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>storage space, desk space, really nice tools, staff, etc. All of those things besides the tools are a waste of money. The machine shop at my university was fr

>storage space, desk space, really nice tools, staff, etc. All of those things besides the tools are a waste of money. The machine shop at my university was free. The foreman filtered morons and transients by throwing a 300-page safety book at anyone who wanted to cross the yellow-black tape. As a consequence everyone who was there really wanted to be. A low membership price puts it in the range of people who just want access to the tools. The kind of people who would also be hanging out when someone new shows up with an idea and a lot of questions. If boutique makerspaces work, then ask yourself why this place failed.

marcinzm 4y ago
>The machine shop at my university was free. It wasn't free, it was paid for by the university and it's revenue sources. There is a difference.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- jazzyjackson 4y ago
  - vikramkr 4y ago
    If you're planning on building a fountain somewhere else that doesn't already have an aqueduct, then yes absolutely, since that becomes a very relevant piece of information in your cost analysis
    - jazzyjackson 4y ago
      OP wasn't suggesting anyone build a machine shop and then not charge money, they responded to this argument above: > Do you want to build a space for occasional use by a random, large assortment of people, or one where the members make consistent, weekly use of the space and value the space highly? by saying that price barrier is not a prerequisite for quality and safety of a space. People can value the space they're in because they were initiated into the culture, not merely because it costs $120/month.
- goodpoint 4y ago
  > It wasn't free, it was paid for by the university and it's revenue sources. There is a difference. No. Free means that the end user does not pay for it. Not that nobody pays for it.
thrown_22 4y ago
>. The machine shop at my university was free. Paid for by tax payers is not free. I agree that there should be government investment in hacker spaces since they are just machine shops that aren't stuck in 1950. The name however was stupid and killed any take up by government. Maker spaces were a slightly better rebranding which at least didn't actively push sponsors away. >If boutique makerspaces work, then ask yourself why this place failed. Because at $100 a month it wasn't boutique. If you want the top end you do what universities do: charge $2k a month and give scholarships to the worth while members who can't afford that.

marcinzm 4y ago

>The machine shop at my university was free. It wasn't free, it was paid for by the university and it's revenue sources. There is a difference.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
jazzyjackson 4y ago
- vikramkr 4y ago
  If you're planning on building a fountain somewhere else that doesn't already have an aqueduct, then yes absolutely, since that becomes a very relevant piece of information in your cost analysis
  - jazzyjackson 4y ago
    OP wasn't suggesting anyone build a machine shop and then not charge money, they responded to this argument above: > Do you want to build a space for occasional use by a random, large assortment of people, or one where the members make consistent, weekly use of the space and value the space highly? by saying that price barrier is not a prerequisite for quality and safety of a space. People can value the space they're in because they were initiated into the culture, not merely because it costs $120/month.
goodpoint 4y ago
> It wasn't free, it was paid for by the university and it's revenue sources. There is a difference. No. Free means that the end user does not pay for it. Not that nobody pays for it.

thrown_22 4y ago

>. The machine shop at my university was free. Paid for by tax payers is not free. I agree that there should be government investment in hacker spaces since they are just machine shops that aren't stuck in 1950. The name however was stupid and killed any take up by government. Maker spaces were a slightly better rebranding which at least didn't actively push sponsors away. >If boutique makerspaces work, then ask yourself why this place failed. Because at $100 a month it wasn't boutique. If you want the top end you do what universities do: charge $2k a month and give scholarships to the worth while members who can't afford that.