So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you can
treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your favorite
hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole. Your
hackerspace needs you!
I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little
community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before they
vote tomorrow during Build Night!
So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the only
one fretting over such circumstances.
-- Dana Nelson
*All Hands Active*
*AHAkids Class Coordinator*
This is a pretty awesome idea. Good thinking Dana.
With that, I'd like to share my plans for increasing the income for All
Hands Active by December.
As I shared in my bio on the AHA election page, one of my ideas is to hold
sponsored Hackathons at AHA. The election isn't over but I've already begun
working with Khevna and will be meeting with Michigan Hackers(who already
hold such events) on Friday.
While I do realize it will take a non-trivial amount of time and effort to
stage a success event like this, I see it potentially contributing not only
rent money but also new members to our beloved hackerspace.
Another thing AHA needs to do is hone its outreach to communities that
would potentially be interested in an org like AHA but are perhaps not
aware of the spirit and activities that occur at AHA. This requires old
fashioned legwork, as Nate Yost mentioned in his bio. I'd gladly be willing
to participate in reaching out to groups such as bicycle co-ops(does AA
have any?), radio/software user groups(I'm sure this has been done, but
regular reminders of our existence can't hurt) and whoever else might be
interested in being part of our community.
tl;dr I will organize sponsored Hackathons and do community outreach,
On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 7:46 PM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you can
> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
> favorite hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the
> hole. Your hackerspace needs you!
> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little
> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before they
> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the only
> one fretting over such circumstances.
> --
> Dana Nelson
> *All Hands Active*
> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
> This is a pretty awesome idea. Good thinking Dana.
> With that, I'd like to share my plans for increasing the income for All
> Hands Active by December.
> As I shared in my bio on the AHA election page, one of my ideas is to hold
> sponsored Hackathons at AHA. The election isn't over but I've already begun
> working with Khevna and will be meeting with Michigan Hackers(who already
> hold such events) on Friday.
> While I do realize it will take a non-trivial amount of time and effort to
> stage a success event like this, I see it potentially contributing not only
> rent money but also new members to our beloved hackerspace.
> Another thing AHA needs to do is hone its outreach to communities that
> would potentially be interested in an org like AHA but are perhaps not
> aware of the spirit and activities that occur at AHA. This requires old
> fashioned legwork, as Nate Yost mentioned in his bio. I'd gladly be willing
> to participate in reaching out to groups such as bicycle co-ops(does AA
> have any?), radio/software user groups(I'm sure this has been done, but
> regular reminders of our existence can't hurt) and whoever else might be
> interested in being part of our community.
> tl;dr I will organize sponsored Hackathons and do community outreach,
> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 7:46 PM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you
>> can treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
>> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
>> favorite hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the
>> hole. Your hackerspace needs you!
>> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little
>> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
>> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
>> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
>> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before they
>> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
>> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the only
>> one fretting over such circumstances.
>> --
>> Dana Nelson
>> *All Hands Active*
>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
-- Dana Nelson
*All Hands Active*
*AHAkids Class Coordinator*
Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus on
something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid, working
toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter to
help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it, I
will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is the
ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make it
pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly feedback
surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
time! How do we make AHA better?
There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I think
that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a problem
is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
something that will help us out.
As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term is
encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those ideas
in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
make things happen. I am ready!
> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you can
> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your favorite
> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole. Your
> hackerspace needs you!
> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little
> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before they
> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the only
> one fretting over such circumstances.
Neonate brings up a great point regarding director follow through. To this
end, I have 2 solutions:
1) A new mandatory item on every board meeting agenda to the effect of
compiling action items for each director and publishing them to the entire
ahashop_members list. At each subsequent board meeting the progress on
those action items will also be tracked and published. This will put public
eye from the AHA community on the efforts of the directors to ensure they
follow through by means of positive social pressure and by way of the AHA
community gently berating them when they fail to follow through.
2) Choose a damn project management software for AHA. I'll pay for it if
need be. We need a better way to track this stuff.
More accountability: mofo newsletter. When AHA publishes its newsletter
regularly, it is being more transparent to the community. When AHA does not
publish a newsletter, it is a black box that no one can quite tell what is
going on inside. Transparency to the wider community translates to a
greater willingness to impart cash unto AHA because then there is regular
documentation, both past and future expected, that AHA is a good thing and
not a stanky neckbeard fetish club.
*Promotion.*
I have long wanted AHA's website to be a clearinghouse for SE MI and A2
tech, craft, and nerd culture. When AHA promotes itself, it definitely
benefits and we have largely sucked at tooting our own horn. But when AHA
promotes another organization, we build good will and instill future
cross-promotional possibilities so that our efforts can reach a larger
audience. To this end I want to poke someone from this long distance to
build a fancy mount for the Flipcam so that documenting your projects,
ideas, or whatever is as easy as hitting a button. I'd also like to see the
AHA site incorporate Posterous so that anyone who wants to post blog to it
can do so from email at their leisure instead of having to deal with
Wordpress.
*
*
*Goals.*
AHA needs more goals and needs to be louder about them. Goals are handles
of communication that show the community that AHA ain't stagnant and has
plans to go places. I want to see a Hackerology Plan on the AHA website as
formulated by all its members at an AHA General Assembly once a year. This
needs to include 6-month goals, 1-year goals, and 3-year goals.
My goals for AHA:
6-months - fiscally kickass, Dogfort vented completely, Cube rebuilt,
stench defeated, more AHA teams going to more events (DUCF, Free Skool,
a2gotech, a2newtech, Beer:30, ARBSEC, + more), 20 new members
1-year - seduce another hardware start-up into the space through working
with TechArb and SPARK, more classes all the time, space straining hard
against its current square footage, 60 new members
3-year - AHA has doubled or tripled space and tooling, hosts 4-7 startups,
15 classes/mo, regularly has 200 members, has done pop-up art galleries and
pop-up restaurants
*Why.*
All of the above solidifies what AHA is and how it presents itself. Right
now AHA is somewhat obtuse to an outsider, and that is damaging the ease
with which new members can join or community members can support. By
implementing the above, AHA will appear more solid, more professional, and
more driven, which in turn will allow for easier psychological on-ramps to
supporting the space. These are all fairly long-term solutions to avoid
fiscal insolubility, but I do believe that proper implementation thereof
can stave that off permanently.
Let me know if you'd like me to clarify any points.
On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 7:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus on
> something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid, working
> toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
> downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
> convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
> who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
> money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter to
> help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
> only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
> work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it, I
> will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
> More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
> stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
> become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is the
> ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
> people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
> membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make it
> pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly feedback
> surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
> time! How do we make AHA better?
> There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
> like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
> from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I think
> that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a problem
> is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
> something that will help us out.
> As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term is
> encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
> develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
> leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those ideas
> in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
> make things happen. I am ready!
> -- Nate Y.
> On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
> > So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you
> can
> > treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
> > If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
> favorite
> > hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole. Your
> > hackerspace needs you!
> > I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little
> > community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
> > should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
> > As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
> > would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before they
> > vote tomorrow during Build Night!
> > So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the only
> > one fretting over such circumstances.
I want to highlight and reiterate Xander's final point in case folks TL;DR'd it:
"Right now AHA is somewhat obtuse to an outsider, and that is damaging the ease with which new members can join or community members can support."
Seriously. This is a huge deal. If you go on the intertubes and can't figure out what exactly goes on at AHA, and then you show up and see a scary stinky hellbasement with people hunched over their laptops, it's really hard to see through all of that and realize both the cool things we're doing and the even awesomer things we have the potential to do.
Also to Xander's first point: can we consider having member meetings once a month or every other month or something? Attendance optional but an opportunity for people to hear what's going on, give their opinions / suggestions / thoughts, be put in touch with other people doing cool things, and maybe even commit themselves to doing things for the space. If one of these happens, I will bring at least some baked awesomeness (which might or might not be caffeinated). This might also provide a slight additional nudge of differentiation between paying and nonpaying members.
Mike.
