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Citizen Hacman Commitment

Introduction

Hackspace Manchester is something we do together. It is a community. The infrastructure (building, equipment, tools, electric, internet etc) provides the foundations, and people working together with shared understandings and expectations are what provide a place of strong community.

Every member is a citizen of the Hackspace Community and as such must follow the rules and guidelines in place to ensure that the community can exist safely and cohesively.

The Citizen Hacman Commitment is what we expect from all Hackspace Citizens and explains how you can play your part in building, maintaining, and growing our community.

Examples included in the Citizen Hacman Commitment are just that, this is not an exhaustive list of behaviours that may be considered in breach of the rules.

As a Citizen of Hacman… I am committed to:

Membership Conditions

Hackspace Manchester is open to everyone over the age of 18 who registers at https://members.hacman.org.uk/register and pays a monthly subscription fee of at least £10 per month.

Rule 0 - DO NOT BE ON FIRE

A hacker may not be on fire, cause a fellow hacker to be on fire, or through inaction allow a fellow hacker to be on fire.

As a Hackspace Citizen it is essential that you act responsibly and safely within the Space this includes but is not limited to:

  • Using appropriate PPE. Hackspace Manchester provides relevant PPE including goggles, breathing masks, gloves, hearing protection etc and these should be used where appropriate.

  • Using tools safely - Tools and equipment that require an induction must not be used until you have been inducted on them. Tools that do not require an induction may be used and use of such tools will be taken as an acknowledgement that your comfortable using these tools.

  • Reporting any accidents, near misses, and unsafe usage to the Hackspace Health & Safety subcommittee via the Hackspace Helpdesk

  • Only using tools that have been identified as NOT SAFE FOR LONE WORKING when someone else is present in the Space.

Rule 1: Be excellent to each other (follow the Citizen Hacman Membership Agreement)

A hacker should treat each and every other hacker with the respect we feel we deserve ourselves.

We want our Hackspace to be somewhere that people can enjoy making things in a safe, harassment-free environment. Anybody who is in the Hackspace, attending an event as part of the Hackspace or is using any of the Hackspace communication channels (IRC, Mailing List or Telegram) is covered by the Citizen Hacman Membership Agreement.

Rule 2: Colour within the lines (and erase afterwards)

A hacker should keep their belongings safe and tidy so that other hackers are not inconvenienced or injured by them.

  • Follow the member’s storage guidelines

  • Don’t spread your stuff all over the place. Be willing to make room for others to work when needed

  • Tidy up any mess you make including tidying tools up and putting them back in the right places, disposing of rubbish appropriately

  • If you can please try and spend a few minutes tidying up other people’s mess (no one is perfect and someone may have left something out and by tidying it you’re helping keep the space enjoyable for everyone)

Rule 3: Appreciate the Space!

A hacker should appreciate the space and that it is a shared space with other Hackspace Citizens .

All Hackspace Citizens are asked to respect and appreciate the space including but not limited to:

  • Tidying up after yourself

  • Carrying out Housekeeping tasks such as taking the rubbish out, hoovering up, watering the plant etc)

  • Reporting any broken/damaged tools or infrastructure via the Hackspace Helpdesk

  • Promptly paying for snackspace, laser and other equipment fees

  • Taking care not to damage tools or infrastructure

  • Helping to improve the space by taking part in Hack the Space Days where possible or getting involved in the teams/subcommittees responsible for the running of the space.

  • Getting involved with Space Bureaucracy through the Members Meetings and voting in the elections.

  • Not borrowing/removing tools from the space or expecting tools to be available. We do not guarantee the uptime or availability of equipment. (No refunds will be given for membership just because a tool is out of use)

  • Members may bring guests into the space but are responsible for the actions of the guests. Guests must not use any equipment that requires an induction and should not be left alone in the space.

