Sudo room/12-14-2011 Meetup

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Attending

• Doug
• Yookyung
• Michael
• Jenny
• David
• Phil
• Matt

Notes

Agenda

1. What to call non-technical knowledge?
   • Ideas: human sciences, humanities, arts and crafts (but in a nice way), squshy stuff, soft science, inter-modal, interdisciplinary, inter-.
2. Techliminal, options / relationship
   • TL likes what we're doing
   • Offered to host our meetup in their space on 14th and Harrison in Downtown Oakland.
   • Have potential collaboration opportunities, especially in sharing/dividing a space (even one next door to TL's current location).
3. The Space / Possible Living Space
   • Advice from Jenny, a lot goes into this, see notes below
4. Kickstarter campaign
5. Future meetings (taking no breaks, straight through the holidays!)

General Notes

• Jenny attempted a West Oakland hackerspace that would include a live-in component this summer. Unfortunately, they came into trouble getting $ (don't we all?) and weren't able to get far off the ground.
  • She's going to pass on all the knowledge and research they did to Sudo Room, and hopefully the momentum can live on (merge branches?).
• Marc has a Shipping Container with a lab inside in Boston? Or something like that?
• Has anybody heard about this NIMBY space in Oakland? Need to learn more...
• Jenny and Michael are both anthropologists! Funny how much there is to learn about this hackerspace culture stuff, and talk about an ethnography ;)
• Working with Techliminal could be cool, definitely want to stay strong with the grassroots momentum and opportunities there.
  • Folks generally receptive to the idea of perhaps forming a relationship with a group like TL to focus "start-up" or business ideas into a more appropriate venue, but to not lose the valuable connection and participation from them!
• It will be really valuable if we take stock in our individual skills, proficiencies, and connections.
  • This comment from Doug led to a great harmony with an earlier comment from Marc: we should leverage our website and blog better to show the projects individuals in the group are working on, plus what we do as a group, and lastly to identify things we can convert into promotion, fund-raising projects, etc.
• Membership could be a good kickstarter bonus.
  • Biocurious gave lifetime memberships for sizable donations.
  • Others like Michael's friend's radio show got a lot with little work but a great idea.
• Another bonus could be based on Jenny's USB drive with Free Software on them for different purposes (think of all the flavors).
• Marc is working on "sensor throwies" like LED throwies but with sensors for measuring stuff (e.g. moisture, heat, light, etc).
  • Good to blog about and potentially offer as a prize for kicstarter.
• Holiday Party at Techliminal was AWESOME! Had a lot of fun, thanks TL!

Action Items

• Follow-up with Jenny about West Oakland live-in hackerspace resources.
  • Also touch base with a couple of her contacts from that.
• Check out Michael's suggestions: Genspace in NY, radio kickstarter success, and this group in Indonesia who is reverse-engineering GMO plants (woahh).
  • Especially genspace because their lab is absolutely tiny (space efficiency could be integral for us).
• Need to visit Berkeley Co-working space (Ashby and Shattuck, across from Berkeley Bowl, i.e. +1).
• Follow up with BioCurious and other successful hackerspaces on how they did crowdfunding [implement genetic algorithm].