On Oct 24, 2012, at 11:49 PM, Alexander Honkala wrote:
> Neonate brings up a great point regarding director follow through. To this end, I have 2 solutions:
> 1) A new mandatory item on every board meeting agenda to the effect of compiling action items for each director and publishing them to the entire ahashop_members list. At each subsequent board meeting the progress on those action items will also be tracked and published. This will put public eye from the AHA community on the efforts of the directors to ensure they follow through by means of positive social pressure and by way of the AHA community gently berating them when they fail to follow through.
> 2) Choose a damn project management software for AHA. I'll pay for it if need be. We need a better way to track this stuff.
> More accountability: mofo newsletter. When AHA publishes its newsletter regularly, it is being more transparent to the community. When AHA does not publish a newsletter, it is a black box that no one can quite tell what is going on inside. Transparency to the wider community translates to a greater willingness to impart cash unto AHA because then there is regular documentation, both past and future expected, that AHA is a good thing and not a stanky neckbeard fetish club.
> Promotion.
> I have long wanted AHA's website to be a clearinghouse for SE MI and A2 tech, craft, and nerd culture. When AHA promotes itself, it definitely benefits and we have largely sucked at tooting our own horn. But when AHA promotes another organization, we build good will and instill future cross-promotional possibilities so that our efforts can reach a larger audience. To this end I want to poke someone from this long distance to build a fancy mount for the Flipcam so that documenting your projects, ideas, or whatever is as easy as hitting a button. I'd also like to see the AHA site incorporate Posterous so that anyone who wants to post blog to it can do so from email at their leisure instead of having to deal with Wordpress.
> Goals.
> AHA needs more goals and needs to be louder about them. Goals are handles of communication that show the community that AHA ain't stagnant and has plans to go places. I want to see a Hackerology Plan on the AHA website as formulated by all its members at an AHA General Assembly once a year. This needs to include 6-month goals, 1-year goals, and 3-year goals.
> My goals for AHA:
> 6-months - fiscally kickass, Dogfort vented completely, Cube rebuilt, stench defeated, more AHA teams going to more events (DUCF, Free Skool, a2gotech, a2newtech, Beer:30, ARBSEC, + more), 20 new members
> 1-year - seduce another hardware start-up into the space through working with TechArb and SPARK, more classes all the time, space straining hard against its current square footage, 60 new members
> 3-year - AHA has doubled or tripled space and tooling, hosts 4-7 startups, 15 classes/mo, regularly has 200 members, has done pop-up art galleries and pop-up restaurants
> Why.
> All of the above solidifies what AHA is and how it presents itself. Right now AHA is somewhat obtuse to an outsider, and that is damaging the ease with which new members can join or community members can support. By implementing the above, AHA will appear more solid, more professional, and more driven, which in turn will allow for easier psychological on-ramps to supporting the space. These are all fairly long-term solutions to avoid fiscal insolubility, but I do believe that proper implementation thereof can stave that off permanently.
> Let me know if you'd like me to clarify any points.
> With love,
> Xander
> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 7:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus on
> something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid, working
> toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
> downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
> convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
> who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
> money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter to
> help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
> only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
> work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it, I
> will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
> More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
> stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
> become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is the
> ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
> people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
> membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make it
> pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly feedback
> surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
> time! How do we make AHA better?
> There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
> like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
> from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I think
> that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a problem
> is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
> something that will help us out.
> As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term is
> encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
> develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
> leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those ideas
> in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
> make things happen. I am ready!
> -- Nate Y.
> On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
> > So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you can
> > treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
> > If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your favorite
> > hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole. Your
> > hackerspace needs you!
> > I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little
> > community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
> > should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
> > As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
> > would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before they
> > vote tomorrow during Build Night!
> > So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the only
> > one fretting over such circumstances.
Okay, here's my answer. I agree with a lot of what the other
say regarding outreach, accountability, etc.
And before I start, I will warn that this may sound rant like. I am very
passionate about this question, as I see it as an emergency that we need to
be stepping up and doing something about NOW. Everyone that boasts to other
people about how they are members, how they are part of the community, and
yet only come down here on build nights to socialize, this question is for
you. We are sinking, how are you helping to keep us afloat?
I am working on developing curriculum and schedules for local schools to be
able to come down to AHA for field trips. Theoretically, this could make us
$150 for 3-4 hours of work during hours in which the space isn't being
utilized. We already have a teacher interested, which could lead to a whole
school, which could lead to about 5 classrooms. Once ideas are settled and
implemented though, we could send this to other schools.
Another plan, which I am working on a couple different options and will
bring to the board as soon as we know who the new board is, if we are
struggling to pay our bills, why do we still have so many free members
working in exchange for a membership. While this is awesome that we do
this, we can't really afford to. The members working behind the counter are
an exception to this, I think, as it's extremely difficult to get people to
work a shift. I work shift, and work a lot doing other things, and ya know
what? I'm still paying my membership this month because I know that my
community is suffering.
One thing people are forgetting, 1/3 of our income is made up from the
gaming portion of All Hands Active!!! Even with this fact,
I continually hear comments about how "They're just gamers." and so on.
It's no secret that over the past few years, the gaming side has gone down
a bit, but I've heard and know people that have flat out said, "I stopped
coming back to Ops because of the AHA people." We all need to be more
respectful as far as noise go and need to make an effort to think about
what they want from the organization.
On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Lisa Thierbach <lis...@me.com> wrote:
> I would very much like to help with ideas and actions for making money. I
> just joined AHA and don't want to see such an awesome group of people
> struggle with money. Maybe we could start a separate email topic and/or
> arrange a group meeting.
> Lisa
> On Oct 24, 2012, at 10:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus on
> > something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid, working
> > toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
> > downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
> > convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
> > who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
> > money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter to
> > help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
> > only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
> > work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it, I
> > will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
> > More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
> > stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
> > become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is the
> > ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
> > people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
> > membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make it
> > pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly feedback
> > surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
> > time! How do we make AHA better?
> > There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
> > like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
> > from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I think
> > that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a problem
> > is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
> > something that will help us out.
> > As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term is
> > encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
> > develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
> > leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those ideas
> > in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
> > make things happen. I am ready!
> > -- Nate Y.
> > On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
> >> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you
> can
> >> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
> >> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
> favorite
> >> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole. Your
> >> hackerspace needs you!
> >> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little
> >> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
> >> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
> >> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
> >> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before they
> >> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
> >> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the
> only
> >> one fretting over such circumstances.
-- Dana Nelson
*All Hands Active*
*AHAkids Class Coordinator*
M.S.-
Everyone can show up to board meetings. They are open to the public.
Holding a seperate day never really panned out well in the past.
Also, the people working shift are supposed to be greeting people and
showing them around, giving AHA a more friendly appearance. If they aren't
doing their job, tell them. You pay membership, you are their boss.
On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Okay, here's my answer. I agree with a lot of what the other
> say regarding outreach, accountability, etc.
> And before I start, I will warn that this may sound rant like. I am very
> passionate about this question, as I see it as an emergency that we need to
> be stepping up and doing something about NOW. Everyone that boasts to other
> people about how they are members, how they are part of the community, and
> yet only come down here on build nights to socialize, this question is for
> you. We are sinking, how are you helping to keep us afloat?
> I am working on developing curriculum and schedules for local schools to
> be able to come down to AHA for field trips. Theoretically, this could make
> us $150 for 3-4 hours of work during hours in which the space isn't being
> utilized. We already have a teacher interested, which could lead to a whole
> school, which could lead to about 5 classrooms. Once ideas are settled and
> implemented though, we could send this to other schools.
> Another plan, which I am working on a couple different options and will
> bring to the board as soon as we know who the new board is, if we are
> struggling to pay our bills, why do we still have so many free members
> working in exchange for a membership. While this is awesome that we do
> this, we can't really afford to. The members working behind the counter are
> an exception to this, I think, as it's extremely difficult to get people to
> work a shift. I work shift, and work a lot doing other things, and ya know
> what? I'm still paying my membership this month because I know that my
> community is suffering.
> One thing people are forgetting, 1/3 of our income is made up from the
> gaming portion of All Hands Active!!! Even with this fact,
> I continually hear comments about how "They're just gamers." and so on.
