Why don't more people volunteer at DMS?

LBJ method?

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It’s easy when you truly care.
It’s not something you make others do.
It’s something you should live to do.

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I would suggest a more digital and organized means of “to do” lists. See Trello.com

It’s basically like an online sticky board that can be used to categorize and assign tasks.

This way we can mark off what’s been done and add what needs to be done, and see it from any device connected to the internet.

We could even take it a step further and temporarily dedicate one of @StanSimmons raspberry Pi touch screens for just this.

As of right now, I can’t find a list of tasks that need to be accomplished, other than driving to the DMS and looking at the whiteboard, which only had 1 thing on it last night (something about a bathroom). Surely, there’s more. Another way that I learn of tasks that need to be done are by thread posts here in Talk, but sometimes those get lost in all the conversations.

The white board is okay but if we had some input for the future as to what needed to be done we might be able to schedule ahead. If each committee has a schedule of when they do through and clean/update, etc. that would give members a good opportunity to plan ahead. I am not there as much as I would like to be but volunteering is very rewarding. You know you are part of the family of Makers.

We do have this …

https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/c/volunteer-ops

and we have volunteer.dallasmakerspace.org

I really like the Volunteer Opportunities category, and they are how I got my start at the Makerspace.

P.S. It still hasn’t fallen! [COMPLETED] - Mount broom holders

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We really need to promote it more …

I had not heard of the other one before. Looks like no one is using it. I’m not certain who has admin on it.
Should we remap the domain to point to the talk category?

thanks for the links. it really should be promoted more. but what about the menial tasks? we world have to create a post for every single duty. and we can’t categorize them easily.i would suggest a page for each committee, sub categorized under immediately, 1 week, 1 month, or by level of commitment.

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This was the thought behind the list for Machine Shop which I haven’t updated in a while.

I will see if I can get with Stan and on the Big Calendar screens we may be able to swipe and get to a different tab perhaps

Then we could have the calendar on one and the volunteer category on another.

I might add that in so far as expansion tasks go, it’s unclear to me how one goes about getting into the area to do work in the new suite. Does it require one to find Chris or a board member first? Or is there a way to get right to it?

You can get with Stan as well, or that was the case when grinding the floor. But yes afaik it requires finding someone to let you in first.

No I don’t we need to hire someone. But I do believe we put a huge effort into getting people to join, and the effort to integrate and educate new members I minimal, at the most. Yesterday a (I think fairly new) member asked me if others also felt like once you were in the door, it was up to a new member to seek out every new detail if howog how DMS functions. A consistent, frequent orientation session for new members could help a lot. It could include volunteering as part of the content.

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I do think people get lost in all of it. We forget that it is alot to take in. If we didn’t have Stan and even his “desk” is important. People point to it. I have no idea why an administrator / information desk is not staffed by volunteers 24 hours.
There should be training for volunteer positions, IMO.

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I like it too, but didn’t know it was there, or forgot it was. I think the idea of it prominently displayed is great. Free pizza would also…nevermind :slight_smile:

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Do you think we should have hourly volunteers? People that can take a shift so to speak? We have lots of salary volunteers. Granted everyone get $0… the people are treated as salary in that they have responsibilites and they figure out when and how … perhaps we should have some trained positions that have a schedule and set things to do … some people need more structure. .

There was a time when a member shit on all of the tour volunteers. It was a long time before I led another tour through DMS again.

The shit you read on Talk does have its effect on volunteering. Seeing folks ripped apart over perceived imperfections, slights, and rule lawyering sucks big time.

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How convenient of you to forget the “politics” of previous BoDs. :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

What I find interesting is that some folks want to be chair of some committee.
Apparently they can find time to be a chair if elected, but not to show up to volunteer their time. :frowning_face:

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I work overnight hours and attend makerspace at the late hours.
I contribute by emptying the dust collector when I’m there and the trash bins and putting tools away that I didn’t even use. I should add that I only know how to empty the dust collector because I strong armed a couple of people late at night into showing me how. The 9 am work shop clean up days are out of my free schedule range.

I’ll start contributing to the software infrastructure when i get done sandboxing cake php for a couple more weeks. I got lucky enough to bump into @Draco when I was there the other day and he got me caught up on the primer for where the dev environment is. I believe Draco was up past his bed time. Asynchronus contributions like that tend to fit in my schedule way more.

If i get the ball rolling on being able to teach classes I’d be happy to teach classes at weirdo hours since that’s my main schtick anyway.

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I have been ‘guilty’ of treating Stan’s “desk” as a general information desk. He doesn’t seem to mind.

also! i have had people ask me in person “hey what’s the access code for (X machine)” and i point them to the talk page and their face lights up like they’ve never even considered that. a more prominent talk page location on the various web interfaces might help.

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