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Hackerspace

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Cayden-mak (talk | contribs) at 18:22, 19 February 2010 (→Organization). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

A hackerspace or hackspace (from Hacker and Space, sometimes referred to as a makerspace in reference to Make Magazine.) is a real (as opposed to virtual) place where people with common interests, usually in science, technology, or digital or electronic art can meet, socialise and collaborate. A hackerspace can be viewed as an open community lab, workbench, machine shop, workshop and/or studio where people of diverse backgrounds can come together to share resources and knowledge to build/make things.

Functions

The specific activities that take place at hackerspaces vary from place to place. In general, hackerspaces function as centers for peer learning and knowledge sharing, in the form of workshops, presentations, and lectures. They also offer social activities for their members, including game nights and parties. They also provide space for members to work on their individual projects, or collaborate on group projects with other members.

The building the hackerspace occupies is important, because it provides infrastructure that members need to complete their projects. In addition to space, many hackerspaces provide power, servers and networking with internet-connectivity, audio equipment, video projectors, game consoles, electronics for hacking, and various tools for electronics fabrication and building things.

Organization

The individual character of a hackerspace is determined by its members. Most hackerspaces are governed by elected boards selected by their paying members. Elected officers may serve predetermined terms, and help direct decisionmaking with regards to purchasing new equipment, recruiting new members, and other administrative issues.

Membership fees are usually the main income of a hackerspace, but some also accept external sponsors. Some hackerspaces have 501(c)3 status, while others have chosen to forgo tax exempt status[1].

Example Hackerspaces

Some examples of hackerspaces are:

References

  1. ^ Pumping Station: One [about] (accessed 19 February 2010)
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