Jeroens blog

A few days back I created my second ever Android application, basically a re-do of the first one that was titled “Pamela for Android“, now with the name “PAMELA Widget“. It has the same function: display a list of people at 0×20, the hackerspace in Ghent, or HSB, the space in Brussels,obtained via the PAMELA webservice. More info on PAMELA can be found here.

I couldn’t really get the interface in the previous app quite working as I wanted, and then got inspired by the iRail Liveboard app, created by Christophe Versieux, to write a new version, based on the code of the Liveboard app.

You can get the app from the Android market by searching “pamela widget”. You can also get the code, which is GPL3+ licenced, from GitHub.

Today I finished work on an initial version of a script I created to be able to update the Belgian Hackerspace wiki’s from my development environment. It took me quite a while to create this, as it’s my first bash script, and I had to figure out all the basic syntax stuff. Fixing up bad configuration and differences in set up also took up quite some time. Now I update the codebase of all wiki’s on the server weekly by running a single command, which is totally awesome Screenshot of the script running on my laptop:

As you can see, it allows updating a single wiki, or all of them, and the update can consist of everything, MediaWiki core, all extensions or just a single extension.

A week ago I finally created the project form, template and category on the 0×20 wiki, leaving only recurring event support on the immediate wishlist. When that has been taken care off, the semantic datastructures can be copied to a new wiki on hackerspaces.be, which will serve as a general Belgian wiki. Here the datastructures can be refined further and copied to somewhere before actual contents is put in (which allows other wiki’s to be created with it, avoiding a lot of work). This is probably a good chance to get the WikiSpaces project rolling again. After the datastructures have been copied, the wiki can be used to put information that is not specific to a single Belgian hackerspace, such as Pamela, the Mate supply, hacker events, ect. It’d also be the logical place to pull events from the other wiki’s into.

I decided to finally become a paying member of two of Belgium’s three hackerspaces, which are Hackerspace Brussels, and Whitespace or 0×20, in Gent.

From Wikipedia [citation needed]: A hackerspace or hackspace (from Hacker and Space, also referred to as a makerspace or creative space) is a real (as opposed to virtual) place where people with common interests, usually in science, technology, or digital or electronic art can meet, socialise and collaborate. A hackerspace can be viewed as an open community lab, workbench, machine shop, workshop and/or studio where people of diverse backgrounds can come together to share resources and knowledge to build/make things.

Both spaces are totally awesome, earning over 9000 points on the awesomeness scale, even when holding only 2% of the overall awesomeness into account. Geeks, tech discussions, club mate and the airwolf theme playing every 5 minutes – what more could you want? Check out the wikis of the spaces if you are interested in joining one of the many upcoming awesome meetings/workshops/presentations.

Linkz

• Hackerspace Brussels
• Whitespace (0×20)
• Whitespace blog
• Hackerspace Antwerp
• List of hackerspaces

Whitespace would like to invite you to its opening weekend 19-21 March.

When: From Friday 19th of March to Sunday the 21st.
Where: Blekerijstraat 75, Gent, Belgium

Whitespace (0×20) is the first hackerspace in Ghent and will be opening its doors for the first time on the weekend of 19-21 March. The space is ready for launch, but far from finished: we’ve got a roof, multiple walls, and some cat5 and now we need more people to have fun with. Don’t know what a “hackerspace” is? Check http://hackerspaces.org We hope to see you drop by.

The agenda
The sechedule might undergo minor changes, so keep an eye on the wiki page.
Friday:

• 20:00: Opening drink, see the space, meet the locals, fun hacker partygames.

Saturday:

• 14:00 : OpenWRT presentation: a big os for small devices.
• 15:00 : Flashing for fun & profit (Bring your compatible wireless router (http://wiki.openwrt.org/oldwiki/tableofhardware), Flash it! (don’t worry we’ll walk you trough).)
• 17:00 : Everything you always wanted to know about IPv6 but were afraid to ask.
• 18:00 : Open recipe burgers (with secret sauce).
• 21:00 : Evening entertainment: Powerpoint karaoke hosted by fs111.

After that : something involving liquids.

Sunday:

• 12:00 Hungry-Hacker is hungry. Breakfast.
• 15:00 lightning talks:Such diverse subjects as: Google Summer of Code, The talk too trollish to mention, How to get yourself a lot of work that you didn’t plan by being creative, Something about something, Awesome talk will be awesome, … (open stage, schedule will be on the wiki, add your lightning talk there).

Registration
Is not necessary but it would be nice to give us an idea on how many of you to expect so we have enough chairs and secret sauce. Please add your name: http://www.doodle.com/bg5x7xrbcg5z9h8q. Feel free to invite your friends.

More info
Check out our wiki at 0×20.be, follow us on twitter and join the #0×20 irc channel on freenode.

Yesterday the Dutch GSoC student meeting took place at Hackerspace Brussels (which appears to be the first, and currently only hackerspace in Belgium). Unfortunately 1/3rd of the attendees forgot to come, resulting in only 2 people being present. Some interesting people where present at HSB though, which who I had some nice conversations about ICT related subjects. I also installed Maps and Semantic Maps on their wiki, as a demonstration of the extension’s usage.

Me and two fellow Google Summer of Code students, one from the Netherlands, and one from Belgium, have decided to hold a meeting in Brussels. This will be a great opportunity to discuss each others work, and future plans.

There are over 10 other Dutch speaking GSoC students we haven’t heard of, they are of course also welcome. I’d also like to invite people who are interested in GSoC. This includes people who are simply curious and want to know what it is, but also those who are considering to participate as either student or mentor in a future GSoC. Note that non Ducth people are also welcome! Feel free to send me an email, or one on the GSoC student list, if you are interested, or simply comment on this blog post.

The meeting will take place September 29th, at 19:30, in Hacker Space Brussels (HSB). HSB is located at PRINSES ELISABETHLAAN 46, 1030 Schaarbeek, Brussels.