- Hackerspace name: Entropia
- Hackerspace tagline: wir leben einfach radikal - nach algorithmen unsrer wahl
- Hackerspace website: http://entropia.de
- Hackerspace contact email (this might be you): info@entropia.de
Tell the story of the beginning of the hackerspace. How did you come up with the idea? How did you choose the name of your hackerspace? What was your original vision?
Back in 1998 some people wanted a Chaos Computer Club meeting in Karlsruhe, so they met and founded a chaostreff. Soon, they wanted their own place to meet and hack stuff, and finally, in 2001, they moved in. In the same year, now settled down, Entropia became the official fraction of the Chaos Computer Club in Karlsruhe.
What are some obstacles that you had to overcome at the beginning of your hackerspace when you were just getting started?
The main problem was the money, so people tried to get some dot com companies to pay. Also, we had to struggle with German bureaucracy but eventually defeated it.
Describe your hackerspace. What do visitors to the space notice that is special about the space? What kind of tools and resources do you have at the space?
At our hackerspace a visitor would immediatly notice the huge amount of awersome (sic!) old-skool hardware, which sadly isn't functional at all. Additionally, we feature cute party leftovers as decoration and a mind-blowing music spectrum at your fingertips. When not partying we also engage our soldering irons and mess with the oscilloscope.
How often do you meet? What happens at these meetings?
We're open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for regulars (with a key). While we're open to new people whenever some regular is in the space, new people are encouraged to stop by on Sunday evenings because it's The Tradition. Irregulary lectures, workshops, parties and other gatherings occur.
Describe a disaster that occurred in your hackerspace. (flood, lightning, accident or some such thing)
Once (ok, twice) a member of the space left the windows open, during an evil German storm. The mac filled with water, and during a reconnaissance mission it switched on due to the special electrical characteristics of water. This caused the death of much innocent hardware. And the carpet was gone. Now, Entropians only refer to this disaster as "The Incident". Now we are deploying N.E.R.D.S, an No-Incident Early Reponse Detection System.
What are some things that have come out of your hackerspace that you are most proud of?
This question is hard to answer because we have a variety of projects in different areas of expertise. Apart from creating a hackerspace with just a few lazy students and almost no budget we are especially proud of our yearly hacker meeting "Die Gulaschprogrammiernacht".
Was there anything that you did that was essential to the start of your hackerspace? Do you have any advice for people who might be thinking of starting a hackerspace?
BONUS POINTS
If you get this all done and feel like going an extra mile you could do one of the following. Don't do these if they will put you over the deadline.
1. Get members to tell a story or recount an adventure associated with the beginning of your hackerspace.
2. Draw a floor diagram.
