How to give a tour of Noisebridge

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(Takes approximately 10 minutes)

All new visitors to Noisebridge should be given a proper tour. If you're not willing to give someone a proper tour, please don't let them in!

Here's an outline of some of the things a good Noisebridge tour talks about. But it's just a set of guidelines - feel free to add your own unique touch!

Introduction:[edit]

"Welcome to Noisebridge. My name is ______. Have you been here before? Would you like a tour? I can show you around."

What is Noisebridge?[edit]

Noisebridge is a hacker space. Have you been to a hacker space before?

Hacker spaces, including Noisebridge, are:

  • Supportive communities for people to do what we love, and to figure out what we love
  • Infrastructure and collaboration for technology, art, and other creative pursuits, and particularly things that overlap all three.
  • Places to come play, learn, teach, share, explore, and do what you love individually and collaboratively.
  • Make your life and the world better.
  • Unique - Noisebridge is very unique and very diverse.
  • Really cool places!

How is Noisebridge Run?[edit]

  • Everything happens at Noisebridge without any leaders at all.
  • We do things in anarchy - in the best sense of anarchy, where people come together to self organize to make cool things happen.

Our One Rule:[edit]

  • We have one rule and only one rule - Be excellent to each other.
  • If you follow that one rule you’re welcome here at Noisebridge.
  • This is a place where people can benefit greatly from all we have to offer - tools, classes, the community.
  • It only works if everyone contributes, which is part of what it means to be excellent.

Do-ocracy:[edit]

  • If people want something to happen, then people will come together and make it happen.
  • We call that "do-ocracy".
  • It's the main way things happen here.
  • If you want to do something and you're not sure if it's excellent, ask someone else what they think.

Consensus:[edit]

  • Larger, official decisions are made with consensus.
  • 100% of all the members have to be okay enough with the proposal for it to move forward.
  • It's worked well for us for the last 7 years.

The Tour:[edit]

"Let’s walk around and I’ll show you what Noisebridge is about and some of what it’s not about."

Points of Interest:[edit]

Walk through the space, showing the various various areas and tools. Feel free to share stories about parts of the space you’re enthusiastic about.

Here are some things you might show/mention:

  • Library/Lounge area
  • 3-D Printers
  • Laser Cutter
  • Vinyl Cutter
  • Sewing and Crafting Area
  • Electronics Area
  • Dirty Shop
    • Mills, saws, drills for wood, metal and plastic projects
    • We’ve never had an injury! -- Let's keep it that way.
    • If you don’t know how to use something safely, please ask first, so you don’t hurt yourself or the tool
    • People teach and train and learn from each other
    • Please put tools back where you found them when you’re done!
  • Classrooms
  • Hackitorium
    • General Work/Play space
  • Dark Room
  • Cafe Area
    • Coffee, Tea, Snacks
    • Kombucha brewing

The Noisebridge Website:[edit]

  • It's a wiki!
  • Anyone in the world can change it and is welcome to.
  • If changes aren’t cool, they will be changed back.
  • Has a schedule of classes, workshops, and events

How is Noisebridge Funded?[edit]

  • Noisebridge is a non-profit. The only way we make money for things like rent is from:
    • Member dues
    • Donations from individuals
    • T-shirts sales ($15 minimum donation)
    • Fundraising events (music, art displays, parties, etc)
  • Please feel free to donate, but it's not required.

Noisebridge Hours:[edit]

  • Noisebridge is open as long as there’s a greeter at the door (like you!)
  • Right now we’re trying to be open between 11am - 11pm
  • After hours, just ring the buzzer. If there’s a member here who wants to take you on as a guest they’ll let you in. Otherwise, come back when we’re open for a class or a workshop.

Noisebridge Code of Conduct:[edit]

  • We are totally intolerant of intolerant people and we all think that’s a good thing.
  • Anyone who says anything disparaging against women, gay people, transsexual people, people of color, any kind of minority, political or economic or otherwise, is not welcome.
  • Totally not excellent.

Ways to Contribute (and ways not to):[edit]

  • Noisebridge is a place for people to work and play together in community.
  • If you can contribute to the community you’re totally welcome here.
  • Totally ok to just take a class once and leave, too. That contributes in it’s own way.

Things that Noisebridge isn't about:[edit]

  • Not a place just to take.
  • It's not ok to take any of the things here - Everything is 100% donated. If you take them away then the shared resource is diminished. Not very excellent!
  • Not ok to take energy from the community. You should increase positive energy in the space, in whatever way you think is excellent.

Conflicts:[edit]

  • If you do anything people think is excellent it will be pointed out.
  • If you do anything people think is unexcellent that will be pointed out, too.
  • We get to work it out - what is and isn’t excellent is subjective purposely so we have to keep talking about it.
  • That is one of the things that keeps the culture of Noisebridge alive.

Thanks for coming to Noisebridge. Any questions?