[hackerspaces] Taxonomy of maker spaces

[Koen Martens]

On Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 10:24:34AM +0200, Koen Martens wrote:
> Hya,
> 
> On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 01:41:09PM -0700, Jerry Isdale wrote:
> > So as a help to noobs like me, I'd like to discuss some of the terms  
> > used for various biz models for the generic term of 'Maker Space'.   
> > Terms like hackerspace, fab lab, tech shop, and names for variants  
> > outside those.
> 
> I have been asking myself 'what is a hackerspace' a lot lately, because i'm
> just starting one and need to explain this to eg. potential landlord. I don't
> think there is one single answer, this is already evident in the great number
> of different hackerspaces: some nothing more than an office unit, others in
> multi-story buildings with rooms varying in function, others not having their
> own space at all..
> 
> Ask anyone on this list what a hackerspace is, and you are likely to get
> very different answers.
> 
> I, for one, would not want to come up with a single, fits-all definition of
> the term, simply because that would deny the great variety that makes all 
> these spaces so interesting!

Oh, and I forgot: as for the other terms like fablab, tech shop, maker space,
etc.. I think they're all in one blurry Venn diagram, overlapping here, differing
there. Any single space might be in any number of circles in the Venn diagram.

Gr,

Koen