[hackerspaces] How do you define YOUR hackerspace

[Adina Bogert-O'Brien]

Hackerspace is a big tent and it encompasses a lot! Something that's become
increasingly interesting to me over the last little while is how spaces
figure out how they want to define themselves, and how they can coexist with
other spaces (defined as hackerspaces or not) with differing visions.
Perhaps, even, how groups within hackerspaces coexist with each other in the
same space when their visions differ.

Who out there has actually had a discussion about the feel or definition of
their space and what direction you want to go in? Has it always just been a
natural progression, or have you actually sat down to discuss what you want
to be? I get the feeling that PSOne must have had some discussion of this
type when you got offered funding and turned it down.

Personally, we've started to have that discussion at thinkhaus, and I think
we need to talk it through some more at our space. I feel an oncoming storm
of commercial activity that has the potential to crush us or make us so much
stronger in North America. Maybe you Europeans have figured this out, or
maybe there's just enough critical mass to support everyone. Maybe there is
here too. One can hope.

I'll write a bit more about my experience in Hamilton and learning about
other Southern ON (Canada) spaces, but I want to get this out there and hear
what you have to say now, while related discussion is going on.

-Adina
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