> It's no secret that over the past few years, the gaming side has gone down
> a bit, but I've heard and know people that have flat out said, "I stopped
> coming back to Ops because of the AHA people." We all need to be more
> respectful as far as noise go and need to make an effort to think about
> what they want from the organization.
> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Lisa Thierbach <lis...@me.com> wrote:
>> I would very much like to help with ideas and actions for making money. I
>> just joined AHA and don't want to see such an awesome group of people
>> struggle with money. Maybe we could start a separate email topic and/or
>> arrange a group meeting.
>> Lisa
>> On Oct 24, 2012, at 10:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus on
>> > something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid, working
>> > toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
>> > downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
>> > convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
>> > who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
>> > money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter to
>> > help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
>> > only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
>> > work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it, I
>> > will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
>> > More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
>> > stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
>> > become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is the
>> > ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
>> > people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
>> > membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make it
>> > pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly feedback
>> > surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
>> > time! How do we make AHA better?
>> > There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
>> > like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
>> > from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I think
>> > that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a problem
>> > is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
>> > something that will help us out.
>> > As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term is
>> > encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
>> > develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
>> > leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those ideas
>> > in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
>> > make things happen. I am ready!
>> > -- Nate Y.
>> > On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>> >> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you
>> can
>> >> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
>> >> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
>> favorite
>> >> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole. Your
>> >> hackerspace needs you!
>> >> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little
>> >> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
>> >> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
>> >> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
>> >> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before
>> they
>> >> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
>> >> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the
>> only
>> >> one fretting over such circumstances.
> --
> Dana Nelson
> *All Hands Active*
> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
-- Dana Nelson
*All Hands Active*
*AHAkids Class Coordinator*
Well, you learn something new every day! I didn't realize board meetings are open. Are they announced to ahashop_members with agenda and stuff?
Shift people do show new folks around but I think the rest of the point holds.
I think the noise issue cuts both ways (sometimes makers make noise, sometimes gamers do). Bigger-picture: people are both more considerate and more understanding when it comes to their friends, so we need to figure out ways to unify the two communities a bit more (acknowledging that some folks are in both communities already). Maybe this means having a makers-game night (even if it's less-gamery things like mario party), or figuring out what things gamers might want to make (3d printed game-related objects, lasered / printed trophies for tournaments, crazy hyper-modified peripherals, whatever).
> M.S.-
> Everyone can show up to board meetings. They are open to the public. Holding a seperate day never really panned out well in the past.
> Also, the people working shift are supposed to be greeting people and showing them around, giving AHA a more friendly appearance. If they aren't doing their job, tell them. You pay membership, you are their boss.
> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Okay, here's my answer. I agree with a lot of what the other say regarding outreach, accountability, etc.
> And before I start, I will warn that this may sound rant like. I am very passionate about this question, as I see it as an emergency that we need to be stepping up and doing something about NOW. Everyone that boasts to other people about how they are members, how they are part of the community, and yet only come down here on build nights to socialize, this question is for you. We are sinking, how are you helping to keep us afloat?
> I am working on developing curriculum and schedules for local schools to be able to come down to AHA for field trips. Theoretically, this could make us $150 for 3-4 hours of work during hours in which the space isn't being utilized. We already have a teacher interested, which could lead to a whole school, which could lead to about 5 classrooms. Once ideas are settled and implemented though, we could send this to other schools.
> Another plan, which I am working on a couple different options and will bring to the board as soon as we know who the new board is, if we are struggling to pay our bills, why do we still have so many free members working in exchange for a membership. While this is awesome that we do this, we can't really afford to. The members working behind the counter are an exception to this, I think, as it's extremely difficult to get people to work a shift. I work shift, and work a lot doing other things, and ya know what? I'm still paying my membership this month because I know that my community is suffering.
> One thing people are forgetting, 1/3 of our income is made up from the gaming portion of All Hands Active!!! Even with this fact, I continually hear comments about how "They're just gamers." and so on. It's no secret that over the past few years, the gaming side has gone down a bit, but I've heard and know people that have flat out said, "I stopped coming back to Ops because of the AHA people." We all need to be more respectful as far as noise go and need to make an effort to think about what they want from the organization.
> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Lisa Thierbach <lis...@me.com> wrote:
> I would very much like to help with ideas and actions for making money. I just joined AHA and don't want to see such an awesome group of people struggle with money. Maybe we could start a separate email topic and/or arrange a group meeting.
> Lisa
> On Oct 24, 2012, at 10:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus on
> > something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid, working
> > toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
> > downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
> > convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
> > who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
> > money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter to
> > help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
> > only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
> > work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it, I
> > will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
> > More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
> > stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
> > become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is the
> > ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
> > people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
> > membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make it
> > pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly feedback
> > surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
> > time! How do we make AHA better?
> > There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
> > like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
> > from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I think
> > that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a problem
> > is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
> > something that will help us out.
> > As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term is
> > encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
> > develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
> > leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those ideas
> > in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
> > make things happen. I am ready!
> > -- Nate Y.
> > On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
> >> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you can
> >> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
> >> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your favorite
> >> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole. Your
> >> hackerspace needs you!
> >> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little
> >> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
> >> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
> >> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
> >> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before they
> >> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
> >> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the only
> >> one fretting over such circumstances.
> -- > Dana Nelson
> All Hands Active
> AHAkids Class Coordinator
> -- > Dana Nelson
> All Hands Active
> AHAkids Class Coordinator
I'd like to point out that we can brainstorm and organize right here on the
interwebs with our wiki! We can use this to fully develop our ideas into
things we can actually execute.
I've made a wiki page and will fill out the details of my plans later. By
all means, everyone should feel free to question/debate/develop our plans
on this page.
michael.shvarts...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Well, you learn something new every day! I didn't realize board meetings
> are open. Are they announced to ahashop_members with agenda and stuff?
> Shift people do show new folks around but I think the rest of the point
> holds.
> I think the noise issue cuts both ways (sometimes makers make noise,
> sometimes gamers do). Bigger-picture: people are both more considerate and
> more understanding when it comes to their friends, so we need to figure out
> ways to unify the two communities a bit more (acknowledging that some folks
> are in both communities already). Maybe this means having a makers-game
> night (even if it's less-gamery things like mario party), or figuring out
> what things gamers might want to make (3d printed game-related objects,
> lasered / printed trophies for tournaments, crazy hyper-modified
> peripherals, whatever).
> Mike.
> On Oct 25, 2012, at 9:31 AM, Dana Nelson wrote:
> M.S.-
> Everyone can show up to board meetings. They are open to the public.
> Holding a seperate day never really panned out well in the past.
> Also, the people working shift are supposed to be greeting people and
> showing them around, giving AHA a more friendly appearance. If they aren't
> doing their job, tell them. You pay membership, you are their boss.
> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Okay, here's my answer. I agree with a lot of what the other
>> say regarding outreach, accountability, etc.
>> And before I start, I will warn that this may sound rant like. I am very
>> passionate about this question, as I see it as an emergency that we need to
>> be stepping up and doing something about NOW. Everyone that boasts to other
>> people about how they are members, how they are part of the community, and
>> yet only come down here on build nights to socialize, this question is for
>> you. We are sinking, how are you helping to keep us afloat?
>> I am working on developing curriculum and schedules for local schools to
>> be able to come down to AHA for field trips. Theoretically, this could make
>> us $150 for 3-4 hours of work during hours in which the space isn't being
>> utilized. We already have a teacher interested, which could lead to a whole
>> school, which could lead to about 5 classrooms. Once ideas are settled and
>> implemented though, we could send this to other schools.
>> Another plan, which I am working on a couple different options and will
>> bring to the board as soon as we know who the new board is, if we are
>> struggling to pay our bills, why do we still have so many free members
>> working in exchange for a membership. While this is awesome that we do
>> this, we can't really afford to. The members working behind the counter are
>> an exception to this, I think, as it's extremely difficult to get people to
>> work a shift. I work shift, and work a lot doing other things, and ya know
>> what? I'm still paying my membership this month because I know that my
>> community is suffering.
