[hackerspaces] Starting a hackerspace ( Winchester Va)

[Deech]

DON'T GIVE UP!

My best advice above. The other advice is that the people are there. You'll
be amazed at the solitary tinkers that come out of the woodwork when they
find out you're around.

The others in this thread give great advice. Listen to it. :)

Other comments that I didn't see above:

Getting the word out is important. However, make sure you have something to
show them when they do show up. Hackers won't be interested in joining up
with someone that doesn't hack, so keep on working on whatever projects you
have. At AR, our best times are when people just put their heads down and
start working on something, it nearly always attracts interest and more
people up to the space to see what's going on or to help out.

Be prepared to recruit across the age spectrum. Our youngest hacker is 19.
Our oldest is somewhere around 65. Everyone has something to teach and
something to learn.

Be prepared to roll with the flow of your members. Remember, the space isn't
about what *you* personally want it to be. It's about what all the *members*
want it to be. Our space now is nothing like I envisioned it back before we
rented our first space. In some ways, it's a bit messy for lack of a clear
vision. In others, it's infinitely more awesome because it grows
organically, and things come together in ways that we never would have
expected.

And, finally, remember that nearly all these great spaces on this list
started with some permutation of "A couple guys in the food court talking
about how cool it'd be if..."
If you want it to happen, you can make it happen. :)

-Deech
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