Vision

What is syn₂cat all about? Read about our vision and future plans.

There is a smaller version available at Vision/Light.

Vision en.v1.0.2

What is syn₂cat?

Founded on February 3, 2009, syn₂cat is a non-profit association with the purpose of creating, exploiting and maintaining a so-called hackerspace in Luxembourg.

Definition by Wikipedia:

A hackerspace or hackspace (from Hacker and Space) is a real (as opposed to virtual) place
where people with common interests, usually in science,  technology, digital or electronic art
can meet, socialise and collaborate. Typical activities in hackspaces include
o learning and sharing knowledge
o presentations and lectures
o social activities including games and parties

syn₂cat, what for?

Spreading knowledge on a wide basis being one of the major goals of syn₂cat, we strongly believe that this can be achieved best by sharing one single infrastructure, where everybody shares not only their know-how but also responsibility over the premises. The hackerspace should function as an open space for sharing opinions, technology, and knowledge. The space should spread enthusiasm, encourage learning and mentoring, and inspire the attending crowd with all sorts of new ideas.

Additional information on the motivation behind syn₂cat can be found in our Info-Folder.

This is our leisure

Whereas most kids and teenagers have had their soccer-practice, chess-club or dancing-school, some were not that fortunate: Geeks, Nerds or whatever you may want to call people with a positive obsession in technology have been excluded from most social institutions, simply because there was no appropriate organisation. This is going to change with syn₂cat. We're aiming at getting people out of their rooms and cellars, into the hackerspace to join their peers and socialise.

Although we do play games occasionally to relax, this is not the goal of a hackerspace. Coding, soldering and discussing technology are our pastimes. This is exhilarating, fascinating and fun to us. Seriously ;)

What does a hackerspace contain?

• Fast internet access.
• Library with programming / science / leisure books & tens of magazine subscriptions - knowledge is power.
• Electronics laboratory which can be booked in case it is required for a bigger project / workshop.
• Plenty of chairs and desks for computers and laptops - Members are encouraged to do their reading and coding in the hackerspace so that inspiration can be shared freely.
• A lounge with consoles, a TV, a projector and screen and a number of Sofas - relaxation is part of the creative process.
• Kitchen facilities.
• Bathroom facilities, possibly a shower.
• Storage space for hardware which is not used often.

Where is syn₂cat heading? Goals and outlook

As mentioned above, syn₂cat follows the same goals as cited in the hackerspace definition. As such, our non-for-profit association (lux : ASBL), seeks synergies and collaborations with clubs and associations, sharing the same interests as syn₂cat. Furthermore, we have the profound belief that sharing knowledge, resources and localities gives way to productive and interesting collaborations.

As such, syn₂cat wants to share its space with people interested in technologies, electronics, arts, and any other kind of engineering field out there.

Art + Technology + Community + Diversity = Innovation

We are promoting new and experimental collaborations between previously unrelated ideas, methods and technologies, mashing architects with electronics engineers or coders with designers. The fusion of several disciplines is what makes a hackerspace interesting for everyone involved. The crossover of technology and art is an inspiring and rewarding task that leads to innovative ontologies and opens up captivating possibilities.

Chill & Cook -- Bits & Bytes

But behold! syn₂cat isn't only about micro controllers, soldering irons or computer workstations. In order to give people the opportunity to get to know each other and their ideas and projects, syn₂cat is also very much about having fun and being comfortable. We don't want people to hide behind their notebooks, soldering irons or artistic tools. We aim at building and maintaining a nurturing social environment that brings together people from various backgrounds, spanning age, gender or ethnicity. We want everyone to get together over a drink and some collectively prepared food, chatting, socializing, building trust and creating a group of people that can actively shape a part of society.

In order to build a thriving community in and around the hackerspace, we will actively engage in organizing alternate, less-technological activities, such as cooking and eating together, field-trips to various institutions and conventions, etc...

U23 - Guiding youth, imparting knowledge

Educating young people and helping them discover modern technology from another point of view is also one of the goals of syn₂cat. Considering the basic idea of a hackerspace, syn₂cat furthermore believes that young people can be taught to see fields of modern creativity from another perspective. In fact, our ASBL tries to interest young people (starting from 14 years on) to a wide area of modern appliances (like technology, electronics, arts, etc) and share their members' expertise and know-how in order to awake a new passion in the youngsters.

We consider ourselves responsible for teaching children and teenagers that there's more to computers and electronics than just games, instant messaging and facebook. Helping them discover their power over the machinery and their own creativity, they will see the endless possibilities that contemporary technology and media hold.

syn₂cat will offer regular workshops and cooperate with other institutions in order to create exceptional experiences for children and teenagers.

