[hackerspaces] Working on setting up my space

[Far McKon]

re: Seth.
>it makes me very uncomfortable whenever one person defines what a
hackerspace is or isn't.

I get your point, but I also think that the local centric definition can
destroy a community/group/movement.  The 'green' movement is currently
getting watered down to the point of being meaningless.  In part, that is
because they don't have a clear sense of what 'green' is and what it isn't,
and they can't exclude.  A company that sells baby-killers that packages
their products in 1% recycled cardboard claim 'green' while others do not.
Same thing with 'Orgranic' foods and 'humane' raised meat-foods.  Religions
especially suffer the plauge of 'are you part of us or not'  continually
splintering and then re-syncing.

I'm interested in your thoughts on that problem, and how to avoid hijacking
and watering down an idea/movement that uses the 'it's anything you want it
to be' approach.

I'm also interested in who/why stopped participating over what discussion.
And why they choose to simply leave, rather than begin a discussion and
maybe teach some folks some new ideas, or talk things out?


My viewpoint:
I would like to clarify what are key elements of a hackerspace-ness . I
think it would be awesome for us as hackerspace-leadership to hash something
out. I don't think we can force the idea on anyone, but it would be good to
have a central concept we agree to, which makes it clear what our common
ground is. Something along the lines of the Rochale Principles* for
hackerspaces.

I'm thinking something like  (still open for tons of
modification/updates/correction/expansions):
"There as as many hackerspaces and hackerspace structures as there are stars
in the mikyway. But there is always a shared core of identiy and goals that
eacn of these spaces agree upon. We (the undersigned spaces and groups)
welcome and recognize as a hackerspace any group or community whose goals
and actions meet at least 5 of the 6 core concepts of a hackerspace.

The core concepts of a hackerspace:
1) Owned and Run by it's members in a spirit of equality
2) is a nonprofit orgnization, and open to the outside world on a
(semi)regular basis
3) Shares tools, equipment and ideas without discrimination
4) A strong emphasis on technology and invention
5) Has shared space (or is working on a space) as a center of the community
6) A strong spirit of invention and science, based on trial, error, and
freely sharing information

As agreed to by the following spaces and groups, on the date of XXXXX
-INSERT LIST OF HACKERSPACE, DATE, ETC"


What do you folks thing? I'm interested in any/all feedback, especially
fleshing out a robust and flexible definition of a hackerspace that all (or
at least a large number) of us can agree to, and to better express our
ideals to the outside world.

as always, hack on,
- Far McKon

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Principles

----
http://www.Hive76.org  "Making things awesome,  making awesome things!"
http://www.FarMcKon.net "Creatively Maladjusted"
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