May 5, 2014
by Mita Williams in Volunteer Op
Hackforge is a place where we work on projects either on our own or together. Unlike many other hackerspaces, Hackforge runs on the partnerships it has with the community, such as the Windsor Public Library, and it runs on the volunteer efforts of our members.
We want our members to choose what work they are interested in contributing to and we’re starting to put suggestions of possible volunteer projects on posts of our website marked volunteer-op
But if you are not sure where to start or what what would be really appreciated, here are some such suggestions.
- we need a point person for hardware donations. This person would collect information about the donation from the donor and determine whether it should be accepted based on available space and by criteria set by the Facilities Group
- we need someone to create a simple organization system of labelling shelves and boxes so that people less familiar with the space could still help in keeping the space tidy and the tables clear for work.
- there are two workshop tables that need to be built
- run a workshop so that our members can learn how use the 3D printers
Also, we would love to see more documentation of the great work that is already happening at Hackforge. Once you’ve started or finished a project – or heck, even when you are in the middle of one, please add a quick write-up of your work here on the Hackfor.org website. If you need an account to do this, please contact the Membership chair and she can get you added.
If you are interested in helping out with any of these projects or have another idea of what you would like to see in the space and can put yourself as a lead to make it happen, please contact our Facility Manager, Paul Anderson
by Mita Williams in Uncategorized
Every other Wednesday, there will be a meeting of the Software Craftsman Guild in the space.
What is it?
Code katas, pair programming, retrospectives and discussions about the fine craft of software development.
Who is it for?
Anyone with an interest in software. Skill level is no barrier. If you’re fresh to programming you’ll be able to sit with experienced members and learn quickly.
What to bring?
All you need is a laptop. We will be pairing, which means we’ll be using 1/2 of the computers at any given time. But bring yours, if possible, to make sure we don’t run short and have a nice variety of dev environments.
What languages?
To keep it simple the choices are: Ruby, Python, or Javascript.
If you are interested, please sign up at the meetup page
April 30, 2014
by Mita Williams in Volunteer Op
As you may know, Hackforge runs on the awesome power of its volunteers. As chair of the volunteer group, it’s my job to let you know that there are some wonderful volunteer opportunities that might interest you:
SPORT AND HOBBY EXPO
Hackforge is going to have a presence at the Sport and Hobby Expo that will be held at the WFCU Centre May 30th to June 1st. Help us represent! If you are interested, contact phil @ hackf.org
DOING THE w.a.v.e
w.a.v.e.s. (Windsor’s Artists, Visions, Energies & Sculptures) is a new art festival taking place Sept. 26-27 along the river at the Windsor Sculpture Park. The two-day event showcases local artists’ works of art, culture and technology
Hackforge is putting forward an entry in w.a.v.e.s. that involves persistence of vision technology. It’s going involve doing an electronic build and if you’d like to be part of this project, let us know (doug at hackf.org).
TECH TALKS
Tech Talks are generally held in the space every other Thursday, and they are a great way to share what you know with a friendly audience that appreciates the technical struggles behind making things work. If you are interested in giving a Tech Talk, please contact Doug Satori (doug at hackf.org).
ROBOTS AT THE LIBRARY
The Forest Glade Branch of the Windsor Public Library has Mindstorm Robots. Hackforge has a VEX robotics kit that needs someone to make a help guide or document step-by-step a project, so those unfamiliar with robotics can try the set. Interested in helping out with such curriculum? Contact aaron at hackf.org
These are only suggestions for volunteer work. As we are a member-driven organization, the opportunity to start projects in our space and do amazing work with others is always there too!
February 23, 2014
by Mita Williams in News, Windsor Essex Open Data
Thank you everyone who came out and joined Open Data Windsor Essex celebration of International Open Data Day 2014. The theme of our event was ‘Get Your Data on the Map.’
After I gave a brief welcome and Introduction to Open Data, Philip Aylesworth gave a great presentation on the power and potential of using Google Fusion tables to produce both maps and data cards.
Doug Sartori and Jason Pomerleau then spoke to the group about some of the challenges that they faced using Open Data in a commercial app that they are currently building.
After my Introduction to Web Mapping, Randy Topliffe gave an impromptu taster of a future Tech Talk on making Data Beautiful using ReThinkDB, Pandas, and iPython Notebook.
Thank you everyone who spent the day with us and a special thank you goes out to the City of Windsor for making their Open Data Catalogue available to everyone.
November 1, 2013
by Mita Williams in Uncategorized
This is where we put links to helpful resources for the hacker local and abroad.
- GIICM — an unfortunately-named IC pinout database. Has pinouts for an enormous array of TTL parts.
- NTE Cross Reference — NTE manufactures a wide variety of products, specializing in substitutes for obsolete parts. This search can find info on parts that other sites can’t help you with.
- Quarndon Online TTL chart — an extensive chart of TTL chip pinouts and functions.
