Path to 86

This page describes how someone ends up on the 86 page - the stages of community process that lead to a permanent ban from Noisebridge.

Overview

The 86 page lists people who are no longer welcome at Noisebridge. Getting added to that page is not arbitrary - it's the result of a community process that balances accountability with opportunities for repair.

The path to 86 is not inevitable. At any point, a person's willingness to acknowledge and repair harm can divert them away from a ban. The 86 is reserved for those who refuse accountability, deny harm, or continue harmful behavior.

The Stages

⚡ Stage 1: Incident(s)

Something happens - either a single severe incident or a pattern of behavior that causes observable harm to individuals in the community or to Noisebridge as an organization (or both).

Often, before reaching this stage, the person has already been asked to leave temporarily - and either refused, or returned and repeated the harmful behavior.

Examples of harm include (but are not limited to):

• Physical threats or violence
• Theft or property destruction
• Harassment or intimidation
• Repeated boundary violations after being asked to stop
• Using the space in ways that endanger others
• Sleeping in the space after being told not to
• Bringing banned individuals back into the space

💬 Stage 2: Community Discussion

People who witnessed or were affected talk about it - in Discord (especially bravespace and steward channels), in person at the space, or both. This is where the situation gets contextualized and the harm gets named.

This discussion happens organically among Noisebridge regulars - Members and associate members who are present and paying attention.

🔍 Stage 3: Skeptical Inquiry

The community asks hard questions:

• What actually happened?
• What harm occurred, and to whom?
• Has this person been talked to directly?
• Were good-faith communication attempts made?
• Is there a pattern, or is this a one-off?
• Does this warrant a permanent ban or something less?

This skepticism protects against hasty or unfair bans. Adding someone to the 86 page is socially risky - if the community doesn't broadly agree, the result is protracted conflict and an unenforceable ban.

🚪 Stage 4: Willingness to Repair (The Off-Ramp)

At any point in this process, a person's willingness to acknowledge and repair harm generally diverts them away from the 86.

This is the crucial off-ramp. People who:

• Acknowledge the harm they caused
• Take responsibility without deflecting
• Make genuine efforts to repair relationships (see Restorative Communication)
• Change their behavior

...are unlikely to end up on the 86 page. The community generally wants to keep people in, not push them out.

The path toward banning is reserved for those who refuse this accountability.

🤝 Stage 5: Rough Consensus Emerges

If repair isn't happening, a shared sense develops through ongoing discussion that the person should be 86'd.

This isn't a formal vote - it's a convergence of perspective among regulars who've been paying attention. We call this "lowercase-c consensus" - a genuine agreement that emerges organically rather than through a formal process.

The timeframe varies enormously:

• Severe incidents (violence, weapons, clear danger) may result in near-immediate consensus
• Pattern-based cases may take months or years of observation and complex social unpacking

✏️ Stage 6: The Edit

Someone who feels confident (typically a longer-term member, board member, or proven-trustworthy regular) adds the person to the 86 page.

Documentation on the page is intentionally minimal - enough to identify the person and convey the general nature of the issue, but not so detailed as to endanger victims or create fodder for conflict.

🚫 Stage 7: Enforcement

The community treats the 86 as legitimate and enforces it. Because the ban emerged from genuine community agreement, people trust it:

"Oh, you were 86'd? Yeah, you can't come back. Sorry."

This trust is the foundation of the system.

Getting Off the 86 Page

There is no formal process for getting off the 86 page - because there can't be. Each situation is different, and trust can only be rebuilt individually, not by convincing "the community" as a unit.

✅ What Has Actually Worked

The rare cases where someone has successfully returned to Noisebridge have followed a similar pattern:

1. They had a sponsor - someone currently in good standing at Noisebridge who was willing to vouch for them
2. The sponsor had credibility - trusted community members who could facilitate a probationary return
3. The person was allowed back on a watched basis - not fully trusted, but given a chance to demonstrate change
4. Trust was rebuilt individually - different people came to trust them again (or didn't) based on observed behavior over time

This isn't a process that can be standardized. The sponsor is putting their own social capital on the line by vouching for you.

🔄 If You Want to Come Back

Your best bet is to find a friend currently in good standing at Noisebridge who is willing to sponsor you. They would need to:

• Believe you've genuinely changed
• Be willing to vouch for you to community members
• Help facilitate your probationary return
• Accept some social risk if things go badly

Are you the friend? Read the Sponsor Guide so you understand what you have to do. ➡️

If you don't have such a friend but want to try anyway, you can email mediation-request@noisebridge.net to ask if anyone is willing to sponsor you. However, we cannot guarantee that anyone will be willing to take that on. Without someone inside who trusts you enough to vouch, there is no process that can substitute for that trust.

🛑 Important reality check: Some people you harmed may not want to discuss you or your return - ever. Being asked to revisit harm causes additional harm. Their unwillingness to engage is not an obstacle to overcome; it's meaningful information. If key people affected cannot support your return, that may be your answer.

See Also

• 86 - The list of banned individuals
• 86_Sponsor - Guide for sponsors bringing someone back
• Restorative Communication - Framework for repairing relationships through communication
• Conflict Resolution - Overview of how we handle conflicts
• Mediation - The mediation process
• Ask To Disengage - De-escalating conflicts before they get to this point
• AskToLeave - Asking someone to leave temporarily