Recruiting for OS Fab Lab
Recruiting Process
The Factor e Home Team will lead the recruitment effort.
Basic skills required for participants in the Build a Village Project, and the Open Source Fab Lab are:
- Ability to perform research on the internet
- Technical literacy regarding how things work, or willingness to learn such literacy
- Ability to solve problems
- Willingness to learn new tasks of all type
- Ability to learn new computer software
- Willingness to use workshop tools
- Ability to take responsibility for one's living environment
- Ability to get along with others and cooperate to common goals
- Ability to analyze and integrate information towards practical results
Looking for Integrated Humans
Why our general emphasis on Integrated Humans? We found that specialists lack the broad perspective required to build the world's first, replicable, post-industrial village - the goal of Factor e Farm.
FAQ
- What skills should the person have? Generalist skills, independent thinking, and problemsolving skills are required.
- What is the general development process? See a description of the Open Source Fab Lab. All tools are yet to be developed, to the general specifications noted. At present, the Torch Table is in progress (see Torch Table Log). Check OS Fab Lab status for updates. As people are recruited, Commander's Intent is followed. The bottom line is that the Intent has already been described in the Personal Fabrication Distillation and in the Open Source Fab Lab page. Beyond that, designs have to be researched, OSE Specifications need to be considered, and Development Work Template should be followed loosely until subsequent cleaning up of content. Techniques of Open Engineering have to be followed. The end goal is product release. We're simply talking about a whole product development cycle, performed in the open source domain. We have followed the same with the CEB press (see also CEB Press, are doing the same with the Sawmill and Torch Table. The rigorous open engineering procedure and toolset is yet to be developed - and is in itself equivalent to several Ph.D.'s in scope.
- What will the person be doing? - The person will be doing any of the following, depending on their skills: researching, designing, building, collaborating, publicizing, documenting, and any other tasks, as required by the projects. Research, design, prototyping, and testing are the distinct tasks.
- What is the hoped for final outcome of their work? - The end goal is product release. A participant may work on any aspect leading to product release.
- How long would they stay? - Any length of stay is possible, but the most practical is a recommended 1 month stay. This is so that a person could actually build the device in question - to close an accountability loop in product deployment.
- How will the financial parts work out? We are seeking volunteers. Projects are funded through the 1000 True Fans - 1000 Global Villages Campaign and specific project funding baskets, funded via crowd donations. Participants are required to publish a proposal on their work once sufficient design due diligence has been performed. Proposals are published on the blog and wiki, and may be refactored and submitted to more formal funding soures. Everyone on the project is encouraged to engage in some level of project marketing.
- Where will they live? - People will typically live in Solar Cubicles. Separate kitchen and bathroom facilities are available. We are using a composting toilet.
- How much support/autonomy will they have? Everyone collaborates, and a common workshop is used. Design goes through team design review, and everyone helps each other. Daily, morning planning meetings set out the agenda for the day. If one can solve a problem entirely, they are encouraged to do so as autonomously as possible. Bills of materials are reviewed prior to purchase. The support should come from on-site members as well as from the global internet community.