  • Ensuring you follow Access Control protocols including closing doors when leaving, not propping doors open unnecessarily and not giving others access to the space or space systems via your RFID fob, Login information or other authentication methods

  • Comply with all relevant legislation including but not limited to:

  • Following the principles of the Health and Safety at Work Act

  • No Smoking (including vaping) within the Space

  • No illegal activities e.g bringing stolen goods into the space

  • No sleeping/living in the space

You may use the hackspace to further your business objectives but keep in mind that this is a shared space and that you won’t be given nor should you expect any priority or special treatment so please plan your deadlines accordingly.

Rule 4: No Obligation

Hackspace Manchester does not employ any staff. Volunteers give up their spare time to assist with inductions on equipment and to help keep the space running, therefore, please bear in mind the following:

  • Equipment inductions are done by volunteers and there may be a wait for these

  • Maintenance of tools and equipment is done by volunteers which means that it may take a while for tools to be fixed if damaged/out of service

  • There is no obligation on Hackspace Manchester to purchase new tools and equipment. The majority of space tools were funded by member pledges so if you wish we had a tool or piece of equipment feel free to start a pledge on the Forum

  • There is no obligation on you to remain a member, membership is monthly rolling and can be cancelled at anytime using the Member’s system.

Just because someone is in the space doesn’t mean they are willing to induct you or fix something at that time

Citizen Hacman Membership Agreement

As a condition of my membership to Hackspace Manchester I agree to the following:

  1. To follow the rules and guidelines of Hackspace Manchester

  2. Hackspace Manchester is a safe and inclusive space, free from violence, harassment, hate speech or exclusionary behaviour. This includes but is not limited to:

  3. Making exclusionary jokes (even “ironically”)

  4. Harassing or bullying of others (if you need to know what harassment covers see wikipedia)

  5. Using language or engaging in activity that is homophobic, transphobic, racist, ableist, sexist or otherwise exclusionary.

  6. Engaging in any activity that involves others without all parties have given their consent (consent is defined as an informed, affirmative decision made freely and actively by all parties to engage in mutually acceptable activity).

  7. Making an assumption of others including (but not limited) any perceived gender, sexual orientation or religion. If you are unsure then we would rather you asked and apologise if you are mistaken, however, respect other people’s privacy - they have the right not to answer any specific questions regarding their life.

  8. People’s private lives are their own. Do not share details about others that they have not explicitly made public. This includes, but is not limited to, sexuality, gender, medical conditions, housing, relationship or financial status.

  9. Don’t judge - instead share your knowledge! Knowledge is not a competition - instead of judging people for what they don’t know, help them. Elitism is not welcome in the space. When doing this, remember that different people have different approaches, and may not want your help.

*Here at the Hackspace we make things, including mistakes! *

  1. Alcoholic drinks are permitted within the Hackspace however there should be no expectation or pressure on anyone to drink alcohol or conversely not to drink alcohol.

  2. No tools or equipment should be operated by anyone under the influence of alcohol (or other substances)

  3. Anyone who is obviously intoxicated will be asked to leave the space

  4. Respect other peoples belongings and space.

  5. If possible ask before moving other people’s things.

  6. If a machine appears to be in use check if the person has finished before taking over.

  7. Don’t spread your things too far and tidy up as you go along - others may be trying to work in the same area. If you’re in the space on your own it’s easy, and tempting, to spread out, be aware of others coming in and be prepared to stop working in order to create space for them.

  8. Follow the rules regarding storage and leaving projects out in the space.

  9. Don’t mess around with other peoples’ projects and possessions without their permission.

  10. Discussion of how to make our Hackspace more inclusive is welcome. Claims that this “has gone too far” aren’t.

If you have any concerns about someone’s behaviour please let us know either in person or by emailing board@hacman.org.uk. If you do not wish to email the whole board, individual board members can be contacted via firstname@hacman.org.uk

Consequences

Warnings

It is better to let someone know that their behaviour is liable to break the Citizen Hacman Membership Agreement prior to it actually doing so than issue them with a warning.

Any member can issue a warning to a person whose behaviour has broken the code of conduct. Warnings should be reported to board@hacman.org.uk as soon as practical.