>> One thing people are forgetting, 1/3 of our income is made up from the
>> gaming portion of All Hands Active!!! Even with this fact,
>> I continually hear comments about how "They're just gamers." and so on.
>> It's no secret that over the past few years, the gaming side has gone down
>> a bit, but I've heard and know people that have flat out said, "I stopped
>> coming back to Ops because of the AHA people." We all need to be more
>> respectful as far as noise go and need to make an effort to think about
>> what they want from the organization.
>> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Lisa Thierbach <lis...@me.com> wrote:
>>> I would very much like to help with ideas and actions for making money.
>>> I just joined AHA and don't want to see such an awesome group of people
>>> struggle with money. Maybe we could start a separate email topic and/or
>>> arrange a group meeting.
>>> Lisa
>>> On Oct 24, 2012, at 10:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus
>>> on
>>> > something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid,
>>> working
>>> > toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
>>> > downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
>>> > convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
>>> > who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
>>> > money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter to
>>> > help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
>>> > only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
>>> > work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it, I
>>> > will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
>>> > More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
>>> > stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
>>> > become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is
>>> the
>>> > ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
>>> > people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
>>> > membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make it
>>> > pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly feedback
>>> > surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
>>> > time! How do we make AHA better?
>>> > There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
>>> > like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
>>> > from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I
>>> think
>>> > that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a problem
>>> > is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
>>> > something that will help us out.
>>> > As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term is
>>> > encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
>>> > develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
>>> > leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those ideas
>>> > in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
>>> > make things happen. I am ready!
>>> > -- Nate Y.
>>> > On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>>> >> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and
>>> you can
>>> >> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
>>> >> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
>>> favorite
>>> >> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole.
>>> Your
>>> >> hackerspace needs you!
>>> >> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our
>>> little
>>> >> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
>>> >> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
>>> >> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
>>> >> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before
>>> they
>>> >> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
>>> >> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the
>>> only
>>> >> one fretting over such circumstances.
>> --
>> Dana Nelson
>> *All Hands Active*
>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
> --
> Dana Nelson
> *All Hands Active*
> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
I'd also like to point out that there is limited value in simply making
points. Some excellent points have been made in this discussion, but we
need plans.
Therefore I suggest that everybody who is serious should get to it on
spelling out exactly what they want to do and even organizing materials on
the wiki. Talk is only useful when combined with swift and unrelenting
action.
On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 10:20 AM, Michael Grube <michael.gr...@gmail.com>wrote:
> I'd like to point out that we can brainstorm and organize right here on
> the interwebs with our wiki! We can use this to fully develop our ideas
> into things we can actually execute.
> I've made a wiki page and will fill out the details of my plans later. By
> all means, everyone should feel free to question/debate/develop our plans
> on this page.
> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:44 AM, Michael Shvartsman <
> michael.shvarts...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Well, you learn something new every day! I didn't realize board meetings
>> are open. Are they announced to ahashop_members with agenda and stuff?
>> Shift people do show new folks around but I think the rest of the point
>> holds.
>> I think the noise issue cuts both ways (sometimes makers make noise,
>> sometimes gamers do). Bigger-picture: people are both more considerate and
>> more understanding when it comes to their friends, so we need to figure out
>> ways to unify the two communities a bit more (acknowledging that some folks
>> are in both communities already). Maybe this means having a makers-game
>> night (even if it's less-gamery things like mario party), or figuring out
>> what things gamers might want to make (3d printed game-related objects,
>> lasered / printed trophies for tournaments, crazy hyper-modified
>> peripherals, whatever).
>> Mike.
>> On Oct 25, 2012, at 9:31 AM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>> M.S.-
>> Everyone can show up to board meetings. They are open to the public.
>> Holding a seperate day never really panned out well in the past.
>> Also, the people working shift are supposed to be greeting people and
>> showing them around, giving AHA a more friendly appearance. If they aren't
>> doing their job, tell them. You pay membership, you are their boss.
>> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Okay, here's my answer. I agree with a lot of what the other
>>> say regarding outreach, accountability, etc.
>>> And before I start, I will warn that this may sound rant like. I am very
>>> passionate about this question, as I see it as an emergency that we need to
>>> be stepping up and doing something about NOW. Everyone that boasts to other
>>> people about how they are members, how they are part of the community, and
>>> yet only come down here on build nights to socialize, this question is for
>>> you. We are sinking, how are you helping to keep us afloat?
>>> I am working on developing curriculum and schedules for local schools to
>>> be able to come down to AHA for field trips. Theoretically, this could make
>>> us $150 for 3-4 hours of work during hours in which the space isn't being
>>> utilized. We already have a teacher interested, which could lead to a whole
>>> school, which could lead to about 5 classrooms. Once ideas are settled and
>>> implemented though, we could send this to other schools.
>>> Another plan, which I am working on a couple different options and will
>>> bring to the board as soon as we know who the new board is, if we are
>>> struggling to pay our bills, why do we still have so many free members
>>> working in exchange for a membership. While this is awesome that we do
>>> this, we can't really afford to. The members working behind the counter are
>>> an exception to this, I think, as it's extremely difficult to get people to
>>> work a shift. I work shift, and work a lot doing other things, and ya know
>>> what? I'm still paying my membership this month because I know that my
>>> community is suffering.
>>> One thing people are forgetting, 1/3 of our income is made up from the
>>> gaming portion of All Hands Active!!! Even with this fact,
>>> I continually hear comments about how "They're just gamers." and so on.
>>> It's no secret that over the past few years, the gaming side has gone down
>>> a bit, but I've heard and know people that have flat out said, "I stopped
>>> coming back to Ops because of the AHA people." We all need to be more
>>> respectful as far as noise go and need to make an effort to think about
>>> what they want from the organization.
>>> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Lisa Thierbach <lis...@me.com> wrote:
>>>> I would very much like to help with ideas and actions for making money.
>>>> I just joined AHA and don't want to see such an awesome group of people
>>>> struggle with money. Maybe we could start a separate email topic and/or
>>>> arrange a group meeting.
>>>> Lisa
>>>> On Oct 24, 2012, at 10:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> > Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus
>>>> on
>>>> > something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid,
>>>> working
>>>> > toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
>>>> > downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
>>>> > convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
>>>> > who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
>>>> > money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter
>>>> to
>>>> > help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
>>>> > only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
>>>> > work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it,
>>>> I
>>>> > will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
>>>> > More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
>>>> > stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
>>>> > become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is
>>>> the
>>>> > ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
>>>> > people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
>>>> > membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make
>>>> it
>>>> > pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly
>>>> feedback
>>>> > surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
>>>> > time! How do we make AHA better?
>>>> > There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
>>>> > like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
>>>> > from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I
>>>> think
>>>> > that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a
>>>> problem
>>>> > is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
>>>> > something that will help us out.
>>>> > As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term
>>>> is
>>>> > encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
>>>> > develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
>>>> > leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those
>>>> ideas
>>>> > in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
>>>> > make things happen. I am ready!
>>>> > -- Nate Y.
>>>> > On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>>>> >> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and
>>>> you can
>>>> >> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
>>>> >> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
>>>> favorite
>>>> >> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole.
>>>> Your
>>>> >> hackerspace needs you!
>>>> >> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our
>>>> little
>>>> >> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
>>>> >> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
>>>> >> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA
>>>> members
>>>> >> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before
>>>> they
>>>> >> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
>>>> >> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the
>>>> only
>>>> >> one fretting over such circumstances.
>>> --
>>> Dana Nelson
>>> *All Hands Active*
>>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
>> --
>> Dana Nelson
>> *All Hands Active*
>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
I'm going to make it clear that I have not posted on our wiki page due to
the fact that I hate wiki's layout for text. All of my contributions will
look like garbage and garbage will be my signature.
On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 10:24 AM, Michael Grube <michael.gr...@gmail.com>wrote:
> I'd also like to point out that there is limited value in simply making
> points. Some excellent points have been made in this discussion, but we
> need plans.
