Hello, I know that you said to hold off on talking about a hacker-space for a couple of months, but I think that the time is now. I feel that Lion may feel that this is a conversation that needs to incubate further, but I will have to politely disagree.
Downtown Seattle desperately needs a hackspace. A space where people can come together and hack on projects with each other. There is Hackerbot Labs, but they are painfully located to far SODO. Seattle Wireless Networks provides a good forum for geeks to come together and talk freely, but their current location is also a business office. I found out about Saturday House via the latest 2600 magazine (where you are listed as a HackSpace in Seattle), and was saddened to find out that the space has closed down... Some thoughts -- Noisebridge, in SF, is a very successful hack-space that is outgrowing it's current location... but it has enough dues-paying members to facilitate the search for a larger space. As the same sort of inspired technical community exists inside Seattle (albeit a much smaller one), finding a space downtown and making it accessible for hackers seems only natural. As for finding enough money for staff -- Why would we need staff, per-se? I cannot think of a hack-space that has paid staff. People should have means of income to support themselves, and the space itself should be self-supporting through dues and incidental sales of beverages and the like. If people don't have work, they would at least have a face-to-face network of peers who could assist them in the pursuit of a living. As an aside, take a listen to the inspiring talks from the Last HOPE about building hacker-spaces: http://www.thelasthope.org/media/audio/16kbps/Hacker_Space_Design_Patterns.mp3 A quick search through Craigslist finds numerous spaces available for under $1500.00 http://seattle.craigslist.org/search/off/see?maxAsk=1500&minAsk=1000 We would probably need at least around 50 dues-paying members to support a space like that. Would that be a reasonable target? Take Care, Charles Paul On Tue, May 19, 2009 at 7:07 AM, Lion Kimbro <[email protected]> wrote: > > Definitely! > Let's talk about it offline, and meet by phone or in person soon. > > > On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 9:40 PM, josh kopel <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Lion (and Saturday House at large), >> This sounds wonderful. >> >> I am writing because several folks from the Seattle Dorkbot (CCed >> because I am not sure they are on the Saturday House list) are also >> working on a plan for a permanent community work/meet/learn space much >> like what you are describing. >> Our goal is to foster the technology/art crossover, and to provide >> access to equipment normally out of reach of individual makers. >> We have been discussing a multi-purpose place with some rental desks and >> some shared workshop facilities. >> Perhaps it would be good to get together to compare notes and combine >> efforts? >> >> Josh >> >> Lion Kimbro wrote: >>> Hello, Saturday House! >>> >>> 3 Announcements: >>> >>> 1. We're looking for a place on Saturday! >>> [Possibility: Daniel's house.] >>> >>> 2. Saturday House Description: >>> Community, Action, Business, and School >>> >>> 3. Planning for a "Seattle Bucketworks" >>> (rough plans) >>> >>> >>> == Location == >>> >>> Do you have a location we can use on Saturday? Saturday House needs >>> you! (And your living room!) >>> >>> Presently, we're looking at using Daniel's apartment this Saturday, >>> but we're not sure if that'll go through. >>> >>> Help! >>> >>> >>> == Saturday House Description == >>> >>> I'm looking for help and reflection on a Saturday House description >>> for our website. While I have moments of being inspiring, now, at >>> 9:10 PM, is not one of them. {:)}= >>> >>> All help on the description will be greatfully appreciated. >>> >>> Here are the 4 key elements I'm working with: >>> >>> * Community -- Saturday House is a very large community of people. >>> The boundaries is not "Who comes on Saturday," or even "Who's on >>> the list?" It is large. >>> >>> * Action -- We are working to become action oriented. We have >>> recognized that the "slow and steady death" scenario of Saturday >>> House is when everyone has laptops out. When we are active, our >>> voices become joyful, youth returns, friendliness increases, and >>> form strangers draw in closer -- so we have observed. Our idea >>> is, "If we become more active, will these good things increase? >>> How can we stir more