State of the Space 2024

_posts/2024-12-18-SoS-2024.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "SoS - State of the Space 2024"
+subtitle: "Where we at, where we going"
+categories: News
+date: 2024-12-18
+author: ceres-c
+header-img: 
+---
+
+Hi everyone, ceres-c here, the newly elected president of MuHack. I'm here to
+give a brief overview of the current state of the space and what we have in
+store for the future.
+
+*This post is essentially going to be a human-parsable version of the minutes*
+*from the last general assembly.*
+
+## State of the Space
+First things first: this year we celebrated our **10th anniversary**, rejoice!
+The party was a blast, filled with nostalgia too: old faces showed up, and we
+revisited a decade of hacking through old photos.
+
+Thing is, in 10 years we never learned how to properly manage our space. We
+still have a lot of stuff that we don't use, and don't have a proper inventory
+of what we have. That will be fixed.
+
+We've started by cleaning up the space, and we've made some good progress in
+throwing away all the useless stuff/junk we had lying around. There are still
+some things to give away, so don't be shy and ask if you need a magnetic door
+lock, some bug spray or bubble liquid (why do we even have these?). They will
+be thrown away pretty soon if no one claims them.
+
+Some space has been freed up, and we were able to fit our new toys in the
+"main" cabinet. We now have a **hot plate**, an **infrared camera** and an
+**ultrasound cleaner** that will be helpful when fixing electronics.
+
+## Future
+We have a lot of ideas for the future, and we're going to need your help to
+make them happen. Here's a brief list of what we're planning to do:
+
+- **Electronic parts inventory**: We will finally keep track of what we have,
+  and what we need. Up to this point, we relied on our memory, which frankly
+  failed us more often than not.
+
+  Hence, we're going to use **[PartsBox](https://partsbox.com)** which I
+  (ceres-c) have been using for a while at home, and I'm very happy with. It's
+  free for individuals, but we were gifted a free organization account by the
+  kind folks at PartsBox. Thanks a lot Jan, you'll be single-handedly holding
+  back a fair amount of our chaos.
+
+  The inventory will be available online (read-only), and you'll be able to see
+  what the space has in stock at any time. There will be a computer in the
+  space near the parts cabinet, so you can check/modify the inventory on the
+  spot. Everything will be barcoded, and people are already making fun of me
+  for how excited I am about this. More details in the next weeks.
+
+- **Soldering bench**: Our soldering bench already got a big upgrade and now is
+  in a much better shape. We still need a better hot air station, but that's
+  coming soon enough. The microscope will also be installed on a VESA arm, so
+  it can be moved around easily. However, it is definitely usable as it is now.
+
+  ![Current soldering bench state](/public/img/2024-12-18-soldering-bench.jpg)
+
+- **Server**: We're finally going to get the server we've been talking about
+  for a year up and running. It is kinda old, but still rather beefy
+  machine that will be used for various purposes, including hosting our own
+  [wiki](#wiki). Maybe it's also time for a mailing list? (old timers will
+  get this)
+
+  We need some SSDs to put in it, so this is a bit expensive: it will have to
+  wait until next year when subscriptions will come in.
+
+- <a name="wiki">**Wiki**</a>: We're going to set up a wiki for the space,
+  where we'll keep track of all the projects we're working on, how to use our
+  tools (think 3d printer configs), and all the knowledge we're gathering.
+  This will be a great resource for new members, and for old members that
+  forget things alike (like me). It will be a MediaWiki instance, since
+  everyone is familiar with the interface.
+
+  Please fill the wiki with info about your projects once it's up. Just use it,
+  please.
+
+- **Tindie**: It might be a good idea to open a Tindie store for the space, to
+  sell stuff made by our members
+  ([[1]](https://github.com/MrMoDDoM/MuHack-Badge),
+  [[2]](https://github.com/MrMoDDoM/MuTag)) and gadgets/shirts made for the
+  space. We'll see how it goes, and feel free to hit us up if you have a
+  hardware project you'd like to share.
+
+- **Bank account**: The future is coming to MuHack: we'll be able to accept
+  wire transfers and pay for stuff online. It's almost like we're adults now!
+  This will definitely make our (board) life easier.
+
+## Upcoming events
+We're in the process of asking the University for funds to organize this year's
+MuHackademy and, hopefully, a new edition of the
+[Build-n-Smash]({% post_url 2019-06-18-hack-n-smash-2k19 %}). No dates yet, but
+we'll keep you posted.
+
+More events are likely to happen, and we're always open to new ideas. If you
+have something in mind, don't be shy and tell us about it.
+
+## Conclusion
+We have a lot of stuff planned for the near future, and we're going to need the
+help of all of you to make it happen. Let's make this hackerspace amazing
+together!
+
+Federico / ceres-c, out.