[hackerspaces] New Member Vetting

[bg]

At Das Labor (~60 members) it is very similar to Metalab.

If someone is at our space the normally let foreigners in.
But if no one who is there knows the new one they should not be let alone. For
security, safety and because most people want to be introduced to the space.
(There are rumors that people entered the space, stood there and left because no
one recognized they were new and no one spoke to them.)

People visiting the space more often are recommended to join. We only take 5
Euro as minimum membership fee. Members have no real bonuses over guests except
that the are allowed to vote on the anual big all members meeting and, more
important, may get a key.

To get a key you must be a member and our Bootstrap-Meeting has to decide if you
get one. Decision normally works by an IETF-like rough consensus system. But
there is also a final voting.

Keys are managed by a special member, the Key-Keeper, he has lists with everyone
owning a key, the key id and some important information. IDs are checked before
giving someone a key (even if they are well known).

We have some expensive and dangerous items at our place (CNC-mill, several high
power lasers, lathe, Makerbot), but we never had problems. Some machines have
the restriction that only specially introduced people may use them. But most
people stay far enough away from things they do not know (maybe, 'cause of we
are telling them first about our very dangerous lasers).

Our process are manly formalized because we are a non-profit organization and
are required by law to keep lists of members.

We never had problems with our members and our processes.

regards,
  bg

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 836 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
URL: <http://lists.hackerspaces.org/pipermail/discuss/attachments/20120918/244b6037/attachment.pgp>