Some examples are

• JugendSummer2009
• Arduino soldering and programming workshop
• CDays 2009 (Lycée technique Ettelbruck)

Fostering an Open and Participatory Culture

Adhering to the founding principles of the internet and guided by the flow of increasingly converging media, we believe in an open and participatory culture that shares resources, knowledge, power and of course responsibilities. Openness extends to topics such as OpenSource, OpenAccess or OpenSpace.

Furthermore, syn₂cat is by all means a community project. In other words, the hackerspace is operated by the sum of its members, everyone is encouraged to participate in building, extending and maintaining the syn₂cat community and its infrastructure. There is no hierarchy in syn₂cat, instead, we hold on to and promote adhocracy. As our sister-project Noisebridge excellently puts it:

Leadership is taken by individual members for specific projects.  We call this "sudo leadership"
after the *nix command sudo which allows a regular user to do one root-level, or superuser, task.
In other words, if you want Noisebridge to do something, start doing it.

Visioun lu.v1.0.3

Wat ass syn₂cat?

En Hackerspace ass eng Plaz wou Mënsche sech treffen, déi ähnlech Interessien am Beräich vun der Technik hunn. Deen Interessi läit net onbedéngt nëmmen an der Informatik, mä ka genee esou gutt och mat Elektronik, zäitgenëssescher Konscht, Photographie an ähnlechem leien. En Hackerspace versicht dëse Mënschen e Raum an eng Infrastruktur ze bidden, fir kreativ an innovativ Projeten ze realiséieren, déi si alleng net kéinte bewältegen.

syn₂cat, fir wat ze man?

Ee vun eisen erklärten Ziler ass et, Wëssen ze verbreeden. Mir sinn der fester Iwwerzeegung, dass dat am beschten an engem Ëmfeld geet, dat fir jidderee gläichberechtegt zougänglech ass. Hei gëtt net nëmme Know-How a Material gedeelt, mä gläichzäiteg d'Verantwortung. Leit déi den Hackerspace besiche si motivéiert hier Meenungen an hiert Wëssen ze verbreeden. Si sinn houfreg aneren eppes bäi ze bréngen an si z'encouragéieren.

Et ass eis Fräizäitaktivitéit.

Wou aner Kanner a Jugendlecher op de Fussball-Training, an de Schachklub oder an de Solfège goungen, hu mir ons Entdeckungen alleng doheem gemeet. Flott encadréiert an zesumme mat Gläichdenkenden hätt eisen Hobby net nëmme méi Spaass gemeet, mä wier och vu pädagogescher Säit méi effektiv gewiescht. Fir Geeks, Nerds - oder wéi och ëmmer een eis nennt - déi vun Technik faszinéiert sinn an sech doranner verléieren, gouf et keng vergläichbar Organisatiounen. Mat syn₂cat entsteet eng Institutioun déi sech drëm këmmert, dës Leit aus hire Kummeren a Garagen raus ze kréien an an eng lieweg Gesellschaft z'integréieren wou déi verschiddenst Leit hiert Interessi deelen.

Obschonns mir zwar och heiansdo dat eent oder anert Computerspill spille fir eis z'entspanen, ass dat net e Sënn oder en Inhalt vum Hackerspace. Eis Fräizäitbeschäftegunge si Léiden, Programméieren, virwëtzeg sinn an iwwer Technik diskutéieren. Dat ass wat eis Spaass mëscht.

Wat gëtt et an engem Hackerspace?

• Eng Bibliothéik mat Bicher an Zäitschrëften iwwer Technik, Wëssenschaft a Kultur. Well Wëssen ass Muecht.
• Schnellen Internetaccès, Dëscher fir Computer, fir ze léiden, ze schrauwen an ze programméieren and dei neideg Materialien.
• Eng Stuff mat Fotellen, enger Leinwand a Konsolen. Bäi esouvill Kreativitéit muss een och mol entspanen.
• Eng Kiche, wou zesumme gekacht ka ginn a Gedrénks bereet gestallt gëtt.
• E Buedzëmmer an natierlech och eng Toilette.
• Eng Spëntchen, fir Équipement a soss Materialien ze stockéieren, déi net esou oft gebraucht ginn.

Wat fir Ziler verfollegt syn₂cat? - En Ausbléck

syn₂cat ass eng Meta-Organisatioun, déi versicht, mat verschiddenen aneren Organisatiounen Synergien anzegoen, ze kollaboréieren, Ressourcen an Informatiounen ze deelen.

