Global Fabmoments website?

[peteruithoven]

Hi guys,

We just started our own FabLab, Fablab Amersfoort, the first low budget FabLab.
We are looking into our website and how to build a better system for FabMoments, I was kind of hoping for an existing system / website, but it seems like everybody has it own system on his own website.

Why don't we start a global FabMoments.org website where all the FabLabs can post projects?
Or a global FabLab website with a proper FabMoments page?

Looking into this I was told that Anu Määttä and others are working on a Drupal module for FabMoments. (She promised she would respond to this thread.)

We would like to know what the plans and ideas are, how that's going. We would like to join the discussion and help out where needed.

[Anu]

Hi,

I'm aware of these:
-fabmoments originally created by Raoul for de Waag fablab
-ProtoSpace is currently using a slightly modified version of these (without the Unlimited Design Contest dependencies + I'm working on a Lite version, with the very basics (title, description, design source file + grabbing images from our Flickr stream)
-Groningen has more Drupal-way fabmoments - preserving the multi-step form from de Waag fabmoments, adding some Drupal Taxonomies
-Norway (Hoylandet) is working on easier to use version - last touched base @ Fab6

Ultimately, it should not matter (too much) which version individual Fablab uses (though one 'official' version would be much better in the long run!). What matters is getting the fabmoments out as e.g. RSS feed that can be aggregated across sites and onto Fabfolk.com.

Need to run now - this later, in case there would be any places left: https://www.bof.nl/2010/09/21/unieke...cory-doctorow/

[karstenj]

Hi! Like to let you know: In my "Creative-Pool" idea, I like to integrate a platform, for sharing knowledge for FabLab users. Where can users share knowledge and experience on a platform, related to FabLab? Think, we need something, where specific groups can find eachother by getting access to education-material, ideas from other labs... Here in Germany education is a serious topic at the moment (cause it is very unflexible and non effective). FabLab could give an important input i think.
I think, on the long run, we should look for a solution, to bring more good aspects "throu the lenses" of FabLab Costomers together. Communication of Labusers is very important I think. How can they get and share informations, which belongs to their specific interests? The FabMoments are perfect to let the others know about own ideas, to inspire others, to make transparent FabLabs potential ...
I miss kind of a forum, where users can communicate their specific questions. Think, it is important for costomers, to talk peer to peer. And to find contact to other groups of FabLab costomers, if knowhow from a different discipline is needed.
I see FabLab as a platform, where new milieus can grow. That´s why the communication should happen on a platform, related to FabLab.
Makes it sense? ;-)
Karsten

[karstenj]

I think the contribution from Vicente Guallart (architect from Barcelona) at fab6 was important. How to integrate design with high quality in the environment of FabLab....?
To work in a FabLab with the interrest, to receive a output with high quality, it needs contacts with high quality.
Think, the way, to receive specific know how, is to design a platform related to FabLab, where users can share specific know how peer to peer. A communication platform for "learn-make-share". From "low-threshold-questions" to "advanced-questions" of professional users.
Karsten

[peteruithoven]

So the plan is to have every FabLab use the same FabMoments drupal module and aggregate that to something on fabfolks.com?
Again, why not make one global (possibly Drupal based) FabMoments website?

I would understand it if it was because we would like to see what the ideas are from every individual FabLab but that's not the case using a standard Drupal module.
I do understand that a global website is harder to organize.

[hiroya]

Hi, I am Hiro Tanaka, a director of FabLabJapan.
We are going to show the first Mobile fablab in Tokyo at the end of October.
If possible I would like to set up Fabmoments in Japan website.
Considering about the language barrier at the current situation, I guess I have to translate some statements into Japanese.
May I use FabMoments source code (for Drupal?) for that?

[karstenj]

hi! nice to hear, that you are planning a mobile fablab in japan! do you got a homepage...?
also like to integrate fabmoments for our fablab (under construction) here in bremen.
think, it is a worthfull instrument to share ideas, inspiration, stories....
what is made in fablabs also has to do with the identity of fablab, cause we are just a platform.
we can win a lot, if we have the same system in this! fabmoments is a great idea.
we have already a great millieu aroud fablab, that is why we should cultivate the communication of this millieu.
think, fablab is more, than giving people access to machines..., it is about receiving and sharing informations in a good environment. users don´t like to be "lost in space", they love to be part of a smart community (like FabLab already is!).
would be nice, to have a common sense about this in the worldwide context.
karsten

[Ton Zijlstra]

Hi Peter,
I think the only viable way to do anything is by aggregation. This means aggregating FabMoments from around the globe through RSS. There is no way all labs will start using a central repository, if only because of differences in language. FabMoments are mostly used locally (where they are created) and not made with the 'global audience' in mind. That might be the case for a FabLab manager, but not for individual users. And most certainly lab users will tend to document in their own language, even if they are able to write English.

To aggregate I would suggest not making a new website on a new domain (there are already so many of them that nobody knows how to navigate them), but aggregate at fabfolk.com somewhere (currently working on redesigning that site) and/or use a well established place like instructables.com

[Ton Zijlstra]

A short update: the FabFoundation Netherlands is looking into arranging some server space for the BeNeLux network to store FabMoments in if they want. The plan is currently being written by FabLab Groningen and will be discussed at the 23 Feb FabTable in The Hague. The idea is to have a space available to the network for those not able to store their own FabMoments, as well as allow all to do it their own way. More details to follow in a week or two.

[Anu]

Hi Karsten (& all),
as for the global aggregation, after a few Tuesday calls with MIT & folks, we set up a little start here:
http://sandbox.fabfolk.com/drupal/

note: this is NOT the final location or style and is missing things we would like to have there, just something simple to start from. It's Drupal-based, as there's a bunch of things Drupal can do when processing the feeds to make FabMoments findable, categorized etc.
If you have a(n RSS) feed of FabMoments already up and would like to stay in the loop please let me know, anu at fabfolk.com. Even if you don't have a feed up yet, maybe we could also help with setting one up if you already have some form of FabMoments being made (Drupal, Wordpress, or anything else is okay as long as you can output RSS) - it would be nice to have a few more feeds there to start making sense out of.