[hackerspaces] OT: Edinburgh

[punkin3.14]

On 10-09-04 11:37 AM, Nick Farr (hackerspaces.org) wrote:

> Could we instead try to identify and classify the various hackerspaces that
> have emerged?  Perhaps identify criteria like commercial/non-commercial,
> membership forms, etc.?  Maybe do a whole foursquare badge thing out of it..
> I've been meaning to revisit the theory of the models I had been working on,
> and perhaps this is as good an opportunity as ever.  Thoughts?

I'm very much in favour of describing the breadth of spaces out there,
without having to get too deep into a "this is a hackerspace; that isn't
a hackerspace" debate.

There are any number of criteria which could be used to categorize
spaces -- financial models, governance models, real estate models,
philosophical models, occupational models, &c., &c.

I think the question is: how is this information being used; what
differentiators do people actually find useful or interesting?

Based on recent threads that I've read on the hackerspaces.org mailing
list, I *think* people may be interested in identifying:

* Groups without a physical space; groups that squat in a space; groups
that pay rent; groups that own their own property. (People seem very
interested in this, on a philosophical level.)

* The different tax statuses which groups operate under. (New spaces
starting up seem particularly interested in the options available.)

* Spaces which are volunteer-run, versus spaces which employ full or
part-time staff. (Aside from share capital, I think this is a big part
of the commercial/non-commercial divide. Noting that non-profit does not
necessarily mean volunteer-run.)

Personally, I'm also interested in different governance models, although
it hasn't been the topic of much discussion.

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