Archiv:About Metalab: Unterschied zwischen den Versionen
Enki (Diskussion | Beiträge) |
|||
| Zeile 26: | Zeile 26: | ||
=== What are some obstacles that you had to overcome at the beginning of your hackerspace when you were just getting started? === | === What are some obstacles that you had to overcome at the beginning of your hackerspace when you were just getting started? === | ||
* '''Critical mass:''' Many people think, everything that does not exist yet is impossible. In an important early meeting, in which we decided to rent the room, we were about 30-40 people. Without this crowd, establishing the hackerspace would have been very risky, financially. | * '''Critical mass:''' Many people think, everything that does not exist yet is impossible. When we started there were two of us. In an important early meeting, in which we decided to rent the room, we were about 30-40 people. Without this crowd, establishing the hackerspace would have been very risky, financially. Getting an initial crowd and convincing them, that indeed it is possible was very hard. | ||
* '''Basics, scouting:''' It can take a long time to establish the basics, like the real world space you have to rent. The wiki and regular bi-weekly meetings at a cafe were indispensable in this phase. When someone found an interesting location, he created a wiki page with the specs and we would organize meeting with the real-estate agent or landlord. Keeping this process as open and accessible as possible makes a lot of sense, because at this stage you usually want to find comrades-in-arms. | * '''Basics, scouting:''' It can take a long time to establish the basics, like the real world space you have to rent. The wiki and regular bi-weekly meetings at a cafe were indispensable in this phase. When someone found an interesting location, he created a wiki page with the specs and we would organize meeting with the real-estate agent or landlord. Keeping this process as open and accessible as possible makes a lot of sense, because at this stage you usually want to find comrades-in-arms. | ||
* '''Meetings:''' It was very important to us that meetings do not degenerate in 'hanging out'. We always had the goal of building the space, and avoided distraction from that. We've seen before in other groups that regular meetings at pubs attract a different crowd than task-oriented meetings. We knew that by focusing on something concrete, we'd attract the people we'd need most in the starting stages. | |||
<!--Was: There is some risk that other apartment-hunters will take notice but at this stage one usually wants to find comrades-in-arms, so keeping the process as open and accessible as possible makes a lot of sense.--> | <!--Was: There is some risk that other apartment-hunters will take notice but at this stage one usually wants to find comrades-in-arms, so keeping the process as open and accessible as possible makes a lot of sense.--> | ||
* '''Smoking policy:''' The first big discussion, and one of very few that had to be resolved by a vote, was on the smoking policy in the lab. Should smoking be allowed, forbidden, or confined to a certain room? If so, what size of room? A temporary solution ended up becoming the permanent one, and now our lounge (where the gaming consoles are, and movies are watched) is the designated smoking area. | * '''Smoking policy:''' The first big discussion, and one of very few that had to be resolved by a vote, was on the smoking policy in the lab. Should smoking be allowed, forbidden, or confined to a certain room? If so, what size of room? To avoid endless discussion, we had people voice their opinions at a meeting, and then called for a vote. A temporary solution ended up becoming the permanent one, and now our lounge (where the gaming consoles are, and movies are watched) is the designated smoking area. | ||
* '''Pre-existing groups:''' Initially, part of the plan was to give several pre-existing independent initiatives a shared home at the Metalab -- this didn't work out as well as expected, as some of these groups ended up either renting their own spaces (HappyLab), meeting elsewhere, or dissolving as independent entities altogether (CCC Vienna). The Metalab rather became a new group of its own right, rather than a network and meeting place of others. | * '''Voting:''' Voting should be a last resort, if the majority opinion isn't obvious. When voting, we try to vote over complete solutions/plans, not small details, lest we get the bikeshed problem. Condorcet/Borda style voting makes a lot of sense for decisions like the roomplan. | ||
* '''Pre-existing groups:''' Initially, part of the plan was to give several pre-existing independent initiatives a shared home at the Metalab -- this didn't work out as well as expected, as some of these groups ended up either renting their own spaces (HappyLab), meeting elsewhere, or dissolving as independent entities altogether (CCC Vienna). The Metalab rather became a new group of its own right, rather than just a network and meeting place of others. However a lot of new groups came into existence at metalab. | |||
* '''Renovation:''' We established the infrastructure - like power outlets, the kitchen and the floor - step by step, while actively using the space. This led to an endless Sokoban game, where certain rooms became unusable for many months at a time. It was unavoidable, since we did not have the financial power to fix everything at once. <!-- Our advice is, if you can fix the basic infrastructure before you move in, do it. --> | * '''Renovation:''' We established the infrastructure - like power outlets, the kitchen and the floor - step by step, while actively using the space. This led to an endless Sokoban game, where certain rooms became unusable for many months at a time. It was unavoidable, since we did not have the financial power to fix everything at once. <!-- Our advice is, if you can fix the basic infrastructure before you move in, do it. --> | ||
* '''Organization:''' It took a long time until we had infrastructure for membership administration and (automatic) bank collection. Usually, nobody wants to do these "boring" tasks, because people prefer to hack or slack. | * '''Organization:''' It took a long time until we had infrastructure for membership administration and (automatic) bank collection. Usually, nobody wants to do these "boring" tasks, because people prefer to hack or slack. If you can, build the stuff before moving in - after you'll have your hands full with work. | ||
=== Describe your hackerspace. What do visitors to the space notice that is special about the space? What kind of tools and resources do you have at the space? === | === Describe your hackerspace. What do visitors to the space notice that is special about the space? What kind of tools and resources do you have at the space? === | ||