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Mitch Altman Parts Ways With Maker Fair Over DARPA Grant

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the greener-pastures dept.

SWroclawski writes "Well known hacker and hackerspace advocate Mitch Altman has decided to temporarily part ways with Maker Faire over their involvement with DARPA (as reported on Twitter and Facebook). This public parting of ways raises the question of what role government, especially the military, should play in working alongside hackers and educators."

5 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. People should be free, but only on your terms? by crazyjj · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That's the problem with most activists. They're all for freedom, just as long as people only use that freedom to agree with them. He wants Maker Faire to accept sponsors, of course, but only those that fit into *his* ideals.

    And I bet this guy would go ballistic if someone dared try to tell him what he can and can't build or invent. But now that he's confronted with the possibility of people using *their* freedom to build stuff that *he* doesn't like (for a sponsor that doesn't fit in with *his* vision), suddenly he wants to take his ball and go home.

    Also, last time I checked, Maker Faire wasn't forcing anyone to build anything. If you don't want to build stuff with military applications, then you know what--JUST DON'T!

    --
    What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
    1. Re:People should be free, but only on your terms? by Beelzebud · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Stupid activists. It's almost like this guy thinks he's also free to do what he chooses. How dare he leave based on his principles!

    2. Re:People should be free, but only on your terms? by El_Che · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you don't want to build stuff with military applications, then you know what--JUST DON'T! Er, isn't that exactly what Mitch Altman has decided to do?

    3. Re:People should be free, but only on your terms? by crazyjj · · Score: 5, Insightful

      an organization who's sole purpose is the destruction of life.

      That is not, and has never been, even a *primary* purpose of DARPA, much less its sole purpose.

      See, it's that kind of hyperbole and silly absolutism that seems to ruin every decent goddamned movement. The Occupy movement was a great example. Started out as a perfectly reasonable movement with legitimate complaints with potentially broad appeal. But five minutes later, here come the assholes in Che Guevara t-shirts calling for the overthrow of capitalism, and BAM--it turns into yet another go-nowhere fringe movement almost overnight. And that's a real shame.

      --
      What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
  2. Oh, the Irony by Mr+44 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And in a move of supreme irony, he is glady leaving to support Chinese Hackerspaces:

    Tomorrow I'm leaving for China. I organized a Hacker Trip To China. 10 of us visiting all hackerspaces!

    Here's a clue, kiddo - try to find anything of significance in China that doesnt have involvement from the People's Liberation Army. But you got no problem supporting that?