Are hackerspaces growing because companies don't tap their engineers' creativity?
1–10 of 17 posts
Re: Are hackerspaces growing because companies don't tap their engineers' creativity?
#2Haven't RTFA yet, but want to answer the question posed in the headline: yes. Passionate creatives are often very protective of their idea and unless an exceptional corporate culture exists (Google 20% projects back in Goog's glory days, etc...) most of them that I've met would be loath to turn over something they love to the commitee.
Re: Are hackerspaces growing because companies don't tap their engineers' creativity?
#3Haven't RTFA yet, but want to answer the question posed in the headline: yes. Passionate creatives are often very protective of their idea and unless an exceptional corporate culture exists (Google 20% projects back in Goog's glory days, etc...) most of them that I've met would be loath to turn over something they love to the commitee.
I completely agree. I love my current start up and I would never turn it open to committee unless I was able to control where it goes.
Re: Are hackerspaces growing because companies don't tap their engineers' creativity?
#4I work with a couple of guys who've been doing a lot of work to organise UK (specifically London) hack spaces.
I think the reason for the popularity is a mix of work discontent and people wanting to do radically different things than their day job may offer them.
Re: Are hackerspaces growing because companies don't tap their engineers' creativity?
#5The total number of people involved in hacker spaces, world wide, rounds to zero.
It's an interesting little meme, but when there are more people following the most obscure rock band you've never heard of, you can't really call it a big deal, or wonder what it all means about the state of the world.
Re: Are hackerspaces growing because companies don't tap their engineers' creativity?
#6I think it's just human nature to want to be free and independent. Let's not forget how low the barriers to starting a software company are these days. These low barriers are just a factor enabling people to quite working for big companies.
Re: Are hackerspaces growing because companies don't tap their engineers' creativity?
#7Yes, of course! And that's the way we like it.
Remember, not everyone works for a startup. Some people have lives, and hobbies, apart from their day jobs.
Re: Are hackerspaces growing because companies don't tap their engineers' creativity?
#8I just take it as an indication that people in the IT/computer fields just don't have any exposure to this kind of work, and they are curious about it.
How many kids graduating with a CS or IT degree today have ever wired up a circuit? Or played with a microprocessor and hooked something up to it? I bet that number is smaller than you think.
Re: Are hackerspaces growing because companies don't tap their engineers' creativity?
#9I work with a couple of guys who've been doing a lot of work to organise UK (specifically London) hack spaces. http://hackspace.org.uk I think the reason for the popularity is a mix of work discontent and people wanting to do radically different things than their day job may offer them.
I think that's a great way to support on-the-edge innovators (or potential innovators).
Not everybody can launch their startup in a garage (or, esp. in UK) has a garage.
Re: Are hackerspaces growing because companies don't tap their engineers' creativity?
#10Hackerspaces now are what computer clubs were in the 1970's.