The report should include:

  • identifying information (name/nickname/description) of the person

  • the time and date the warning was issued

  • the behaviour that was in violation

  • the approximate time the behaviour occurred (if different to the warning)

  • the circumstances surrounding the incident

  • your identity

  • other people involved in the incident

Asking people to leave

Non-members

Any non-member who breaks the Code of Conduct can be asked to leave by any member, this includes non-members who are guests of members.

Members

If a board member is present they get to make a decision about whether one (or all) of the member(s) have to leave the space. If no board member is present any two or more members who have witnessed the incident(s) may ask the member (or members) to leave the space.

Do not put yourself in danger: if the situation requires it call the police.

Criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.

Restriction of access and termination of membership

Membership of the Hackspace may be restricted or terminated by the board for whatever reasons they deem sufficient. However, here are some general guidelines as to behaviour likely to cause restriction or termination of membership:

  • receiving three or more warnings from different sources within 6 months

  • continuing with behaviour after you have been asked to stop

  • a pattern of harassing behaviour, whether or not warnings have been issued

  • a single serious or obviously intentional offence such as taking compromising photographs (e.g. up their skirt), punching or groping someone

In the event of a serious accusation, the board reserves the right to suspend the accused’s access to the Hackspace while investigations are carried out.

Reporting inappropriate behaviour to the board

Any member can take a report from someone who has received harassment and passes that information to the board.

When taking a report from someone who has received harassment you should record faithfully what they say and reassure them that they are being taken seriously, however, you should avoid making specific promises regarding the actions of the board.

Ask for information the reporter has not volunteered (such as time and place of incident(s)) but do not pressure them into giving details if they do not feel comfortable doing so. Even if the report lacks key details (such as the identity of the person engaging in the harassing behaviour) it should still be recorded and passed to the board. If the reporter desires it arrange for an escort by a trusted person, contact a friend or family member to come and support them and/or contact the local police. Do not pressure the reporter into taking any actions they do not wish to. Respect the reporters’ privacy, do not discuss their report outside the reporting structure (don’t break the code of conduct yourself).

The report should include (as far as practicable):

  • the identity of the perpetrator (name/nickname/description)

  • time and date of the incident

  • time and date the report was received (if different)

  • the identity of the victim

  • your identity

  • the behaviour - this can be couched in general terms if the report requires it

  • the circumstances surrounding the incident

  • other people involved in the incident

  • Any other information you think is pertinent

Public statements

As general rule members of Hackspace Manchester should avoid making public statements about the behaviour of individual people in relation to the code of conduct.

The board will make as much detail about bans and current warnings as they feel appropriately available to all members.

Summary

If you have been asked to stop behaving in a certain way, do so. It’s fine to ask what it is you’re doing that is upsetting the person if it is not clear, but you shouldn’t ask why the person is upset by it, it’s enough that they are.

If you have to take action to stop someone behaving in a way contrary to the Citizen Hacman Membership Agreement do so, if possible consult with other members and/or the board, however, if action is required take it and explain later.

Member’s Storage Guidelines

Member’s Storage

The Member’s storage area is available for members to store projects they are currently working on along with raw materials. We have limited space, so please consider if something needs to be in the space before storing it.

  • Each member is entitled to either a cube or half a shelf of storage in the member’s storage area.

  • Each storage cube is numbered and this space needs to be claimed on the member’s system under the Member’s Storage page.

  • Your items must be completely contained within in a clearly labelled box. The label must state your full name or unique nickname and a way of contacting you e.g. Telegram username or email address. Labels must be visible.

Stored Items Disposal

  • Any unlabelled items found in member’s storage will be put into the three-week boxes, starting in the “Box Of Shame”. If you do this please make sure you post a picture of the item on the mailing list at the same time.

  • Any labelled oversized items left in member’s storage will be moved to large project storage.

  • Unlabelled large items in either of the storage areas will be moved to the ‘free stuff’ area, and may just vanish without warning!

  • Items in large project storage with an expired “Do Not Hack” label will be moved directly to the ‘free stuff’ area, and may just vanish without warning! (You may contact the board or the mailing list if you are unable to come in to stop this happening.)

