[Imc] PLEASE READ: Equipment and Security

[Brian Hagy]

thanks for your response, david.  i'll bring it with all the others to the
steering focus group on sunday.

in response to you, the imc seems to be setting itself apart from other
non-profit volunteer organizations in town, in that people are starting to
see the imc as 24-hour accessible, even though we don't have staff here.
perhaps this is not such a bad thing.  however, when equipment ends up
missing it becomes necessary to reconsider the desirability of having that
mentality.  any other space it seems that once they close, they prefer you
not to being in the space using the resources it has.  i realize the focus
of the imc (independent news) makes it desirable to have access to
resources any time it becomes necessary.  and so perhaps we should
continue to encourage people to use the space when there's no
staff, and to have it appear closed when people don't feel safe or
don't feel they can wear two hats.  however, with the upcoming
year's finances starting to become tight, we really do need to figure out
whether the costs of utilities (electricity and such) can be supported
with such an open-ended time limit on equipment usage (especially the
production computers, which do use up a big chunk of the electricity in
the joint).

thanks,
brian



On Fri, 8 Feb 2002, David Young wrote:

>
> Look, Brian, you discourage community use of the production room if every
> single person who uses the production room is also host to the community
> while they are in there. It's not reasonable to expect someone to keep
> an eye on the door while they try to finish a production, especially
> not in such a big space.
>
> I can think of one C-U non-profit whose building was robbed and vandalized
> because it foolishly expected its volunteers to teach and watch the door
> at the same time, when no volunteer can actually do that. One instructor
> thought that some kids come and gone while he taught who were actually
> still in the building, pulling things out of desk drawers and cabinets.
> Oops! He wished he'd locked the doors.
>
> It's not hard to go overboard on security, but it does not seem like
> an over-the-top security measure for an IMCista to close and lock the
> IMC's door because he or she is not able to wear simultaneously the
> "host to the community" hat and the "citizen journalist" hat.
>
> Dave
>
> On Thu, Feb 07, 2002 at 09:09:11PM -0600, Brian Hagy wrote:
> > the front door will unfortunately continue to be a problem for some time.
> > the lock was replaced when we first moved into the place.  so, the problem
> > might actually be with the door frame.  we ARE investigating other
> > possibilities.  until then, for people who don't feel safe there when they
> > are alone probably should consider trying to work there when an imc
> > staffer is there, or get friends in there, if possible.  it's kinda weird
> > to begin with that someone would lock themselves in the imc to do work.
> > an intent of the imc is to be a community space, as opposed to people's
> > private space.  theoretically, when someone is there working, then the imc
> > should be considered opened (keys aren't given out for private usage of
> > the imc, usually).
> >
> > thanks for the input. it will be carried to the sunday steering focus
> > group, of which you are more than welcomed to attend and speak up on this
> > as well.
> >
> > brian
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, 7 Feb 2002, Sehvilla wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > On Thu, 7 Feb 2002, Paul Kotheimer wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi, IMC-sta's
> > > >
> > > > I'd like to ask that, if we're thinking about security, we visit again
> > > > the issue of a front door that's LOCKABLE FROM THE INSIDE!!!!
> > > >
> > >
> > > I would like to second the call for a door that locks from the inside -
> > > it's way overdue. It's not only a problem at night - if the IMC is
> > > deserted and I'm sitting in the production room working on something and
> > > the door is unlocked, I don't feel safe any time of the day, and if IMC
> > > members don't feel safe in the IMC without a door that locks from the
> > > inside, then the lock should be replaced as soon as possible. Until then,
> > > people will keep peeling the duct tape off the broken lock.
> > >
> > > When the new lock is installed, I would be glad to come help somehow, if
> > > that would help.
> > >
> > >
> > > Sehvilla
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > IMC mailing list
> > > IMC at urbana.indymedia.org
> > > http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > IMC mailing list
> > IMC at urbana.indymedia.org
> > http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc
>
> --
> David Young                   On the Job Consulting
> dyoung at onthejob.net     Urbana, IL * (217) 278-3933
> _______________________________________________
> IMC mailing list
> IMC at urbana.indymedia.org
> http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc
>