17 10 12 AGM Minutes

Present
If you're missing from this list, please add yourself!


 * Ryan White
 * Matt Daubney
 * Tom Allan
 * Andrew Jacobs
 * Mike The Bee
 * Stuart Ward
 * Malcolm Napier
 * Hannah Napier
 * Barnaby
 * Ed

Minutes

 * Meeting was opened at 20:00
 * Ryan welcomes new people and thanks for people getting involved
 * We have a space! (Woo!)
 * Storage king have been awesome in making stuff affordable. Thanks to them.

Sustainability (Money)

 * Ideas for capturing members
 * Initial discussions on procedures never happened, this might be causing potential members to slip away
 * New Members
 * Stuart raised a point about needing a piece of paper (form of some kind) with rules and bank account details
 * Stuart volunteered to make this piece of paper
 * Tom raised the point that the wiki says we're not taking members yet. This needs to be updated. Tom will sort this.
 * Paypal was raised. Ryan will set this up.
 * Option of 1-3 months so people can get a feel for the place
 * Stuart would like to define what constitutes a membership?
 * To get a "key" a minimum suggested payment should be ~£25 (increased from £20 for VAT). Anyone else can only get access when there is a keyholder present. This should be heavily emphasised that this is a suggestion, and if you can't afford that. In other circumstances, people should holler at us.
 * Mike raised the idea that there should be more visibility about the costs and how far we are away from that target, in order to try and help reach the target.

External Sponsorship

 * Idea was written off early on because we didn't have anything really to sponsor.
 * What can we offer a company? Logo's splashed around?
 * Are there any grants available from the local council or other local groups?
 * Maybe someone like Vodafone Foundation?
 * Would it be easier to link sponsorship to specific events? (Bristol does Hack kids?)
 * This will be taken to the Google Group

Advertising

 * The local paper man took a picture then disappeared.
 * Local papers sometimes do "This is happening now" things
 * The freegle post did get some people on board
 * Can we get more exposure by doing more Awesome projects
 * Lots of people finding it from "Natural" search results, one from Reading Radio Rally, One from RepRap
 * Action to get someone to sort out the Google Places thing. Norro will sort this
 * Mike has been restructuring the wiki to try and get more Google love
 * We need to do more awesome things!!
 * Flyers in the University/Colleges/Notice boards
 * We need to do a weekend open day/special events

Funding

 * Ryan is still happy boosting the funding and filling in the gap
 * Action on Ryan to put a post on the Google group explaining the gap and how it is closing.
 * Malcolm pointed out that Ryan has been funding the space since it opens. This isn't sustainable! WE NEED TO CLOSE THIS GAP!
 * We need to sort out a way to measure how "idle" the space is.
 * Stuart will like an annual statement of accounts produced.
 * Once we have exceeded this more awesome things can happen.
 * Tom would like people to buy more Acrylic from him please so he can buy a bigger laser cutter
 * A round of 3d printer builds could be used to raise some money (using the TVRRUG kits selling them for £500, with the extra £100 going to the Hackspace). Anyone who is interested in this (ANYWHERE) needs to come speak to Norro or Malcolm ASAP (build is in the next 6 months). Action on everyone to find more 3D printer people.

Infrastructure

 * Need for more solid IT infrastructure
 * CCTV
 * Membership database
 * We need more number crunchy computers.
 * Action on Tom to setup a Netboot server.
 * Some DHCP changes will need to be changed to fit this.
 * Tom will also make NAT work. This should be _HEAVILY_ documented
 * Door! Matt will write up something more solid on how to do this.
 * Touchscreen and some other bits and adding a "Touch In" spot by the front door
 * Dean is sorting out a web portal

Wet/Smelly Room

 * How much of a priority is this? Quite a few people want this!
 * Richard needs help doing this!

Junk Management

 * We have lots of "assets and liabilities"
 * There is now a blanket ban on anything being brought in that is bigger than the size of your head because we're running out of space.
 * The new plan is as follows
 * The storage areas are the ladies loo's upstairs and under the stairs.
 * Once a week on a Wednesday we will clear down the stuff on the shelves by the disabled loo will be gone through, sifted for rubbish and any boards that need to be broken down will be broken down and the components stored.
 * Old stuff that is good should be ebayed (such as the SGI machine)
 * This will be done at the same time
 * Stuart will be the EBay champion of the space (someone make him a hat)
 * https://groups.google.com/d/topic/reading-hackspace/JOmgtQla9sw/discussion <- For more information

Tools

 * It would be nice to have a lathe. The space probably isn't big enough for it.....
 * Richard has a micro-lathe that can be wheeled out if people need it. You just need to let him know in advance.
 * 3D printer is being supplied by Malcolm (Thank you!!) It's just off being repaired

Projects

 * The only real big project was the RepRap thing.
 * Ryan would like to build a "friggin" huge laser cutter/multi machine.
 * This needs money/time/expertise etc so needs to be fairly formal.
 * Someone will be needed to "Project Manage" this.
 * Actual wanted specs need to be captured
 * Tom is pushing for this too.
 * This may be good to do on a separate mailing list.
 * Tom has a sturdy base.
 * This should have a feedback mechanism for the positioning (a la the commercial things)
 * Malcolm would like a warm-up project of a 3D scanner
 * We need a spec and stuff for this
 * Ryan will PM this!
 * Projects should maybe be done on the forum. Ryan will have a look at various bits of PM software.
 * The forum should be re-opened to do this.
 * Mike suggested that maybe we should make some kind of float or "Event Kit"

Master ToDo List
ToDo


 * Needs to be prioritised
 * Make wiki better, improve, do stuff!
 * Needs to be better categorised or ordered

AOB

 * Tom - Is there a real AGM and is it in the pub? Action on Tom to organise some kind of party thing on the 11th of November.
 * Dean would like to organise a 48 hour "Hackathon" - Dean will put details on the Google Group.

Meeting was closed at 21:23