This presentation was originally given in August 2007 for Hackers on a Plane.
It inspired many, including me, to open a hackerspace and to this day is the document I refer people to when they want to start one.
What is amazing is that even after almost 15 years, these design patterns still matches how my hackerspace runs. This isn't because we follow them religiously, just that they are natural and very effective.
I would encourage anyone wanting to create a hackerspace, or any other social space for that matter, read these over.
It is also important to know that these are patterns and guidelines, not rules. If something doesn't fit with your community, your community should be empowered to change things that fit them better.
I wish I could've gotten the time off work for Hackers on a Plane. I helped Nick publicize it but couldn't myself participate. Only in wildest dreams would it have succeeded as it has.
Looking back at these patterns and stories, now 13 years into the i3Detroit hackerspace, is wild. They are not a strict prophecy, but they foretell a lot of the things we've encountered along the way. (Never had anyone try to live at the space, but pretty much everything else and so much more...)
I think the hardest problem has been shaking new members of the idea that they're just passengers. Obviously the founders and early members knew they were shaping things as they went along. But later members perceive the group as "fully formed" and don't seem as comfortable taking the reins.
I was jumping on here to say the same thing - we shared these guidelines with new folks regularly, and they helped us avoid some mistakes along the way. We've iterated on them of course, but it was wonderful to have a sane starting place
These inspired also us to open a hackerspace (or hacklab as we call them here). It has been interesting to see patterns happens in real life. Especially the Sine Wave pattern comes and goes by the time.
It inspired many, including me, to open a hackerspace and to this day is the document I refer people to when they want to start one.
What is amazing is that even after almost 15 years, these design patterns still matches how my hackerspace runs. This isn't because we follow them religiously, just that they are natural and very effective.
I would encourage anyone wanting to create a hackerspace, or any other social space for that matter, read these over.
It is also important to know that these are patterns and guidelines, not rules. If something doesn't fit with your community, your community should be empowered to change things that fit them better.