emerging hackerspaces – peer-production generation

Emerging hackerspaces – Peer-production generationJarkko Moilanen

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OSS 2012The Eighth International Conference on Open Source Systems

Emerging hackerspaces – Peer-production generation

Jarkko [email protected] of Tampere

School of Information Sciences


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Research motivation

● Personal history in hackerspaces and in hacker culture● Started as pure 'hackerspaces' study, expanded to

cover other forms as well.● To provide missing accurate longitudinal statistical

research data and results about commons-based peer production community such as:● Common characteristics of the community● Member motivation and ● Community values

● To put DIY communities on the larger context of hacker generations as 'Peer-production' generation


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Observation and surveys

● Methods used● Empirical observation (helped in defining survey

questions)● Annual surveys (main data collection method)

● Surveys are part of P2P Foundation supported Statistical Studies of Peer Production studies established by author.


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Peer-production surveys

● Conducted 2010 and 2011 (also 2012)● Conducted among DIY communities such as

● Hackerspaces● Makerspaces ● DIYbio● Fablabs


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Results


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Middle-aged western men

● 'Average' member of DIY community is a highly educated 26 - 31 years old male from Europe (2011: 39%) or North America (2011:48%)


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Bachelors and Masters of 'hacking'

● 2011: 56% at least Bachelor Degree (2010: 49%)


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Committed to one local community

● Nearly 91% are members of just one community


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Building objects in crowd

● Top 3 interests:building objects (82%), social aspects (67%) and software hacking (65%)


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Fun loving altruistic community

● Altruism, community commitment, meeting other hackers in real world and having fun ● having fun (98%)● meeting other hackers and hacker-minded

people (95%)● contributing to community without

expecting something in return (80%)● commitment to community (75%)


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SW and HW Projects

● Software related: > 55%, Hardware related: > 65%


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Small-ish local communities

● Over 40% of spaces have 20-50 members


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Peer funded

● Question 'From which sources funding and resources can/should be obtained?' was added to 2011 survey.● Membership fees: over 92%● Donations from individuals: 88%● Governmental sources: 60% ● Company donations: around 57%


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Peer-production generation

Suggested view to Hacker generations. Source: Modified from Taylor (2005). Peer-production added by the author. Beginning of peer-production generation is debatable. Hackerspaces emerged in small scale around 1995, but breakthrough happened around 2001-2002 and after that other forms of peer-production emerged.


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Peer-production generation

● Motivation: altruism, community commitment, meeting other hackers in real world and having fun

● Small-ish local communities (with own space) ● While members value social events, they

value doing/'making' more● Peer funding (over company or goverment)● Hackerspaces resemble 'third places' defined

by Oldenburg


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Motivation model

● hackerspace communities have a strong ‘social motivation factor’. Not found significant in other research on open source development

Modified from Martine Aalbers, 2004. “Motivation for participation in an open source software community,” at http://download.blender.org/documentation/bc2004/Martine_Aalbers/results-summary.pdf


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Future research

● Continue annual surveys● Future (separate) surveys will focus on three

communities to enable more profound results:● General DIY community (general features of Peer-

production generation)● DIYbio community ('revolutionary activity')● 3D Manufacturing community ('revolutionary activity')

● Compare the general Peer production generation to the two 'revolutionary' communities.


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Questions?

● For more information, read http://surveys.peerproduction.net/

● Email: [email protected]

http://surveys.peerproduction.net/

emerging hackerspaces – peer-production generation

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