Improving the Connected Community HackerSpace

[andyg (geekscape)]

hi All,

Thanks for coming along on Saturday and creating an enjoyable first
meeting.

I've started the Google Group and put up some proposed thoughts for
meeting/session dates and hoping that you'll edit them, especially
adding ideas for things to do, whether you'll attend or not, etc.

I've already received email from a couple of people with feedback
regarding the first meeting (some positive and some pointing out areas
for improvement ... which is good too).

Since only you can say what worked and didn't work for you (and how to
make it better) ... please contribute to this discussion.

I've suggested that the next big HackerSpaces meeting may be over the
whole weekend of Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th of May 2009. With
short sessions each Tuesday evening (if there is interest) in
preparation for an even better meeting next time.

Some possible feedback topics ...
- Planning: What will happen ? What to bring ? How to prepare ?
- Timing: When and often should we meet ?
- Comfort:: Desks, chairs, food, drink, heat (or lack of) !
- Environment: Power, networking, lighting.
- Equipment / tools: Vital missing pieces ? Quantity ?
- Communication: How to self-organize before and during the
HackerSpace ?
- Outreach: At what stage should more members be encouraged ? How to
deal with that ?
- Future: Longer-term planning and funding for a work-shop and better
equipment ?
- What worked best ?
- What was worst ?

My personal goal is to see people building and creating more (either
hardware, software or both) ... and that we start to see collaboration
between people who wouldn't normally get a chance to interact. For
example, getting software guys who are just starting out with Arduinos
to get some devices working and interacting with Sam Sabey's web
service API. Also, for people with common interests in say, home
automation or vehicles or rockets to look for areas of commonality and
work towards builds parts (maybe away from the HackerSpace) that they
could then integrate (hopefully, at the HackerSpace).

Note: I've also created a Flickr Group for adding your photos:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/connected-community-hackerspace

cheers - andyg -

[andyg (geekscape)]

The Toronto HackerSpace (HackLabTO) have really got their act
together. I encourage everyone to read these links and consider how
we can take our HackerSpace to the next level.

Creating the Toronto HackerSpace (HackLabTO)
http://hypatia.ca/2009/03/hacklabto-ignite-at-democampto19

About HackLabTO membership
http://hacklab.to/membership

On incorporating the HackLabTO HackerSpace
http://hacklab.to/archives/on-incorporating-a-hacker-space

And, if you have lots of time, there are some (not all !) discussions
on the Sydney HackerSpace discussion list worth reading ... regarding
their search for a HackerSpace location and incorporation ...
http://groups.google.com/group/sydney-hackspace

Personally, I think that looking for a location as part of an existing
community group (who has real estate), rather than a regular (and
expensive) commercial property lease ... would have several
advantages.

I'd hope that we'll find a time during the next big HackerSpace
weekend (23rd / 24th May), for *everyone* to discuss, plan and work on
getting our HackerSpace more established.

[andyg (geekscape)]

The Edmonton HackerSpace (aka Yegspace) have been maintaining a
scratchpad of ideas and meeting meetings ... as they have been
discussing how to start-up their HackerSpace, over the last week ...

http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Yegspace

... it's worth having a quick read.

The Calgary ProtoSpace is only a call-to-action at the moment, but
@ultramegaman has listed some interesting project areas ...

http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Protospace