[hackerspaces] Failing/failed hackerspaces

[matt]

You can always start a new hackerspace.  The problem is, once your
reputation is trashed... it's trashed forever.  People have a nasty habit
to remember bad things and forget the good.


On Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 12:38 PM, Torrie Fischer <tdfischer at hackerbots.net>wrote:

> On Friday, April 04, 2014 12:35:57 matt wrote:
> > > 1.  What are some well known failed spaces to the discussion group, and
> > > what caused them to fail?
> >
> > HHH ( all the things ), L0pht ( purchased by corporate interest ),
> > Countless tiny unheard of spaces.
> >
> > > 2.  Are there any spaces that are "too big to fail", i.e. too much
> money
> >
> > is
> >
> > > invested in the space - so much so that it has become a disservice to
> the
> > > community instead of an asset?  What are some of the common mistakes
> > > that spaces make that keep them from growing or succeeding?
> >
> > Noisebridge.
> >
> > I'd ask you this.  Is growth success?  Start with what your own metric
> for
> > success is.  If you are just building a physical edifice to your own
> > interest, you've probably already failed.  If you are trying to start a
> > movement to support a crusade... again you've failed.  If you are just
> > trying to find a group of people you want to hack with... then all you
> need
> > is enough people to be happy and survive.  What keeps people from success
> > generally, is failing to identify what their metric for success is.  Or
> > trying to do too many things.  You can't be all things to all people.
>  The
> > other big one is believing there is a community to support your goals
> when
> > sometimes there just isn't.  And the last and worst... thinking you can
> > turn running a hackerspace into a career.
> >
> > > 3.  Has anyone taken failed models and used them as sort of a "this is
> >
> > what
> >
> > > not to do" list?  Where could I source that info?
> >
> > http://hackerspaces.org/images/8/8e/Hacker-Space-Design-Patterns.pdf
> >
> > > 4.  For people new to this industry, what are some of the common
> > > newcomer mistakes in starting up a makerspace/hackerspace that you
> would
> > > have liked to been made aware of so you could have avoided them and
> > > saved yourself a massive headache?
> >
> > Trust every member of your space as if they had keys to your home.  If
> you
> > can't do that, you've already failed.
>
> Any suggestions for recovering from such a situation?
>
> >
> > On Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 12:13 PM, Mark Henderson
> <mhenderson683 at live.com>wrote:
> > >  I have some questions about failed or failing hackerspaces and
> > >
> > > makerspaces.
> > >
> > > 1.  What are some well known failed spaces to the discussion group, and
> > > what caused them to fail?
> > >
> > > 2.  Are there any spaces that are "too big to fail", i.e. too much
> money
> > > is invested in the space - so much so that it has become a disservice
> to
> > > the community instead of an asset?  What are some of the common
> mistakes
> > > that spaces make that keep them from growing or succeeding?
> > >
> > > 3.  Has anyone taken failed models and used them as sort of a "this is
> > > what not to do" list?  Where could I source that info?
> > >
> > > 4.  For people new to this industry, what are some of the common
> newcomer
> > > mistakes in starting up a makerspace/hackerspace that you would have
> liked
> > > to been made aware of so you could have avoided them and saved
> yourself a
> > > massive headache?
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > >
> > > Mark Henderson
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Discuss mailing list
> > > Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
> > > http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>
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