[Abbenay] update link

Mon Dec 14 11:50:43 CST 2009

I'll answer in your email. It's not very well written all of it but I'm in a
hurry sorta and I don't mean to sound annoyed if i do sometimes i just don't
have the time to formulate my sentences in the way I might have liked to.

2009/12/14 Viktor Lindberg <leth at leth.yi.org>

> On Mon, Dec 14, 2009 at 03:44:17PM +0100, Hedvig Skirgård wrote:
> > Dosen't this merely underline the fact that hackerspaces in Sweden would
> > benefit from knowing more about each other?
>
> Hackerspaces all over the world can learn a lot from each other, and
> to my knowledge stockholm has not had an publicly known and open
> hackerspace before. If you know of one please inform me since i'm
> interested in knowing about any such thing.
>
>
Well, we're starting one now as you now and it is open to the public every
thuesday from 18.00 and  hopefully we'll get some more equipment and people
soon.
Does anyone have any ideas about how we could spread the word?

The way I see it starting something like a hackerspace, a project or a
organzation is in steps.
1) first you define the aim and the purpose
2) you check out what minimum resources you need and get them
3) you spread information about said purpose and set up a meeting
4) you define rules if any, how to organize and where responsibility lies
5) you slowly build up a group and continue discussion about purpose etc
6) you do stuff
7) you spread the word again, this time with way more to say

> I had been to Proxxi before Abbenay existed, so had some others in Abbenay
> > but the majority had not. I was not under the impression that Proxxi was
> an
> > hackerspace but obviously I stand corrected.
>
> I've been to proxxi several times, but never got the impression of it
> being a hackerspace/hacklab either. For me it's more of a locale for
> several diffrent organisations with interests in computers and or
> games in any aspect. There is a lot of old harware there and i know
> SU(G)A uses the location for their meetings, well used (i don't know if
> it's still active). Also i've heard SLUG used to hang around there but
> i also recently heard they use the same location we've been at recently
> (and also that they have some connection to FUF, is that true?) (this
> all seems strange to me as neither SLUG or IX is specificly for the
> youth but is not FUF directed to the youth somehow?)
> Anyways the location is alright but not suitable as a hackerspace when i
> saw it the last time, since it doesn't offer good spaces for working
> with hardware. But there is certainly an interesting and nice place.
>

Young researchers is a so called youth organization with the aim to promote
the interest of science (nature science mind you) and technology among young
people (7-24). We (I am a member of the board for the sthockholm discrict)
get money from the governments board of youth for these activities. Sthlm
dis. also get money from the sthlm municipality.
SUA, IX, SLUG are all part or proxxi still and as such also members of FUF.

I think I can say quite confindently that we in UFS board would veyr much
like it if Abbenay would connect with other members of UFS and maybe hold
workshops for them and interested young people. That being said, it's not
essential for UFs approval of Abbenay and we do realise that Abbenay needs
more time but I'm merely throwing it out there as a suggestion.
Collaboration with other UFS-föreningar could also mean that we could buy
things we want together or have projects together.

As for Abbenay and having a real hackerspace in Stockholm i'd like to
> see a good location where we could store hardware and actually build
> stuff. I'm not entirely sure using UFS is best either, but then again
> having a location for free is never bad, i just don't feel like
> occupying too much of their space for us, since there are other
> organisations active there that surely also have the right to use the
> space. If we could come with an agreement with UFS i don't mind making
> a workshop ther either, i think it's a great idea i just don't want to
> intrude on their other interests. If we make a workshop there i
> suggest we make one that could be used by whatever other organisations
> that spend time there. Also we could fix more computers for
> usage. This ofcourse is possible in proxxi aswell where they have lot's
> of stuff already.
>
>
This has been up for discussion in the board of UFS (Young researchers
sthlms dis.) and there is definitely possibilities that we can have a
workshop area that others use aswell. At the moment, there is less activity
in the office than we in the board would like there to be so the fact that
abbenay is there is no problem at all as long as Abbenay respects the
whishes of the board and there has so far been no trouble whatsoever (except
for the discussion about political statements and illegal acitvites which,
mind you all, resulted in that Abbenay said that we will not make statements
as a group promoting illegal acitvites and we will be open for everybody not
matter political opinions. Members have to accept our bylaws though.).

> I would like to point out though that i think it's important that a
> hackerspace is actually a space, somewhere were you could hack and
> meet other hackers and join up for interesting projects. Somewhere
> with tools, good working areas and people that could help out with
> either expertise or just a helping hand and an open mind.
>
> The dicusssion of proxxi versus UFS has been brought up several times and
quite frankly I'm very dissapointed since i've gotten so few respones. We
even had a meeting about this and the organization of abbenay and only
myself, Axel, Ged and Seb showed up.

I'm acutally becoming more and more optimistic about young researchers
office space each day. I will make a quick list of why I'm so optimistic

1) it's a clean slate, there is no activity there except for that of the
board and the place is new which means we can be a part of shaping it
2) we can have meetings there quite very often as long as we make it known
to others who might use the space (this is my responsibilty and I have done
this)
3) we can store things there, it's not yet decided how much but I'm
optimistic about that to especially after all of the renovations are done
(which I'm sorry to say is not sure)

> With that said, i'm asking do we really have a good place now? is us
> staying at UFS really ok for them? can we transform a part of their
> location into a working area? If we can't then perhaps we should start
> looking for another location? I'm sure proxxi wouldn't turn us down
> as long as we are paying members, but i'm not so sure they really have
> space for workbenches and tools.
>
>
Again, I am a member of the board of UFS and the space that we in UFS are
providing for Abbenay is our office but it is also meant to be a place where
"föreningar" (loosely: organizations) can hold meetings and other
activities. Abbenay is a member of UFS. It is well within Abbenays rights to
use this space. That being said, I'm the only one on abbenay with a key and
that means that I have to be present when the space is used. UFS next board
meeting is on wednesday and the subject of giving axel and seb a key to
share will be brought up.

We have talked a lot about other places and I know that we haven't talked
much about this with new members and I like it that this subject is being
brought up again.

Like i said, we have in UFS talked about transforming a part of the office
to a workshop. That discussion died when Abbenay started hanging out in the
squat. But I'll bring it up on wednesday and report back to abbenay on
thursday.

(Quote from dagordning "===Verkstadsdel i lokalen===
Hedvig undrar vad andra i styrelsen tycker om förslaget att använda en del
av lokalen som en liten verkstad med en arbetsbänk och möjligheter till att
lagra råmaterial som metall, skruvar, sladdar osv samt hänga upp verktyg på
väggen.")

/Hed.

What do you think?
>
> > That reminds me, I've heard there's some fun activites going on at Proxxi
> on
> > mondays. I was thinking of visitng on the 4th of january.
> > Any other Abbenayers wanna join?
> >
> > /Hed.
> >
>
> SLUG used to stay around there on mondays, i'm not sure anymore.
> I'm not at all interested in SLUG since i'm not a big fan of
> Linux. However i don't mind checking the place out to see if we could
> have our activities there.
>
> / leth
>
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