[hackerspaces] Is making alliances with education institutions good for a hacekrspace?

[Thomas R. Koll]

Am 16.10.2013 um 19:52 schrieb Florencia Edwards <floev22 at gmail.com>:

> I wanted to ask you what you guys think about this. At our hackerspace people who manage it are trying to make some strategic alliances with universities, schools, culture centers... But I think it's not good. A hackerspace is an alternative to this institutions and methods of education. Making an alliance only makes this institutions try to use the hackerspace their way (they have more power), trying to preasure us to adapt to their methods of education, what their students need, special workshops... I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong, . I love everyone to know about a makerspace or hackerspace and to come here to explore, but this institutions have a way of imposing or forcing things… 

Correct me if I'm reading your mail wrong, but this
"university trying to influence the hackerspace" is not happening yet,
it is just some kind of worst-case-scenario you can imagine to happen?

Also: unis, schools, cultural centers, that is quite a wide range of organizational forms
which each work completely different than the others.

My advise, try find people instead of organisations. Unis don't hack, people do.
If then a partnership, alliance or sponsoring evolves from this then it is
a much more natural evolvement with happy faces all around.

It's nice that you think about worst-case-scenarios but please don't make
the mistake to go in an opposition. Sure, unis around you might be
ancient dinosaurs, but there's always smart people in unis who want create something better
and you do want them in your hackerspace.
Even if it's only for an entertaining Friday night lecture on cats in boxes.

ciao, tom

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