Dofir wëll syn₂cat den Hackerspace mat Leit a Vereenegungen deelen, déi sech fir Technik, Elektronik, Konscht a sonstëg Handwierker interesséieren.

Konscht + Technik + Gemeinschaft + Villfälteges = Innovatioun

Mir fördere nei an ongewéinlech Zesummenaarbechten tëscht bis elo onreliéert Methoden an Technologien. Mir bréngen Architekte mat Mikroelektroniker zesummen, oder Softwareprogrammeure mat Grafikdesigner. Genau déi Vermëschung vun de verschiddensten Disziplinnen ass dat, wat en Hackerspace esou interessant fir all d'Leit mëscht, déi dobäi sinn. Eng Symbios tëscht Technik a Konscht ass spannend a bréngt faszinant nei Méiglechkeeten ervir. Sou hu mer zum Beispill zesummen mam MNHA en Owend mat L.A.S.E.R Tagging veranstalt bei deem Graffitiartisten sech kreativ op der Mauer vum Musée ausdrécke konnten ouni dës ze beschmieren.

Chill & Cook – Bits & Bites

Mee am Hackerspace geet et net just ëm Mikrokontroller, Léitkolwen oder Notebooks. Mir wëlle Mënschen, hier Iddien a Projeten zesumme bréngen an dofir ass et fir ons och wichteg, eng gemittlech an interessant Atmosphär ze schafen. Mir wëllen net, dass d'Leit sech hannert hirem Computerbildschierm verstoppen an dofir konstruéiere mir e soziaalt Ëmfeld wou Leit mat de verschiddensten Hannergrënn, vun all Alter a Geschlecht, aus de verschiddenste Kulturen, zesumme kommen. D'Besicher vum Hackerspace sollen sech beim zesumme Kachen an Iessen ënnerhalen, méi no kommen an nei Frëndschaften opbauen. Leit déi géigesäitegt Vertrauen opbaue kënne vill beweegen.

Fir also am a ronderëm den Hackerspace eng bléient Communautéit opzebauen, wäerte mir nieft der ganzer Technik och aner Aktivitéiten organiséiere, Konferenz besichen, Ausstellungen organiséieren oder eis um kulturelle Liewen zu Lëtzebuerg bedeelegen.

U23 – Jonk Mënsche leeden a Wësse vermëttelen.

Jonke Mënschen d'Technik no ze bréngen an hinnen ze weise, wat si ausser Spiller a Facebook nach alles domadder maache kënnen ass och eent vun den Ziler vu syn₂cat. Jugendlechen Äifer a kreatiivt Potential ëmsetzen geet am beschte wann een encadréiert ass. Mir wëlle Kanner a Jugendlecher net mat Technik alleng loossen, mä hinne bäibréngen, wéi een neie Medie kritesch begéint a wéi ee kann innovativ an nëtzlech Saachen domadder ka kreéieren.

syn₂cat wäert regelméisseg Atelieren ubidden an zesumme mat aneren Organisatiounen an Institutioune neiarteg Erliefnisser vermëttelen. An deem Kader ware mer zum Beispill un den CDays am Lycée Technique zu Ettelbréck bedeelegt wou mer Léitworkshops organiséiert hunn déi vun de Schüler houfreg besicht goufen. Am Summer 2009 encadréire mer e klenge Camp, vir Kanner a Jugendlecher d'Baue vu Roboteren ze vermëttelen.

Eng fräi a partizipativ Kulture ënnerstëtzen

Am Zäitalter vun ëmmer méi Verbindungen tëscht de verschiddene Medien an inspiréiert vum kollaborative Gedanke vum Internet gleewe mir un eng oppen, fräi a partizipativ Kultur, déi Ressource, Wëssen, Gestaltungsräim an natierlech och Verantwortung deelt. Ënner Oppenheet versti mir esou Theme wéi OpenSource, OpenAccess (de fräien Zougang zu Bildungs- a Fuerschungs-Materialien) oder och OpenSpace (Fräi-Reim fir jiddereen)

syn₂cat ass e Gemeinschafts-Projet. Den Hackerspace ass d'Resultat vun der Zesummenaarbecht vun senge Memberen. Jiddereen dréit dozou bäi den Hackerspace opzebauen, ze ënnerhalen an d'Gemeinschaft auszebauen. Bäi syn₂cat gëtt eng keng Hierarchie. Mir verstinn eis als Adhocratie, wou jiddereen, deen eppes erreeche wëll d'Initiative ergräift. An anere Wieder: Wanns du fënns, dass am Hackerspace eppes entstoe sollt, fänk un an aner Leit wäerten dir ënner d'Äerm gräifen.