Because we've been really productive, there's a whole bunch of short updates this time 'round.
First up, we've made more headway into getting the space up and running. We've drafted a budget, and we're quickly assembling a business plan. We need to raise $5k before we can open the space, to cover our collective asses if things go south and pay for a 1 year lease. Membership fees are going to be collected very soon, but that's okay since we're already doing all sorts of awesome stuff.
This weekend, Saturday February 12th is the synchronous hackathon and it will take place at the Red River College Princess Street campus. It's happening in room P319 from noon till 8pm (come by any time during that, there'll be people to greet you all day). There are a ton of ethernet jacks in those classrooms, but no anonymous wifi, so bring your cables! We are working on a variety of projects, and it'll hopefully be a good chance to meet new people and find out what we're all about. The following weekend, spaces across the globe will be making 555 timer projects. It's a neat little device with a ton of applications! It'll do everything from motor control to simple sound generation. Although we won't be hosting a hack-a-thon that weekend, a few people are talking about working on 555 projects early. Expect some updates, schematics and ideas as we get closer to the weekend!
Those of you who haven't already been to the flickr and voted on a logo, you should probably head over there right now . We've got a new set of logos up, and they are all sorts of awesome!
The meeting tonight went over a few new details and expanded on some old business. We're trying to get involved with an awesome 'zine called hack this zine. They're open to the idea of running a story about our group, and we're currently discussing the details. Anyone who hasn't read that 'zine should download the latest copy and have a good sit down. They have well written, informative and interesting articles, focusing on hacker culture and technology in a global context. Very well put together and down to earth. Highly recommended.
With that aside, the largest issue is group coalescence, and it's the key to moving forward with the space. To get further as an organization, we need to act as a cohesive group with goals, projects and of course - a strong sense of community. In order to implement the business plan, gather fees and raise money, we need to function as a group.
It's a recurring theme in overcoming the remaining obstacles. The issues concerning theft were talked over with other spaces, and they basically said it boils down to trust. Members of a group that know one another and are involved with each others projects won't steal. Building trust and a sense of community will take time, but it is what will guarantee the success of the group.
That's about it for this update, I hope you all had a fantastic time at the Lo Pub last night!
