[hackerspaces] [wiki] TechShop

[Jarkko Moilanen]

Hi, 

ke, 2013-01-02 kello 16:45 +0000, Lisha Sterling kirjoitti:
> This is a question that I've faced a few times when discussing
> hackerspaces in and outside of the community. I would personally
> classify them as a "makerspace" rather than a "hackerspace" because of
> 1) the fact that they are for-profit and 2) the fact that they refer
> to themselves that way. 
> 
> 
> On the whole, I have pretty warm feelings towards TechShop despite the
> fact that their prices for everything puts them out of my financial
> reach. The main reason for my warm feelings is because of their
> willingness to support hackathons like the International Space Apps
> Challenge last April. 
> 
> 
> I don't see TechShop as "just a tool-gym" because they do have a more
> robust community than that. I don't see them as "just a co-working
> space" because they encourage newbies, non-professionals, and lifelong
> amateurs to come and build things. Their focus is on making AND
> learning. They tie themselves to the "Maker Community" through both
> their marketing messages and their direct interactions with O'Reilly
> MAKE (Maker Faire, selling MakeShop stuff in their shop, etc). So
> again, I'd call them a "makerspace".
> 
> 
> For me, the main distinction between a "makerspace" and a
> "hackerspace" beyond the "for profit" or "non-profit" status of a
> space has to do with a sort of political or philosophical underpinning
> to the space and its community. Hackers are about overcoming obstacles
> and re-wiring existing systems whether those systems relate to
> hardware, software, the kitchen, knitting, education or social
> systems. Makers aren't necessarily looking to break down walls and
> barriers or subvert existing systems, they just want to build stuff. 
> 
> 
In LinkedIn group labelled as FabLab Interest Group, Techshop people
have participated in dicussion about the techshop relation to
maker/hackerspace and fablabs. That discussion might offer some
additional information to this discussion. But be warned, the viewpoints
might be somewhat biased :)

TinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/bfbuw8o

/Jarkko
> 
> - Lisha
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> http://www.alwayssababa.com/
> 
> 
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-- 

Jarkko Moilanen, M.Soc.Sc
PhD Candidate
School of Information Sciences
http://www.uta.fi/sis/en/index.html
Blog: http://blog.ossoil.com