Boxes

Large Projects

  • If you’re going to take up a lot of space with a project you must ask on the forum to get consensus from the membership for permission to store your items. It may help if you also link the post in the telegram chat.

  • Oversized items must be stored in the large project storage area in the outer corridor, not in members storage.

  • Oversized items need to be clearly labelled with a Do Not Hack sticker including your name / unique nickname, a method of contacting you and an estimated finish date. If you are going to overshoot this finish date, replace the Do Not Hack sticker with an updated estimate.

Specific Material Storage

  • Storage for specific classes of materials may be allocated within the space. These areas will be clearly marked and all materials stored within them must contain a DNH label showing the owner of the material.

Group Storage

Any group requiring the ability to store their projects in the space may request additional storage space by requesting the board (or a suitable subcommittee nominated by the board) assign the group a space. When making the request the requester must give the following information:

  • The names of at least two space members who are members of the group.

  • The nature of the group and its aims.

  • If the group receives any outside funding.

  • The nature of the articles to be stored.

  • Any requested deviations from the standard conditions.

If the board (or the subcommittee to which these powers are delegated) decide to grant the request for group storage, they will usually impose the following conditions, athough they may be varied at the request of the group.

  • That the group contain at least 2 active members of the space.

  • That the group meet at least 11 times in a year, and at each meeting at least two group members must be present, one of which must be a member of the space. This will be checked by requiring the group to fill out a sheet when they meet.

  • The group must clearly label their box.

  • The group will be limited to one member storage box, and may use large project storage as long as there is one nominated member who is the contact for the item stored.

  • The group must nominate one active member of the space as a primary contact, and one other member of the group as a secondary contact.

  • Should the group not meet the above requirements they have 30 days from being notified to either meet the requirements again (e.g. by finding a different space member to be part of the group), request a change of the conditions (days when this is being considered will not count towards the 30 days), or remove their box. After these 30 days the box may be removed and disposed of as the board see fit.

Expiry of Membership

  • If your membership expires through cancellation or unpaid membership fees your member’s storage will remain in place for 60 days from the last payment date.

  • After the 60 days, your box may be removed and placed on the shelves of shame.

Things you MUST NOT store in the Hackspace

  • Dangerous / Flammable Chemicals.

  • Lithium batteries must be in a safe charging-bag Lithium charging bags are cheap.

  • Food (except where it is in a sealed metal container)

  • Radioactive Materials

  • No live animals or perishable articles

Donating/Loaning Items to the Space

We regularly get people wishing to donate or loan items to the space, this can be something small like a length of cable right through to large tools and equipment like the lathe.

Is the item useful?

We ask that before you donate or loaning any item to the Hackspace, that you assess its usefulness to the Space and citizens of the space. The easiest way to do this is to ask. Use the telegram group or forum and see what people think.

Where do I put the item?

If the item already has a home e.g Electrical Wire, Glue, Screwdrivers then place your donated/loaned item in the appropriate box, shelf etc. Other items should be placed on the black shelves in the corridor and may at any point be used by members for projects or may be binned if they are no longer deemed useful. Loaned items will have their owner informed and asked to remove.

Loaned items Conditions.

Items on loan will remain the property of the member who owns them, these items should be labeled similar to a DNH label. Hackspace Manchester Board of Directors reserve the right to the ask any member who has loaned an item to the space to remove the item should it no longer be required. If a member who has loaned an item to the space ceases to be a member and does not remove the loaned item within 60 days (similar to Member’s storage items) the loaned item will then be considered donated to the space and the future of the tool (maintenance, renewal, updating, usefulness etc) will be determined by the board or an appropriate subcommittee.

Hackspace Manchester will not accept liability for any tools damaged whilst on loan to the space and whilst every care will be taken, mistakes and accidents happen.

This post has been edited to included amendments to this document. The above is a final version as approved by the board on the 5th of February 2019. All members are now expected to abide by this updated Membership Agreement.