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One Year of Data Shows the Hacker Community Is Tight-knit and Welcoming

Posted by Soulskill on from the we-have-cake dept.

szczys writes: The Hacker (sometimes called maker) movement holds sharing of ideas at its core. We at Hackaday are in the unique position to look at a huge data set from the last 365 days showing how people share their own work, and how they discover and interact with others. We've made some data visualizations which cover project topic distribution, views throughout year and by hour in the day, interactions between members of this community, and more.

42 comments

  1. They use to be called Handy Men. by jellomizer · · Score: 2

    Back in the day. We just had (mostly men) who used tools to make things to improve their lives. The idea of a garage filled with tools, so we could fix and make things use to be common.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    1. Re:They use to be called Handy Men. by digsbo · · Score: 0

      The work more physically suited to men was done mostly by men. Women, physically suited to different work, tended to be solving problems the same way. Sewing, cooking, midwifery, teaching, and so on.

      What a lot of this comes down to is that the class of people who are cognitively rich and economically middle class went through a weird period where consumer-driven culture lessened the opportunities and needs to show that kind of DIY capability (probably due to the unfixability of some things and the move to two-employed-parent families).

      It's nice to think that there's a resurgence of this kind of thing. I think for the capable, it adds to a sense of self-determination in life, and hence happiness.

    2. Re:They use to be called Handy Men. by spire3661 · · Score: 1

      Precisely this. Im 41 years old living in a condo because i cant afford a home. Cant even change my own oil in my carport, have nowhere to store tools, it goes on and on. I hate having to pay monthly for makerspace access but its better than nothing.

      --
      Good-bye
    3. Re:They use to be called Handy Men. by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 0

      Not really. Manual labor has the unpleasant smell of redneck on it. Society will figure this out before long and make the connection. The "maker" i.e. handyman culture will be stigmatized as soon as Hollywood notices it's all male and all working with your hands.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    4. Re:They use to be called Handy Men. by digsbo · · Score: 1

      It doesn't have to be all male. The kinds of things make spaces support are not necessarily only suited to adult male muscle mass. In fact, I'd wager most of it does not.

    5. Re:They use to be called Handy Men. by digsbo · · Score: 2

      WTF? Troll? I am saying that women were just as imaginative as men, but focused on different problem domains. That's trolling? FU, Slashdot SJWs. I am so sick of this bullshit. Apparently noticing men have greater muscle mass on average than women is now sexist.

    6. Re:They use to be called Handy Men. by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Back in the day. We just had (mostly men) who used tools to make things to improve their lives.

      You don't call the things that the women used to perform the crafts which they were permitted to perform "tools"? Knitting needles, sewing implements...

      The idea of a garage filled with tools, so we could fix and make things use to be common.

      Eh. More common than now, but never really common. Most people have some tools, most people never really had a lot of tools. The exceptions are in farming communities, where being a "maker" is part of life. You don't succeed long as a farmer without making tools.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    7. Re:They use to be called Handy Men. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Handy Man" is different than being handy. It's not just that though, the term and concept include arts and creators of all sorts. A blacksmith isn't a handyman, but he sure as hell counts as a maker. If you're a nice guy, and they change the term "nice guy" to Ninja, are you really going to buck the trend?

      I think the article itself is sort of, "well, yeah". As someone (below) says, if you're at all curious, you should at least attend an open house. Don't ever advertise free food though . . . gets in the way of people who came because they were interested and wanted to talk/have a tour (you can HAVE free food, just don't advertise it).

    8. Re:They use to be called Handy Men. by morgauxo · · Score: 1

      It's pretty rare I go to my hackerspace and not see at least one girl. At times some of our most active members have been female!

    9. Re: They use to be called Handy Men. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Facts have no place here on Slashdot.

  2. Personal anecdote by capedgirardeau · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As a very introverted person who almost borders on agoraphobic I found both of the local maker spaces welcoming and comfortable spaces.

    I am also a real nerd/geek sloth who gets excited about things most people do not care one bit about and have no clue about.

    The very first time I saw a meeting at one of the local maker spaces, it was almost life changing. For the first time in my life I saw 50 people who were actually like me. I didn't know other people like me even existed.

