Totalitarian Treasurer checking in. Reduction for non-student/cash-strapped members: I will not support a membership fee reduction for non-students. We are already strapped for cash and we are not in the business of becoming a hostel. Non-student members who can not pay $40.00/month will be given two weeks warning to pay their dues or have their memberships and access revoked. I do follow the hackerspace patterns as close as possible and the line about being a "Totalitarian Treasurer" is near and dear to what was once my heart :-)
If you are unable to pay fees, your best bet is to cancel your membership until such a time that you can pay. You're always welcome to reapply when you are able. Student Memberships: I have no strong opinion on the idea of student memberships. It's not much extra work and it does seem to be an accepted practice for most hacker-spaces I've looked into. If anybody can compile a current collection of fee structures from across Canada and the US for tomorrow's meeting, it would make for great research. I'm particularly interested in seeing: - % of hackerspaces with student membership options - Average student membership cost - Average full membership cost for all hackerspaces - Average full membership cost for hackerspaces that offer student discounts - Average full membership cost for hackerspaces that do no offer student discounts I'd do it myself, but I have to admit that I simply don't have time to compile even more data tonight. On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 2:47 PM, Ron <[email protected]> wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > I think that's great advice. > > I've tried to follow the design patterns from hackerspaces.org as often > as it's possible and as often as it makes sense for us. It doesn't > always make sense, of course, but more often than not they're pretty > good. > > I'm not saying we should make policy decisions based entirely on the > pattern, just that if the patterns say it's a good idea, it might > actually be a good idea. > > Ron > > On 2012-10-15 14:38, Justin Lacko wrote: > > And FWIW the hackerspaces.org model has a few things that operate on > > the "paranoia" such as this one: > > http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/The_Sponsoring_Anti-Pattern so I wouldn't > > take that site as gospel. But what do I know? > > > > On 15 October 2012 14:35, Justin Lacko <[email protected]> wrote: > > > What kind of reduction are we looking at here? Is, say $10 a month > > > really the deciding factor for anybody for not becoming a member? > > > > > > I think $40 is already as cheap as we can go. If anything I'd say make > > > $40 the student rate and re-jigger (Mak's word) the regular member > > > rate. $40 is incredibly cheap for ~4200 sq. ft. of 24/7 access to a > > > space with tools, computers, a lounge, a budding arcade, and > > > developing electrical. > > > > > > On 15 October 2012 14:28, Ron <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > > >> Hash: SHA1 > > >> > > >> Hey guys, > > >> > > >> I'm forwarding along a suggestion from David Stewart, who's not > > >> currently a member but is interested in SkullSpace. Based on what he > > >> says, and some reading I've done, I think we should re-visit the idea > of > > >> student memberships. > > >> > > >> I was traditionally against it, but I'm starting to come around. It > > >> helps that I re-read the hackerspace design patterns and it includes > > >> this one: http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/The_Membership_Fees_Pattern > > >> > > >> Which includes the text, "Collect fees regularly. Make no exceptions, > > >> ever. Choose an appropriate amount. Have discounts for students. Have > at > > >> least three months of rent on your account, all the time, no > exceptions. > > >> Elect a totalitarian treasurer." > > >> > > >> The issues I've had in the past with it - keeping everybody equal, > etc - > > >> I think we can set aside for the purposes of getting more members / > more > > >> interest / more events / etc. Another issue was how we manage it - > and I > > >> think honour system is fine. If you're going to school full-time, and > > >> you tell us you are, that's good enough. If we don't believe you, then > > >> you probably shouldn't be a member anwyays. > > >> > > >> It would create extra work for Jay - to switch members from student to > > >> regular when necessary - so he definitely has a say in this. > > >> > > >> Students could, of course, choose to pay the full amount, if they'd > > >> like. :) > > >> > > >> Thoughts? > > >> > > >> Ron > > >> > > >> - ----- Forwarded message from David Stewart < > [email protected]> ----- > > >> > > >> Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:15:37 -0500 > > >> From: David Stewart <[email protected]> > > >> To: [email protected] > > >> Subject: Skullspace student/casual memberships > > >> > > >> Hello Ron, > > >> > > >> Over the past year I have sporadically attended various events at > > >> Skullspace (Most notably Mak's C course) and while I would like to > become a > > >> full member, there has always been a few things that have held me back > > >> (mostly due to lack of time). Compounding my existing lack of time > problem > > >> is that since have I started school full time at the U of M, the > amount of > > >> free time I have has taken a dive off a cliff. Furthermore, being a > full > > >> time student, has rendered me more or less broke. > > >> > > >> I would like to contribute to the success of Skullspace, but $40 a > > >> month is beyond my reach financially for now, and quite frankly with > my > > >> dwindling free time I could hardly spend any time at all at the space > > >> anyways. > > >> > > >> I'm sure you see where I am going with this, but I will ask the > > >> question directly.... Has there ever been discussion about > memberships for > > >> student/casual members? - Perhaps key less if need be, and/or based on > > >> hours at the space per month, non-voting (or 1/2 of a vote), without a > > >> dedicated storage spot etc. ? I realize that this has the potential > to be > > >> a slippery slope of "special treatment", but could a fair system be > hashed > > >> out? To me it seems that this could help to open up membership to a > wider > > >> audience and increase the amount of membership dues collected each > month > > >> without causing a significant increase in operating > > >> costs.......Additionally, this could help to make Skullspace a more > > >> inclusive community. (Not that it is particularly exclusionary at the > > >> moment!) > > >> > > >> Anyways it's just a thought, I'll leave it to you and the Skullspace > group > > >> to make the decisions on this, but feel free to ask me questions and > I'll > > >> do my best to get back to you asap. > > >> > > >> Regards, > > >> > > >> David Stewart > > >> > > >> - ----- End forwarded message ----- > > >> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > > >> Version: GnuPG v2.0.19 (GNU/Linux) > > >> > > >> iEYEARECAAYFAlB8Y94ACgkQ2t2zxlt4g/QmTQCg3asSucA+sQ7tmhyg3OZmEgDn > > >> P+oAn0uoAcEd3CF8plbHAAwB5h0jbcPe > > >> =ju56 > > >> -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > > >> _______________________________________________ > > >> SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List > > >> Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss > > >> Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/ > > _______________________________________________ > > SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List > > Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss > > Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/ > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v2.0.19 (GNU/Linux) > > iEYEARECAAYFAlB8aFcACgkQ2t2zxlt4g/RJrwCfTVP2eHyTJhtiVwU4FWP9N8hG > NBkAoM+pqgnRJ/mUuifs1/fMztlSTq7V > =iGqa > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > _______________________________________________ > SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List > Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss > Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/ >
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