New Member Orientation

This isn't a strict guide, but a conceptual overview:

Who should join

Are we the right place for you? There are several other hackerspaces/makerspaces in the area, and it's important to find the right fit! i3Detroit has a lot of capabilities but also expects a strong commitment in return. Our dues are kept low because members share the work of upkeep -- if you're proud to help, please keep reading!

Are you the right person for us? Take a look at i3Detroit's Vision and make sure you understand why each of those things is important. If you're not sure yet, come as a guest a few more times, talk to more members, and get a sense of how the community operates.

How to get information

• Check the wiki
• Ask the appropriate zone
• Ask in #new_member slack channel

How to join

So, you've visited the space a few times and you can't wait to take the plunge? Sweet!

First, teach yourself what you need to know to be a member! Yes, teach yourself – it’s a DIY group, after all.

We’ve set up a sort of “scavenger hunt” or “experience quest” to guide you on this process. By finding the answers to these questions, you'll familiarize yourself with the space, the organization, the people, and the internal systems that tie it all together.

Expect to spend 5-6 hours and visit the space 2-3 times in order to complete the quest. Take your time and read carefully! Skim both of the following forms, then begin working on phase 1:

Phase 1

The goal of this stage is to introduce you to i3 both physically and socially. You will learn such vital information as where to find emergency equipment, making connections with other members, and finding the Wiki (check!). Let's get started!

Phase 1 Link: [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1uaO5qh7NpbrLsYVSyRVWttJEcAuT-6syEMJOB7a67Pg/viewform

Once you’ve submitted that, the results will be processed by a volunteer, which may take several days. (If you don't hear anything in a week or so, email membership@ and check.) If your responses look sensible, we’ll create some accounts for you, and you'll get a handful of emails about various logins and an invitation to the next stage.

Phase 2

Once you get the emails (check your spam box!) granting access to the internal systems, it's time to get some practice with them! In this phase, you'll update your CRM record and emergency contact info, create a page for yourself on the Wiki, and invite yourself to Slack among other things. Let's jump in!

Phase 2 Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14ocPkCQdEsFscgU-SVBHW1ibhAkdpd_RfMMUWRA1A8k/viewform

Membership Meeting

So your phase 2 looks good, you're almost done! You'll be invited to join the private and announce mailing lists (please join those) and also get an email inviting you to attend a membership meeting! Here we will run through some slides to fill in any information gaps from the previous phases and go over some other general-knowledge all members should have. Don't worry, we'll break the lecture up with dues payment setup, a closedown tour, and setting you up with a key! As always, questions are encouraged. After that, you’ll be a member! Welcome aboard!

Here are the slides we will go over, you can look at them beforehand if you like, but mainly they're here as a convenience for future you to refer back for a refresher.

Slide Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TTJCX_Tz-vEzmFHJZj12nXrMWMVLIyQR5TgtkV1nKpg/edit?usp=sharing

Phase 3 (WIP)

Once you have your key, you're officially a member, but....now what? Phase 3 is a list of next-steps that will continue helping you get integrated into the community, but which weren't considered critical enough to require doing them before you get your key.

Phase 3: Right over here at this wiki page: Membership Phase 3

How to pay dues

There's a page for that: Dues Payments

Or not, there's always the scholarship program...

How to leave

There's a page for that too!: HOWTO Leave

How to get kicked out

• Damage something and then try to hide it, instead of fessing up and helping with repairs.
• Violating the Harassment Policy is a pretty good way.
• For the overachiever, it's possible to do both at once...
• There's other stuff too, detailed in the standing rules.