    All I can say is: if you think you might have the slightest interest in a maker space or maker community, go check it out, like the article says, I have found them to be the most welcoming and non judgmental community I have ever had the pleasure to be a part of.

    --
    Wax on, wax off baby!
    1. Re:Personal anecdote by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course. That's the whole point.

  3. Directory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is there a database of towns with "hacker spaces?"
    I need to borrow a lathe for just a few minutes.

    1. Re:Directory by NotDrWho · · Score: 0, Troll

      Use the term "maker space" when looking, otherwise you might end up in a very different kind of place than you were expecting (and end up on an FBI watchlist to boot).

      The OP is one of those pedantic pricks who just CANNOT accept that "hacker" has a different meaning today than it did in the 1950's.

      --
      SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
    2. Re:Directory by morgauxo · · Score: 2

      hackerspaces.org.

    3. Re:Directory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OP has a different meaning now then in the 1990s. OP is now a synonym for faggot.

      You also live in the past. Deal with it.

    4. Re:Directory by morgauxo · · Score: 1

      What are you talking about? Yes, I know the common negative meaning of 'hacker' that you are refering to. I suspect that some uninformed people might still read 'hackerspace' and think that.

      But... 'hackerspace' is a pretty well used term now. I'm sure your hypothetical FBI agents would have heard of it. Also... since when have that kind of 'hacker' had their own dedicated spaces? Where would you find such a thing? Would that be on the same block as the pick-pocketer's club, rapists inn and murderers cafe? Law enfocement must have it pretty easy in your world where the criminals gather together and label themselves. I suppose it's a tough place to market detective skills though.

  4. That depends on how you define it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I know plenty of these people and live in a healthy city for it with several community workshops.
    Sure, people are generally welcoming on the surface - especially for newbies because the makers like to show that they're smart. When it comes to actual control and logistics though and trying to get a tiny amount of workshop time or some actual real help, most of them are total cunts and control freaks of everything (tools, etc, not art) - even if you're willing to pay.

  5. They use to be called Handy Men. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The difference today, is that in many dense and expensive cities, middle-class people in their 20s and 30s live in condos because they can't afford homes with garages. Their parents had a garage though.

    This is the market for maker spaces - not people who are lucky enough to have a garage to work in.

  6. OK, so this is our definition of Hacker now? by geekmux · · Score: 1

    "The Hacker (sometimes called maker)..."

    Woah, OK, hold on a second.

    I know this whole "maker" thing isn't all that new here, but this is what we're now trying to redefine a "hacker" as?

    Boy, I can't wait to see how the media handles this one, since they've done such a great job reporting on all those "hackers" for the last decade or two. Remember according to them, all hackers are inherently criminals.

    1. Re:OK, so this is our definition of Hacker now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FYI, the corporate elitists would prefer the "hacker" community demonized and wiped out. This is true for whatever definition you choose. That explains the media stance, now stay tuned for a word from our sponcers who pay our bill and thus dictate our stances.

    2. Re:OK, so this is our definition of Hacker now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > I know this whole "maker" thing isn't all that new here, but this is what we're now trying to redefine a "hacker" as?

      According to the Jargon File, the computer hacker sense goes back to the 1960s... in the 1950s it was used by radio hams, and before that by furniture makers!

    3. Re:OK, so this is our definition of Hacker now? by puzzled_decoy · · Score: 2

      Well, no. The spaces where *originally* called "hackspaces" or "hackerspaces."

      However, because of the negative associations the word "hacker" has, the more mainstream name is now "makerspace" or even "createspace."

      Source: was a member, years ago, of a "hackspace," and am a member, now, of a "makerspace."

    4. Re:OK, so this is our definition of Hacker now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > I know this whole "maker" thing isn't all that new here, but this is what we're now trying to redefine a "hacker" as?

      According to the Jargon File, the computer hacker sense goes back to the 1960s... in the 1950s it was used by radio hams, and before that by furniture makers!

      In the 1960's one had to be a "hacker" in order to build your computer. From scratch.

      Things are a little different today when "hacking" skills amount to burning an ISO to play with the other kids.

