta41RowN5yB8ZXkBDvlev38RM/edit [12:51] <@SplendidSpoon> ok sweet [12:52] <@SplendidSpoon> Are you going to show this to any more people before publishing? [12:52] <@SplendidSpoon> Maybe international Pirates? [12:52] <@mildbeard> I will submit it for NSH2 and will open it up to anyone who wants to comment before then. [12:52] <@mildbeard> Including international pirates. [12:52] <@SplendidSpoon> ah cool [12:53] <@mildbeard> If you can think of anyone who should comment, feel free to forward them the link. [12:53] <@mildbeard> I've stopped getting feedback and would love to hear more. [12:53] <@SplendidSpoon> I mean it looks great to me, really glad to have something like this being made [12:54] <@mildbeard> The most recent addition is that it has to contain a bulletproof privacy protocol, and it will run on an encrypted peer-to-peer nework. There's also an "objections" section to cover objections I've heard. [12:54] <@mildbeard> OK thanks, that's good to hear! [12:55] <@mildbeard> Well, I guess that's all I had myself. [12:55] <@SplendidSpoon> This is the kind of shit that separates the people who actually change things versus the people who just complain [12:56] <@mildbeard> Yeah, and it's where you find out who the complainers are, when they read your proposal :D. [12:56] <@SplendidSpoon> lol [12:57] <@mildbeard> I got a ridiculous number of objections, but it's much better as a result. [12:58] <@SplendidSpoon> That's how it goes [12:58] <@mildbeard> OK - ready to adjourn? [12:58] <@SplendidSpoon> yep [12:58] <@mildbeard> I'll paste in the transcript as part of the minutes. [12:59] <@SplendidSpoon> cool [12:59] <@mildbeard> ttyl [12:59] <@SplendidSpoon> peace