> Therefore I suggest that everybody who is serious should get to it on
> spelling out exactly what they want to do and even organizing materials on
> the wiki. Talk is only useful when combined with swift and unrelenting
> action.
> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 10:20 AM, Michael Grube <michael.gr...@gmail.com>wrote:
>> I'd like to point out that we can brainstorm and organize right here on
>> the interwebs with our wiki! We can use this to fully develop our ideas
>> into things we can actually execute.
>> I've made a wiki page and will fill out the details of my plans later. By
>> all means, everyone should feel free to question/debate/develop our plans
>> on this page.
>> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:44 AM, Michael Shvartsman <
>> michael.shvarts...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Well, you learn something new every day! I didn't realize board meetings
>>> are open. Are they announced to ahashop_members with agenda and stuff?
>>> Shift people do show new folks around but I think the rest of the point
>>> holds.
>>> I think the noise issue cuts both ways (sometimes makers make noise,
>>> sometimes gamers do). Bigger-picture: people are both more considerate and
>>> more understanding when it comes to their friends, so we need to figure out
>>> ways to unify the two communities a bit more (acknowledging that some folks
>>> are in both communities already). Maybe this means having a makers-game
>>> night (even if it's less-gamery things like mario party), or figuring out
>>> what things gamers might want to make (3d printed game-related objects,
>>> lasered / printed trophies for tournaments, crazy hyper-modified
>>> peripherals, whatever).
>>> Mike.
>>> On Oct 25, 2012, at 9:31 AM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>>> M.S.-
>>> Everyone can show up to board meetings. They are open to the public.
>>> Holding a seperate day never really panned out well in the past.
>>> Also, the people working shift are supposed to be greeting people and
>>> showing them around, giving AHA a more friendly appearance. If they aren't
>>> doing their job, tell them. You pay membership, you are their boss.
>>> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com>wrote:
>>>> Okay, here's my answer. I agree with a lot of what the other
>>>> say regarding outreach, accountability, etc.
>>>> And before I start, I will warn that this may sound rant like. I am
>>>> very passionate about this question, as I see it as an emergency that we
>>>> need to be stepping up and doing something about NOW. Everyone that boasts
>>>> to other people about how they are members, how they are part of the
>>>> community, and yet only come down here on build nights to socialize, this
>>>> question is for you. We are sinking, how are you helping to keep us afloat?
>>>> I am working on developing curriculum and schedules for local schools
>>>> to be able to come down to AHA for field trips. Theoretically, this could
>>>> make us $150 for 3-4 hours of work during hours in which the space isn't
>>>> being utilized. We already have a teacher interested, which could lead to a
>>>> whole school, which could lead to about 5 classrooms. Once ideas are
>>>> settled and implemented though, we could send this to other schools.
>>>> Another plan, which I am working on a couple different options and will
>>>> bring to the board as soon as we know who the new board is, if we are
>>>> struggling to pay our bills, why do we still have so many free members
>>>> working in exchange for a membership. While this is awesome that we do
>>>> this, we can't really afford to. The members working behind the counter are
>>>> an exception to this, I think, as it's extremely difficult to get people to
>>>> work a shift. I work shift, and work a lot doing other things, and ya know
>>>> what? I'm still paying my membership this month because I know that my
>>>> community is suffering.
>>>> One thing people are forgetting, 1/3 of our income is made up from the
>>>> gaming portion of All Hands Active!!! Even with this fact,
>>>> I continually hear comments about how "They're just gamers." and so on.
>>>> It's no secret that over the past few years, the gaming side has gone down
>>>> a bit, but I've heard and know people that have flat out said, "I stopped
>>>> coming back to Ops because of the AHA people." We all need to be more
>>>> respectful as far as noise go and need to make an effort to think about
>>>> what they want from the organization.
>>>> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Lisa Thierbach <lis...@me.com> wrote:
>>>>> I would very much like to help with ideas and actions for making
>>>>> money. I just joined AHA and don't want to see such an awesome group of
>>>>> people struggle with money. Maybe we could start a separate email topic
>>>>> and/or arrange a group meeting.
>>>>> Lisa
>>>>> On Oct 24, 2012, at 10:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> > Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to
>>>>> focus on
>>>>> > something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid,
>>>>> working
>>>>> > toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
>>>>> > downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and
>>>>> a
>>>>> > convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the
>>>>> area
>>>>> > who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
>>>>> > money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter
>>>>> to
>>>>> > help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
>>>>> > only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
>>>>> > work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to
>>>>> it, I
>>>>> > will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
>>>>> > More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
>>>>> > stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
>>>>> > become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is
>>>>> the
>>>>> > ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to
>>>>> offer
>>>>> > people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
>>>>> > membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make
>>>>> it
>>>>> > pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly
>>>>> feedback
>>>>> > surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
>>>>> > time! How do we make AHA better?
>>>>> > There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would
>>>>> also
>>>>> > like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
>>>>> > from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I
>>>>> think
>>>>> > that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a
>>>>> problem
>>>>> > is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
>>>>> > something that will help us out.
>>>>> > As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term
>>>>> is
>>>>> > encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
>>>>> > develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
>>>>> > leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those
>>>>> ideas
>>>>> > in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
>>>>> > make things happen. I am ready!
>>>>> > -- Nate Y.
>>>>> > On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>>>>> >> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and
>>>>> you can
>>>>> >> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
>>>>> >> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
>>>>> favorite
>>>>> >> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole.
>>>>> Your
>>>>> >> hackerspace needs you!
>>>>> >> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our
>>>>> little
>>>>> >> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward,
>>>>> you
>>>>> >> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
>>>>> >> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA
>>>>> members
>>>>> >> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before
>>>>> they
>>>>> >> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
>>>>> >> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be
>>>>> the only
>>>>> >> one fretting over such circumstances.
>>>> --
>>>> Dana Nelson
>>>> *All Hands Active*
>>>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
>>> --
>>> Dana Nelson
>>> *All Hands Active*
>>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
-- Dana Nelson
*All Hands Active*
*AHAkids Class Coordinator*
On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 10:30 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm going to make it clear that I have not posted on our wiki page due to
> the fact that I hate wiki's layout for text. All of my contributions will
> look like garbage and garbage will be my signature.
> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 10:24 AM, Michael Grube <michael.gr...@gmail.com>wrote:
>> I'd also like to point out that there is limited value in simply making
>> points. Some excellent points have been made in this discussion, but we
>> need plans.
>> Therefore I suggest that everybody who is serious should get to it on
>> spelling out exactly what they want to do and even organizing materials on
>> the wiki. Talk is only useful when combined with swift and unrelenting
>> action.
>> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 10:20 AM, Michael Grube <michael.gr...@gmail.com>wrote:
>>> I'd like to point out that we can brainstorm and organize right here on
>>> the interwebs with our wiki! We can use this to fully develop our ideas
>>> into things we can actually execute.
>>> I've made a wiki page and will fill out the details of my plans later.
>>> By all means, everyone should feel free to question/debate/develop our
>>> plans on this page.
>>> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:44 AM, Michael Shvartsman <
>>> michael.shvarts...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Well, you learn something new every day! I didn't realize board
>>>> meetings are open. Are they announced to ahashop_members with agenda and
>>>> stuff?
>>>> Shift people do show new folks around but I think the rest of the point
>>>> holds.
>>>> I think the noise issue cuts both ways (sometimes makers make noise,
>>>> sometimes gamers do). Bigger-picture: people are both more considerate and
>>>> more understanding when it comes to their friends, so we need to figure out
>>>> ways to unify the two communities a bit more (acknowledging that some folks
>>>> are in both communities already). Maybe this means having a makers-game
>>>> night (even if it's less-gamery things like mario party), or figuring out
>>>> what things gamers might want to make (3d printed game-related objects,
>>>> lasered / printed trophies for tournaments, crazy hyper-modified
>>>> peripherals, whatever).
>>>> Mike.
>>>> On Oct 25, 2012, at 9:31 AM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>>>> M.S.-
>>>> Everyone can show up to board meetings. They are open to the public.
>>>> Holding a seperate day never really panned out well in the past.
