[Noisebridge-discuss] lockers for noisebridge - big enough? funding?

[Patrick Keys]

Leif,
We can't consistently accomodate new people without a better way of 
allocating private space for their projects.  New people often don't 
know enough people to ask others to give up their shelf space.

The lockers would be an immediate donation to noisebridge.  My initial 
contribution would be the cost of the lockers, which gets reduced and 
spread across others that donate.

The lockers would be opaque.  I think everybody at Noisebridge values 
their right of anonymity.  Not worrying about other people seeing what's 
on your personal shelf or messing with it seems like a benefit.

As for security, using a lock is discretionary: it's 
bring-your-own-lock.  You could just as easily tie it shut with string 
or wire and let whoever you want open it whenever they want.

Lockers can also be customized/decorated on the outside, which opens up 
some neat project ideas.

We can handle abandoned lockers by some sort of informal voluntary wiki 
registry of who uses which locker.  We will handle those that don't 
opt-in like all the abandoned bikes.  After awhile, we put tape on the 
door or lock for a certain amount of time.  Then we open them up and 
move the stuff somewhere else or throw it out.

To answer your questions:

> 1. Assuming that you went forward with this plan, what would you do if
> someone puts a lock on a locker and doesn't tell or pay you?

Nothing.  In fact, I hope the lockers get used up quickly and then we 
need to buy more.  It's like everything else at Noisebridge.  Some 
people will use what's there and not pay.  But that's ok, because other 
people with money to spare pick up the difference.


> 2. What would you do if some wily hackers of economics want to buy
> multiple lockers that they aren't going to immediately use, in
> anticipation of their eventual scarcity?

Nobody "buys" a locker at Noisebridge.  Lockers are for free public use 
but with a recommended one-time donation to reduce my upfront cost.  In 
fact, once I get close to breaking even, then I don't even expect or 
want anymore donations except potentially to fund more lockers for more 
new people.  I would consider putting locks on multiple un-needed 
lockers to be less than excellent, however.


Patrick