Name my makerspace AND me
October 14, 2017 2:23 PM Subscribe
With a little luck I am going to be getting my own small but well-formed makerspace. It's kind of an enrichment project for marginalised young adults. It needs a name and so does my role in it. Inspire me!
Both names should be fun but also look good on a resumé later, theirs and mine, so JR's Funhouse and Head Clown are out. Ringmaster mightn't be though. Cat Herder would be rather dismissive to the yoofs, they should feel respected and that it's cool/attractive/aspirational.
For my part I've been fond of Creative Technologist, since it's a real thing, but is it terribly out of fashion? I would be running the space and "owning" the project as well as creating the curriculum and managing the teams of folks in it.
Both names should be fun but also look good on a resumé later, theirs and mine, so JR's Funhouse and Head Clown are out. Ringmaster mightn't be though. Cat Herder would be rather dismissive to the yoofs, they should feel respected and that it's cool/attractive/aspirational.
For my part I've been fond of Creative Technologist, since it's a real thing, but is it terribly out of fashion? I would be running the space and "owning" the project as well as creating the curriculum and managing the teams of folks in it.
Best answer: You: Founder
It: The Foundry
You: Mission Control
It: SpaceLab
You: Director
It: Intergalactic Ideas Incorporated
You: Dean
It: Alchemy Academy
posted by carmicha at 2:54 PM on October 14, 2017 [2 favorites]
It: The Foundry
You: Mission Control
It: SpaceLab
You: Director
It: Intergalactic Ideas Incorporated
You: Dean
It: Alchemy Academy
posted by carmicha at 2:54 PM on October 14, 2017 [2 favorites]
Make Your Way
posted by tel3path at 3:20 PM on October 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by tel3path at 3:20 PM on October 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Founding manager? I'm sure you will find a good name for the space but I would also encourage you to consider a title that communicates quickly the responsibility you have. Best of luck, this sounds fabulous!
posted by Bella Donna at 3:31 PM on October 14, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Bella Donna at 3:31 PM on October 14, 2017 [3 favorites]
You: Makerspace Maker
posted by Napoleonic Terrier at 5:11 PM on October 14, 2017
posted by Napoleonic Terrier at 5:11 PM on October 14, 2017
Best answer: I would check hackerspaces.org before choosing a name to be sure you're not picking one that's already taken by another makerspace/hackerspace. It might also give you some ideas.
Another good thing to do when choosing a name for something is just google the name (in quotes) that you want, and if it gets any hits at all, pick a different name. That way, when later on you google for the name, you'll know that everything you find has something to do with your thing, and not something else, and when people google for your thing, they'll find it, and not something else.
posted by smcameron at 5:44 PM on October 14, 2017
Another good thing to do when choosing a name for something is just google the name (in quotes) that you want, and if it gets any hits at all, pick a different name. That way, when later on you google for the name, you'll know that everything you find has something to do with your thing, and not something else, and when people google for your thing, they'll find it, and not something else.
posted by smcameron at 5:44 PM on October 14, 2017
Best answer: When naming my non-profit, a hackerspace of sorts (as originally envisioned, finally getting back to that), I didn’t want it to sound like a maker/hackerspace or something that was for marginalized people (in my case, immigrant families). I guess what you name it really depends of the ethos of why you’re founding it. I didn’t want it to sound like a deficit-based charity or be a play on tech lingo/aesthetic like a typical hackerspace.
On business cards, I have separate ones that say Renegade Engineer and Renegade Teacher, but put Co-founder or Co-director in proposals and introductions. My partner puts Community Scientist on her cards. I may throw Community _something_ on my next set of cards.
posted by gaelenh at 9:17 PM on October 14, 2017
On business cards, I have separate ones that say Renegade Engineer and Renegade Teacher, but put Co-founder or Co-director in proposals and introductions. My partner puts Community Scientist on her cards. I may throw Community _something_ on my next set of cards.
posted by gaelenh at 9:17 PM on October 14, 2017
You're the Chief Community Enabler. You help lead the Engineering Vision Space.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 11:31 PM on October 14, 2017
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 11:31 PM on October 14, 2017
Master Maker.
posted by elsietheeel at 9:31 AM on October 15, 2017
posted by elsietheeel at 9:31 AM on October 15, 2017
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! Lots of great input here, great tip to make sure somthing specific isn't already in that namespace, and making sure it didn't sound stigmatising was already an important goal. It seems I will likely have to have the title project manager or similar (me?!) but as per gaelenh's advice I will be mixing it up. I do very much like Founder. It's looking like we will land on just DEV (with the implied pun of personal development through the project as well).
posted by J.R. Hartley at 11:29 PM on October 31, 2017
posted by J.R. Hartley at 11:29 PM on October 31, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by koroshiya at 2:42 PM on October 14, 2017