>>>> Also, the people working shift are supposed to be greeting people and
>>>> showing them around, giving AHA a more friendly appearance. If they aren't
>>>> doing their job, tell them. You pay membership, you are their boss.
>>>> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>> Okay, here's my answer. I agree with a lot of what the other
>>>>> say regarding outreach, accountability, etc.
>>>>> And before I start, I will warn that this may sound rant like. I am
>>>>> very passionate about this question, as I see it as an emergency that we
>>>>> need to be stepping up and doing something about NOW. Everyone that boasts
>>>>> to other people about how they are members, how they are part of the
>>>>> community, and yet only come down here on build nights to socialize, this
>>>>> question is for you. We are sinking, how are you helping to keep us afloat?
>>>>> I am working on developing curriculum and schedules for local schools
>>>>> to be able to come down to AHA for field trips. Theoretically, this could
>>>>> make us $150 for 3-4 hours of work during hours in which the space isn't
>>>>> being utilized. We already have a teacher interested, which could lead to a
>>>>> whole school, which could lead to about 5 classrooms. Once ideas are
>>>>> settled and implemented though, we could send this to other schools.
>>>>> Another plan, which I am working on a couple different options and
>>>>> will bring to the board as soon as we know who the new board is, if we are
>>>>> struggling to pay our bills, why do we still have so many free members
>>>>> working in exchange for a membership. While this is awesome that we do
>>>>> this, we can't really afford to. The members working behind the counter are
>>>>> an exception to this, I think, as it's extremely difficult to get people to
>>>>> work a shift. I work shift, and work a lot doing other things, and ya know
>>>>> what? I'm still paying my membership this month because I know that my
>>>>> community is suffering.
>>>>> One thing people are forgetting, 1/3 of our income is made up from the
>>>>> gaming portion of All Hands Active!!! Even with this fact,
>>>>> I continually hear comments about how "They're just gamers." and so on.
>>>>> It's no secret that over the past few years, the gaming side has gone down
>>>>> a bit, but I've heard and know people that have flat out said, "I stopped
>>>>> coming back to Ops because of the AHA people." We all need to be more
>>>>> respectful as far as noise go and need to make an effort to think about
>>>>> what they want from the organization.
>>>>> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Lisa Thierbach <lis...@me.com>wrote:
>>>>>> I would very much like to help with ideas and actions for making
>>>>>> money. I just joined AHA and don't want to see such an awesome group of
>>>>>> people struggle with money. Maybe we could start a separate email topic
>>>>>> and/or arrange a group meeting.
>>>>>> Lisa
>>>>>> On Oct 24, 2012, at 10:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> > Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to
>>>>>> focus on
>>>>>> > something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid,
>>>>>> working
>>>>>> > toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> > downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards
>>>>>> and a
>>>>>> > convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the
>>>>>> area
>>>>>> > who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
>>>>>> > money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a
>>>>>> Kickstarter to
>>>>>> > help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
>>>>>> > only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> > work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to
>>>>>> it, I
>>>>>> > will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
>>>>>> > More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
>>>>>> > stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
>>>>>> > become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient
>>>>>> is the
>>>>>> > ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to
>>>>>> offer
>>>>>> > people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have
>>>>>> record
>>>>>> > membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and
>>>>>> make it
>>>>>> > pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly
>>>>>> feedback
>>>>>> > surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very
>>>>>> long
>>>>>> > time! How do we make AHA better?
>>>>>> > There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would
>>>>>> also
>>>>>> > like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear
>>>>>> more
>>>>>> > from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I
>>>>>> think
>>>>>> > that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a
>>>>>> problem
>>>>>> > is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
>>>>>> > something that will help us out.
>>>>>> > As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this
>>>>>> term is
>>>>>> > encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
>>>>>> > develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
>>>>>> > leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those
>>>>>> ideas
>>>>>> > in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> > make things happen. I am ready!
>>>>>> > -- Nate Y.
>>>>>> > On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>>>>>> >> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and
>>>>>> you can
>>>>>> >> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
>>>>>> >> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
>>>>>> favorite
>>>>>> >> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole.
>>>>>> Your
>>>>>> >> hackerspace needs you!
>>>>>> >> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our
>>>>>> little
>>>>>> >> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward,
>>>>>> you
>>>>>> >> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
>>>>>> >> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA
>>>>>> members
>>>>>> >> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions
>>>>>> before they
>>>>>> >> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
>>>>>> >> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be
>>>>>> the only
>>>>>> >> one fretting over such circumstances.
>>>>> --
>>>>> Dana Nelson
>>>>> *All Hands Active*
>>>>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
>>>> --
>>>> Dana Nelson
>>>> *All Hands Active*
>>>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
> --
> Dana Nelson
> *All Hands Active*
> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
As others have said, I think that it is imperative that AHA talks about
itself to the local businesses, people, and orgs. In order to rectify
the budget shortage, I propose the following solution:
- Get proactive about membership dues
This is a tricky subject since we want everybody to be able to use
the space, but at the same time, we want dues paying members. I propose
an electronic sign-in form that asks for basic information. Then when a
particular name appears X number of times, we start talking to that
person about becoming a member.
The flip-side of this, is that having a new member is all well and
good, but we need members to pay their dues (and pay on time). In order
to achieve this, I think that we need to send out a reminder email
before dues are due (much like a credit card company). In this email,
there is a list of every class/activity that that person attended in
the month coming to a close and upcoming classes that may interest that
person based on their history. This would reiterate the value of AHA to
that person. (Grube, want to hack on this with me?)
- Beat the pavement for corporate sponsors
I am not sure what the non-profit status is of AHA, but regardless,
I propose coming up with a semi-standard pitch about what AHA is/does,
and giving this pitch to local business (especially tech businesses).
Ann Arbor is rife with tech companies that donate various things to orgs
like ours, and I think that this is where AHA can really excel. We
provide such a unique set of opportunities for the community, and we
should capitalize on that uniqueness.
Like others have said, we need to be more proactive about getting the
word out about AHA and what we are doing. Not only would this be
enlightening to the greater community, but even to members.
> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you
> can treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
> favorite hackerspace */_MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT_/* as we are still in
> the hole. Your hackerspace needs you!
> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our
> little community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace
> forward, you should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before
> they vote tomorrow during Build Night!
> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the
> only one fretting over such circumstances.
> -- > Dana Nelson
> /All Hands Active/
> /AHAkids Class Coordinator/
-- "The evil of the world is made possible only by the sanction you give it."
As others have said, I think that it is imperative that AHA talks about itself to the local businesses, people, and orgs. In order to rectify the budget shortage, I propose the following solution:
- Get proactive about membership dues
This is a tricky subject since we want everybody to be able to use the space, but at the same time, we want dues paying members. I propose an electronic sign-in form that asks for basic information. Then when a particular name appears X number of times, we start talking to that person about becoming a member.
The flip-side of this, is that having a new member is all well and good, but we need members to pay their dues (and pay on time). In order to achieve this, I think that we need to send out a reminder email before dues are due (much like a credit card company). In this email, there is a list of every class/activity that that person attended in the month coming to a close and upcoming classes that may interest that person based on their history. This would reiterate the value of AHA to that person. (Grube, want to hack on this with me?)
- Beat the pavement for corporate sponsors
I am not sure what the non-profit status is of AHA, but regardless, I propose coming up with a semi-standard pitch about what AHA is/does, and giving this pitch to local business (especially tech businesses). Ann Arbor is rife with tech companies that donate various things to orgs like ours, and I think that this is where AHA can really excel. We provide such a unique set of opportunities for the community, and we should capitalize on that uniqueness.
Like others have said, we need to be more proactive about getting the word out about AHA and what we are doing. Not only would this be enlightening to the greater community, but even to members.
On Wednesday, October 24, 2012 7:46:25 PM UTC-4, Dana Nelson wrote:
> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you can > treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your > favorite hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the > hole. Your hackerspace needs you!
> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little > community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you > should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members > would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before they > vote tomorrow during Build Night!
> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the only > one fretting over such circumstances.