    5. Re:OK, so this is our definition of Hacker now? by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 1

      However, because of the negative associations the word "hacker" has, the more mainstream name is now "makerspace" or even "createspace."

      I think maker is probably a better term anyway, since people tend to associate hacker with computers/networks/software, and a lot of things makers create are more real-world physical objects. I know most of those objects involve computers & programming, but that is only a part of it. Tinker also works, but sounds more trivial than maker.

      --
      Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    6. Re:OK, so this is our definition of Hacker now? by Gilgaron · · Score: 1

      I, too, was confused by the post using Hacker as the primary term, the circles of the web I read that are about DIY woodworking, smithing, etc use the term Maker if they are trying to identify with the modern resurgence of interest in such things.

    7. Re:OK, so this is our definition of Hacker now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Burning an ISO" is soooo last century. No one does that anymore as it's a waste of a disk and chances are your target computer doesn't even have an optical drive.

    8. Re:OK, so this is our definition of Hacker now? by idontgno · · Score: 1

      I'd argue the ideal hacker is multi-disciplinary. Certainly, a lot of the computer hacker (good kind, not media kind) culture comes out of electronics hacking (amateur radio, the world famous MIT Tech Model Railroad Club, etc.). Some computer hackers are fair mechanics as well, because grokking your car or motorcycle or other complicated mechanical conveyance is cool.

      Makerspaces obviously make some accommodation to soft hacking, like software development or network stuff. You just don't need big obvious tools like drill presses or 3d printers to do that.

      I find "maker" pretty appropriate, although it lacks consideration of the "unmaker" kind of hacking: taking something apart that someone else made for the purposes of understanding it. Maybe remake it to your liking, maybe just drop the parts in the reuse bin.

      I wish we didn't have to back away from "hacker" because of all the damn stupid barbarians with their damn stupid swords co-opting the word.

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
    9. Re:OK, so this is our definition of Hacker now? by slipped_bit · · Score: 1

      I've had to get used to all of these new terms for old things.

      "maker" = hobbyist
      "life hack" = useful tip
      "shield" = daughter board, or just "board" or "PCB"

      I still can't say "Arduino shield" without cracking a smile because it just sounds so silly to me. When I first heard the term I was wondering what kind of EMI / emissions problems people were having with their Arduino single board computers because in the rest of the electronics industry a shield is a metal fence or enclosure around all or part of a circuit board.

  7. Re:no mention of women! misogynists! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "makers" are hackers in the more traditional, not computer-related, sense. It isn't the same group of people so there'd be no point in attacking them.

  8. Re:no mention of women! misogynists! by NotDrWho · · Score: 0, Troll

    Someone activate the ZOE SIGNAL! ...or just turn on any spotlight really, she'll come to it either way.

    --
    SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
  9. Impossible! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The hacker community is primarily a male dominated space, therefore it must be hostile and problematic, shitlord!

    1. Re:Impossible! by geekmux · · Score: 1

      The hacker community is primarily a male dominated space, therefore it must be hostile and problematic, shitlord!

      Perhaps we should start marketing the term "hackette", and include a pen-test ISO image with every Barbie Thumb Drive.

      Seems to be the desperate approach in CS-land.

    2. Re:Impossible! by gmhowell · · Score: 1

      The hacker community is primarily a male dominated space, therefore it must be hostile and problematic, shitlord!

      Perhaps we should start marketing the term "hackette", and include a pen-test ISO image with every Barbie Thumb Drive.

      Seems to be the desperate approach in CS-land.

      Those Barbie thumb drives already have them. Not my fault you haven't discovered it yet.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
  10. Re:no mention of women! misogynists! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It looks like the drama-queen signal has already been turned on.

  11. Definitely needs more research by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Before we can truly confirm working on a good team is welcoming and a positive experience and builds close bonds of trust? Only a year to prove this theory? we definitely need more studies. Keep us posted, Dicedot

  12. such cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Too bad about the fourth amendment rights, eh.

  13. that isn't the hacker community by Karmashock · · Score: 1

    Hackers existed before the maker thing and they're not even remotely the same thing.

    Call them the makers or anything else not already claimed by something else.

    --
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