Plenum/Meeting minutes/2019-01-11

Head

Idea/Overview: Plenum

Date/Time: Jan 11, 2019 - 20:00
Attending Managers: Mitja, Patrick
Attending Members: Johannes, Martin, Kim, Julien

Topics

Here's the list so far - please don't hesitate to add more! If you won't be able to attend, you can add your comments here or in the discussion to take part anyway :-)

Recap of the last plenum

Status Updates:

• Members wall
  • Martin: A first proposal for a format can be found on GitHub. Please let me know about any feedback.
    • Plenum Decision: Template accepted, the spot to hang it up will be the right wall in the floor (when you face the electronics room).
    • Suggestion: We should get stickers / badges for the different introduction (so you can show off how much you got)
      • Lukas: Sorry to disagree so strongly, but I don't think that makes sense. A) what is there to show off? Having an introduction just means that someone was told about the essential safety points, not that they can use a tool particularly well -- B) if "collecting" introductions turns into a game, it just wastes tutors' time and could even increase risks by stretching the time between introduction and actual first use -- C) there are way too many introductions, listing them on the printouts (or stickers) would just sacrifice space and overview without being interesting to anyone else...
        But I don't mean to be all negative, how about this instead: tutors could show what they can give introductions to, and not every single tool but rather areas of expertise (many icons already available in the repository for the heidelberg-makerspace website)

• Waste situation (#85)
  • Lukas: no progress yet - two bins are in the front and need to brought back as soon as possible after Tuesday morning (Jan 15); would anyone with a (large) car like to organize a wood recycling run?
  • Mitja: In case we have lots of paper, we could also head over to the recycling store and ask them if we can once use their big paper recycling bin.
• Project wall
  • Question: What should be hung up at the project wall
  • Answer: Anything about interesting projects. Just some pictures, wiki links would be possible, basically anything you want.
• Storage solution for the planes (#84)

New (and newly available) tools at the space

=> also see "Wish List"

• Mitja donated a fancy pizza cutter. Unfortunately, there is no wiki page yet (It´s not really dangerous, so we would not need an introduction).

• The Wish List was extended by a metal bender and a mill

Collaboration possibilities

Martin: Idea: Can we discuss the goals and priorities of the space within 2019? This could help us members in helping out with these goals. If we know about any event, we could help with the planning. This could enable our managers to focus on things only they can do. Suggestions:

• Advertisment
  • Attending events such as the Bahnstadtfest or the Welcome days of the University
  • Hosting Seminars
  • Another open day?

Discussion: Mitja is in favor of the idea of more member-organized events. If anybody wants to attend an event (like a maker-faire), which requires registration from the Space, the Managers are happy to help

Priorities 2019:

1. New members
2. New Tools
3. Strengthen the community

Measures

New Members

• Ensure that people which are at the space show new people around (during the opening hours)
• Create a tour video for YouTube
• More Seminars
  • Make Seminars out of projects
  • Create beginner seminars
    • LED Blinking
    • Soldering Seminar
    • Seminars on 3rd Saturday every month (with external speakers?)
      Members should plan seminars.
      Members with a key can now also host seminars themselve!
      • January: Fusion
      • January: PlatformIO
      • February: Arduino
      • March: PlatformIO
      • April
      • May
      • June
      • July
      • August
      • September
      • October: Maybe some halloween stuff??
      • November: Cookie Cutter
      • December
  • Create recordings of nice seminars
  • Offer Company Events

New Tools

• Partnering with companies (e.g. to get old machines)
• Funding:
  • Get some grant money
    • Check the "Fördermittelführer"
    • The Managers will publish funding possibilities if they come from newsletter (e.g. Bahnstadt specific or from Verband offener Werkstätten)
  • Charge money for seminars (Ludwigshafen e.g. charges at least 20€)
    • Double the material costs (if there are any)
  • If we save for a tool: Name the tool and put a price tag!
• Get a better Chop Saw and a better saw table

Strengthen the community

• Ensure members show new people around (e.g. during open hours)
• Do more do-something days (hosted by members after AGB update)
• Presentations of projects (regular format before the plenum?)

• Technical Infrastructure
  • Website on github pages? (Since we have a fairly static website, we should be able to host it entirely on GitHub pages, which would enable members to create pull request for the managers to just apporve)
    • Plenum: Accepted. Kim will take a look.
  • Using Office 365?
    • Microsoft offers Office 365 as a donation to nonprofit organizations. This would allo us to use significant cloud storage and other awesome collaboration toold for free. It also includes Exchange, which is the Groupware and E-Mail solution from Microsoft.
      • General opinion from the Managers: This is a nice offer and valid option, but data protection is a concern. Martin To reach out to microsoft and ask about this.

Issues

closed issues since the last plenum
new issues since the last plenum

Area Patron Update

Martin: It would be great to get regular updates from the Area Patrons regarding what has been done or what is planned for their area. We could use the following structure:

Area	Patron	Update	Members Feedback
Electronics Bench	Johannes	E-Bench got cleaned up. Johannes is working on a sorting system. Labelling is missing, but will be added	Q: Which tools can be used and kept (for a donation?) and which ones not? A: Anything that get be bought for a donation will be labelled with "suggested donation" Thanks for cleaning up!
3D Printers	Luca		Printers are all working

Any Update on User:Blacksheep becoming the area patron of the CNC Router? Pleanum Decision: This is perfectly fine. If he still wants to do this, he should add himself to the area patron list and print a Area Patron Sign (based on the template).

Seminar Ideas

Martin: As far as I know, some ESPs that Patrick ordered arrived. We could therefore try to find a date for the PlatformIO Seminar.

open discussion (general improvements, etc.)

What did I do since the last plenum?

• Switched the MQTT Implementation of the FDD and the DoorBell from paho to PubSubClient
  • This should be way more reliable now.

• Got a few things for the E-Bench:
  • perfboards (with pin headers and connectors)
  • transistor set
  • jumper cables (Male-Male, Female-Female, Male-Female)
  • Sensor Kit
  • more perfboards (still in delivery)

• Made a proposal for the Members Wall

• managers: updated AGB & Werkstattordnung to better define how volunteers could supervise other members
  • if you would be interested in hosting an event, please let us know!

• Mitja: Attended a FPGA beginner seminar and ordered the tools. This could possibly become a seminar or a workshop.

What am I planning to do until the next plenum?

Patrick: Move to Japan (until April)

What went wrong?

• Just take a look at the scrap wood corner....

Martin: I came in at January 3rd and found the following:

• Missing iFixit Tools (the picks are missing)
• Missing solder
• Missing bits in the makita bit set
• Wood drill bits not at their place
• Corded Drill just lying around (with the drill still attached)
• Laser Cutter just put back into the CNC room in an unusable position.
• Lukas: also noticed the large "Workzone" sockwt wrench and the 17 mm socket are missing :-(
• Mitja: common room table was full of trash until recent cleaning day, not the most welcoming first impression
• Patrick: The CNC Room was also quite messy and had to be cleaned.

What went well?

• quick reporting & repair of a problem with the door bell
• many new visitors and eMail inquiries in the new year - hopefully some new members soon!

Next Meeting

6th of February (With 2*20 minutes presentations beforehand)