> -- > Dana Nelson
> *All Hands Active*
> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
> I realize I've only been a member for a couple of months, and probably
> don't understand much about AHA yet, but I've got some thoughts.
> I have some ideas on what could make the "showing people around" thing
> work a bit better based on my observations. I don't think it helps that the
> sexist maker equipment is hidden in the back. I think the people working
> behind the counter need some more tools and guidance to get the excitement
> up.
> BTW, no excuse for showing disrespect for anyone. Better not do that
> around me or I'll pull the mom card on you.
> Lisa
> On Oct 25, 2012, at 9:31 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> M.S.-
> Everyone can show up to board meetings. They are open to the public.
> Holding a seperate day never really panned out well in the past.
> Also, the people working shift are supposed to be greeting people and
> showing them around, giving AHA a more friendly appearance. If they aren't
> doing their job, tell them. You pay membership, you are their boss.
> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Okay, here's my answer. I agree with a lot of what the other
>> say regarding outreach, accountability, etc.
>> And before I start, I will warn that this may sound rant like. I am very
>> passionate about this question, as I see it as an emergency that we need to
>> be stepping up and doing something about NOW. Everyone that boasts to other
>> people about how they are members, how they are part of the community, and
>> yet only come down here on build nights to socialize, this question is for
>> you. We are sinking, how are you helping to keep us afloat?
>> I am working on developing curriculum and schedules for local schools to
>> be able to come down to AHA for field trips. Theoretically, this could make
>> us $150 for 3-4 hours of work during hours in which the space isn't being
>> utilized. We already have a teacher interested, which could lead to a whole
>> school, which could lead to about 5 classrooms. Once ideas are settled and
>> implemented though, we could send this to other schools.
>> Another plan, which I am working on a couple different options and will
>> bring to the board as soon as we know who the new board is, if we are
>> struggling to pay our bills, why do we still have so many free members
>> working in exchange for a membership. While this is awesome that we do
>> this, we can't really afford to. The members working behind the counter are
>> an exception to this, I think, as it's extremely difficult to get people to
>> work a shift. I work shift, and work a lot doing other things, and ya know
>> what? I'm still paying my membership this month because I know that my
>> community is suffering.
>> One thing people are forgetting, 1/3 of our income is made up from the
>> gaming portion of All Hands Active!!! Even with this fact,
>> I continually hear comments about how "They're just gamers." and so on.
>> It's no secret that over the past few years, the gaming side has gone down
>> a bit, but I've heard and know people that have flat out said, "I stopped
>> coming back to Ops because of the AHA people." We all need to be more
>> respectful as far as noise go and need to make an effort to think about
>> what they want from the organization.
>> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Lisa Thierbach <lis...@me.com> wrote:
>>> I would very much like to help with ideas and actions for making money.
>>> I just joined AHA and don't want to see such an awesome group of people
>>> struggle with money. Maybe we could start a separate email topic and/or
>>> arrange a group meeting.
>>> Lisa
>>> On Oct 24, 2012, at 10:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus
>>> on
>>> > something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid,
>>> working
>>> > toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
>>> > downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
>>> > convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
>>> > who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
>>> > money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter to
>>> > help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
>>> > only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
>>> > work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it, I
>>> > will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
>>> > More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
>>> > stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
>>> > become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is
>>> the
>>> > ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
>>> > people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
>>> > membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make it
>>> > pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly feedback
>>> > surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
>>> > time! How do we make AHA better?
>>> > There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
>>> > like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
>>> > from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I
>>> think
>>> > that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a problem
>>> > is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
>>> > something that will help us out.
>>> > As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term is
>>> > encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
>>> > develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
>>> > leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those ideas
>>> > in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
>>> > make things happen. I am ready!
>>> > -- Nate Y.
>>> > On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>>> >> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and
>>> you can
>>> >> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
>>> >> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
>>> favorite
>>> >> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole.
>>> Your
>>> >> hackerspace needs you!
>>> >> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our
>>> little
>>> >> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
>>> >> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
>>> >> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
>>> >> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before
>>> they
>>> >> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
>>> >> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the
>>> only
>>> >> one fretting over such circumstances.
>> --
>> Dana Nelson
>> *All Hands Active*
>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
> --
> Dana Nelson
> *All Hands Active*
> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
Ok, cool. Part of that is due to noise it produces and the disruptions it
would cause to gamers and others trying to focus. They get loud :)
On Oct 25, 2012 2:05 PM, "Lisa Thierbach" <lisa.thierb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> LOL. I'm showing my age. When I was in school, the boys all took shop and
> the girls took home economics. I enjoyed learning to sew, but cooking was
> never really my thing (just ask my family). Of course, I might have made a
> word choice error and meant to say "sexier," but since I'm a part time
> writer, that just couldn't be the case.
> Lisa
> On Oct 25, 2012, at 2:00 PM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Sexist maker equipment? Did something happen and I don't know about it?
> On Oct 25, 2012 1:58 PM, "Lisa Thierbach" <lisa.thierb...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> I realize I've only been a member for a couple of months, and probably
>> don't understand much about AHA yet, but I've got some thoughts.
>> I have some ideas on what could make the "showing people around" thing
>> work a bit better based on my observations. I don't think it helps that the
>> sexist maker equipment is hidden in the back. I think the people working
>> behind the counter need some more tools and guidance to get the excitement
>> up.
>> BTW, no excuse for showing disrespect for anyone. Better not do that
>> around me or I'll pull the mom card on you.
>> Lisa
>> On Oct 25, 2012, at 9:31 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> M.S.-
>> Everyone can show up to board meetings. They are open to the public.
>> Holding a seperate day never really panned out well in the past.
>> Also, the people working shift are supposed to be greeting people and
>> showing them around, giving AHA a more friendly appearance. If they aren't
>> doing their job, tell them. You pay membership, you are their boss.
>> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Okay, here's my answer. I agree with a lot of what the other
>>> say regarding outreach, accountability, etc.
>>> And before I start, I will warn that this may sound rant like. I am very
>>> passionate about this question, as I see it as an emergency that we need to
>>> be stepping up and doing something about NOW. Everyone that boasts to other
>>> people about how they are members, how they are part of the community, and
>>> yet only come down here on build nights to socialize, this question is for
>>> you. We are sinking, how are you helping to keep us afloat?
>>> I am working on developing curriculum and schedules for local schools to
>>> be able to come down to AHA for field trips. Theoretically, this could make
>>> us $150 for 3-4 hours of work during hours in which the space isn't being
>>> utilized. We already have a teacher interested, which could lead to a whole
>>> school, which could lead to about 5 classrooms. Once ideas are settled and
>>> implemented though, we could send this to other schools.
>>> Another plan, which I am working on a couple different options and will
>>> bring to the board as soon as we know who the new board is, if we are
>>> struggling to pay our bills, why do we still have so many free members
>>> working in exchange for a membership. While this is awesome that we do
>>> this, we can't really afford to. The members working behind the counter are
>>> an exception to this, I think, as it's extremely difficult to get people to
>>> work a shift. I work shift, and work a lot doing other things, and ya know
>>> what? I'm still paying my membership this month because I know that my
>>> community is suffering.
>>> One thing people are forgetting, 1/3 of our income is made up from the
>>> gaming portion of All Hands Active!!! Even with this fact,
>>> I continually hear comments about how "They're just gamers." and so on.
>>> It's no secret that over the past few years, the gaming side has gone down
>>> a bit, but I've heard and know people that have flat out said, "I stopped
>>> coming back to Ops because of the AHA people." We all need to be more
>>> respectful as far as noise go and need to make an effort to think about
>>> what they want from the organization.
>>> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Lisa Thierbach <lis...@me.com> wrote:
>>>> I would very much like to help with ideas and actions for making money.
>>>> I just joined AHA and don't want to see such an awesome group of people
>>>> struggle with money. Maybe we could start a separate email topic and/or
>>>> arrange a group meeting.