action?" Presently, we persue two routes: >>> Activity days (on the 1st Saturday of the month,) and Projects >>> (activities focused on each Saturday.) >>> >>> I invite YOU to lead an Activity day or a Project. My offer is >>> to help to ensure that it happens -- to help collect resources >>> for you, to announce it (if you like,) to connect you with >>> people, to help in coordination however I can. The same goes >>> for projects as well. >>> >>> "Action" is to be interpreted broadly: Even research questions >>> and meditations can make "action." But it requires some locus >>> of focus. >>> >>> * Business -- Saturday House has a long tradition with business >>> society in Seattle. Business is a focus of Saturday House, >>> though I myself have not been much involved in it. The Six Hour >>> Startup community grew from the space made available by Saturday >>> House, and has grown much larger, beyond the Saturday House. >>> Nevertheless, this theme is very much a theme served by the >>> Saturday House. >>> >>> * School -- Saturday House began with the inspiration from the >>> Sudbury School method. The idea is that we are all learning, >>> both by ourselves, from self-study, and from and with others. >>> Some prefer the metaphor of the "Academy," others a "College." >>> Regardless, the theme is of study, learning, and growth, in >>> service of the larger society of the world. >>> >>> I'm presently working to develop this into an articulated page for >>> "About Saturday House." On that page, too, there well be key words, >>> with everything from "Open Source" and "Electronics," to >>> "Mathematics," to "Sustainability," to "Drawing," to "Learning" and >>> "Reflection," and on and on. >>> >>> >>> == Planning == >>> >>> Finally, our intention is to make a space, inspired by Bucketworks, >>> (perhaps even *called* "Seattle Bucketworks," James willing,) and >>> involving many, many, many communities in the larger Seattle area. >>> >>> My plan is to visit, with others (including Daniel,) every community >>> we can think of in the Seattle area, and invite them to discussion >>> about locating a space. (We presently have a list of about 20 >>> groups, and I invite all of you to send me still further people to >>> add to the list -- or add it to the EtherPad or Wiki.) I'm >>> presently talking with several groups, and will greatly expand that >>> number: I hope to talk with at least one new group a week, myself, >>> and I hope that effort will be matched (at least in part) by others. >>> We will arrange a dinner gathering, to discuss a shared space, and >>> then later, the financing of such a space. We will need a space >>> large enough for all of our dreams, and enough money to pay someone >>> to staff it full time. >>> >>> It will be *AWESOME.* We'll talk about this space on the list in the >>> relatively near future (say, within a month or two,) but please hold >>> off for now. That said, I invite you to talk about it with us on >>> any Saturday at Saturday House. >>> >>> The plan is roughly: >>> >>> 1. Begin, immediately, talking with as many groups as possible >>> about our plans, and asking if they could see themselves >>> participating in it. >>> 2. Near the end of July, or in August, convene for a large group >>> dinner or gathering of potential stakeholders, leaders from >>> different communities, to get to know one another, to share >>> enthusiasm about the space, and to share dreams. Hopefully we >>> will have worked out the technology of sharing dreams by this >>> point. >>> 3. In September or October, collect funds for initial payments, and >>> find the space. My thought is that the process of actually >>> acquiring the space should proceed fairly quickly. That's how it >>> was with the SODO space at least, and that's my understanding of >>> how houses are bought as well: It's a quick process. >>> >>> I do not know yet who will staff the space, and how that will work. >>> Obviously, there is much I need to learn to make this real. >>> However, there are many among you who are skilled, who have done >>> things like this before, and I have the support of other communities >>> (such as Bucketworks) who have done what we aim to do. These plans >>> are not final, and I am happy to hear any input, though preferably >>> in person. >>> >>> It's going to be an adventure! >>> >>> >>> Sincerely, >>> Lion Kimbro >>> >>> > >>> >>> >> >> >> > >> > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Website: http://saturdayhouse.org/ Post: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