>>>> Lisa
>>>> On Oct 24, 2012, at 10:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> > Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus
>>>> on
>>>> > something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid,
>>>> working
>>>> > toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
>>>> > downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
>>>> > convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
>>>> > who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
>>>> > money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter
>>>> to
>>>> > help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
>>>> > only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
>>>> > work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it,
>>>> I
>>>> > will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
>>>> > More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
>>>> > stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
>>>> > become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is
>>>> the
>>>> > ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
>>>> > people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
>>>> > membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make
>>>> it
>>>> > pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly
>>>> feedback
>>>> > surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
>>>> > time! How do we make AHA better?
>>>> > There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
>>>> > like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
>>>> > from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I
>>>> think
>>>> > that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a
>>>> problem
>>>> > is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
>>>> > something that will help us out.
>>>> > As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term
>>>> is
>>>> > encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
>>>> > develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
>>>> > leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those
>>>> ideas
>>>> > in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
>>>> > make things happen. I am ready!
>>>> > -- Nate Y.
>>>> > On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>>>> >> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and
>>>> you can
>>>> >> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
>>>> >> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your
>>>> favorite
>>>> >> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole.
>>>> Your
>>>> >> hackerspace needs you!
>>>> >> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our
>>>> little
>>>> >> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
>>>> >> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
>>>> >> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA
>>>> members
>>>> >> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before
>>>> they
>>>> >> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
>>>> >> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the
>>>> only
>>>> >> one fretting over such circumstances.
>>> --
>>> Dana Nelson
>>> *All Hands Active*
>>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
>> --
>> Dana Nelson
>> *All Hands Active*
>> *AHAkids Class Coordinator*
Actually. We have webcams everywhere, a UStream account, and a monitor on the front door. Can we stream sexy CNC/3d printing / lasering / whatever else is going on to the front door monitor and somewhere prominent on the website whenever possible?
> Ok, cool. Part of that is due to noise it produces and the disruptions it would cause to gamers and others trying to focus. They get loud :)
> On Oct 25, 2012 2:05 PM, "Lisa Thierbach" <lisa.thierb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> LOL. I'm showing my age. When I was in school, the boys all took shop and the girls took home economics. I enjoyed learning to sew, but cooking was never really my thing (just ask my family). Of course, I might have made a word choice error and meant to say "sexier," but since I'm a part time writer, that just couldn't be the case.
> Lisa
> On Oct 25, 2012, at 2:00 PM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Sexist maker equipment? Did something happen and I don't know about it?
>> On Oct 25, 2012 1:58 PM, "Lisa Thierbach" <lisa.thierb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I realize I've only been a member for a couple of months, and probably don't understand much about AHA yet, but I've got some thoughts.
>> I have some ideas on what could make the "showing people around" thing work a bit better based on my observations. I don't think it helps that the sexist maker equipment is hidden in the back. I think the people working behind the counter need some more tools and guidance to get the excitement up.
>> BTW, no excuse for showing disrespect for anyone. Better not do that around me or I'll pull the mom card on you.
>> Lisa
>> On Oct 25, 2012, at 9:31 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> M.S.-
>>> Everyone can show up to board meetings. They are open to the public. Holding a seperate day never really panned out well in the past.
>>> Also, the people working shift are supposed to be greeting people and showing them around, giving AHA a more friendly appearance. If they aren't doing their job, tell them. You pay membership, you are their boss.
>>> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:29 AM, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Okay, here's my answer. I agree with a lot of what the other say regarding outreach, accountability, etc.
>>> And before I start, I will warn that this may sound rant like. I am very passionate about this question, as I see it as an emergency that we need to be stepping up and doing something about NOW. Everyone that boasts to other people about how they are members, how they are part of the community, and yet only come down here on build nights to socialize, this question is for you. We are sinking, how are you helping to keep us afloat?
>>> I am working on developing curriculum and schedules for local schools to be able to come down to AHA for field trips. Theoretically, this could make us $150 for 3-4 hours of work during hours in which the space isn't being utilized. We already have a teacher interested, which could lead to a whole school, which could lead to about 5 classrooms. Once ideas are settled and implemented though, we could send this to other schools.
>>> Another plan, which I am working on a couple different options and will bring to the board as soon as we know who the new board is, if we are struggling to pay our bills, why do we still have so many free members working in exchange for a membership. While this is awesome that we do this, we can't really afford to. The members working behind the counter are an exception to this, I think, as it's extremely difficult to get people to work a shift. I work shift, and work a lot doing other things, and ya know what? I'm still paying my membership this month because I know that my community is suffering.
>>> One thing people are forgetting, 1/3 of our income is made up from the gaming portion of All Hands Active!!! Even with this fact, I continually hear comments about how "They're just gamers." and so on. It's no secret that over the past few years, the gaming side has gone down a bit, but I've heard and know people that have flat out said, "I stopped coming back to Ops because of the AHA people." We all need to be more respectful as far as noise go and need to make an effort to think about what they want from the organization.
>>> On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, Lisa Thierbach <lis...@me.com> wrote:
>>> I would very much like to help with ideas and actions for making money. I just joined AHA and don't want to see such an awesome group of people struggle with money. Maybe we could start a separate email topic and/or arrange a group meeting.
>>> Lisa
>>> On Oct 24, 2012, at 10:00 PM, N Y <nymis...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > Good question! We have a very small window here, so I wanted to focus on
>>> > something getting us some funds quickly, then when we are solid, working
>>> > toward future alliances. My idea is to take a few days to canvas the
>>> > downtown area (and perhaps beyond) with some nice business cards and a
>>> > convincing pitch. I would like to meet with organizations in the area
>>> > who might be sympathetic to our cause, and who could donate a bit of
>>> > money to our cause. Another short-term idea is to run a Kickstarter to
>>> > help supplement any donations we might get from the first idea. The
>>> > only "drawback" there is that we will need a small, dedicated team to
>>> > work on spreading the word and making gifts. If it comes down to it, I
>>> > will personally invest the money needed to help make these gifts.
>>> > More in the big picture (but we can start now), I would like to
>>> > stimulate our own membership by investigating what it will take to
>>> > become self-sufficient through dues alone. Being self-sufficient is the
>>> > ultimate goal, since donors can eventually burn out. We need to offer
>>> > people a great reason to give us $20-$50 every month. We have record
>>> > membership, so what can we do to ensure we hold that trend, and make it
>>> > pay the bills? To that end, I would like to organize quarterly feedback
>>> > surveys. We have not polled the membership as a whole in a very long
>>> > time! How do we make AHA better?
>>> > There are a few other ideas I can bring to the table, but I would also
>>> > like to see what other people have in mind (and I'd like to hear more
>>> > from everyone who can read this, not just nominees/directors!). I think
>>> > that the joy of having a group of committed people working on a problem
>>> > is that we can bounce around all these ideas and polish them up into
>>> > something that will help us out.
>>> > As an aside: another thing I really would want to focus on this term is
>>> > encouraging all directors (and that certainly would include me!) to
>>> > develop their ability to follow through. It is imperative for AHA's
>>> > leaders to not only come up with ideas, but also to execute those ideas
>>> > in a timely fashion -- even if it means coordinating a larger team to
>>> > make things happen. I am ready!
>>> > -- Nate Y.
>>> > On 10/24/2012 07:46 PM, Dana Nelson wrote:
>>> >> So out of curiousity, because this is a MAJOR issue right now, and you can
>>> >> treat it as a debate style question if you wish:
>>> >> If you are elected to the AHA board, what will you do to help your favorite
>>> >> hackerspace *MAKE IT'S DECEMBER RENT* as we are still in the hole. Your
>>> >> hackerspace needs you!
>>> >> I think this is just as important as the national deficit in our little
>>> >> community, and if you wish to help guide the hackerspace forward, you
>>> >> should be helping with it being able to pay it's bills.
>>> >> As for me asking this in an open forum, I think all of the AHA members
>>> >> would be interested to know your amazing plans or intentions before they
>>> >> vote tomorrow during Build Night!
>>> >> So, get to it candidates, I'll share mine when I know I won't be the only
>>> >> one fretting over such circumstances.
>>> -- >>> Dana Nelson
>>> All Hands Active
>>> AHAkids Class Coordinator
>>> -- >>> Dana Nelson
>>> All Hands Active
>>> AHAkids Class Coordinator
