Thank you for attending our Open Evening. Several questions arose last night about how to join the Makerspace, how to proceed to set up a direct debit for your monthly subscription, and when you would receive a key tag and hence can start using the space. I promised this post on Discourse to clarify the issue once I had consulted our directors. I apologise for not having this information last night to answer your questions. Here’s the deal:
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Most of you signed up to a mailing list (kinda like a “waiting list”) after we closed memberships for a trial period last year. You asked to be informed when membership re-opened, which it now has, for a limited period. Yes, we know the web site does not reflect this yet, and we will correct that soon.
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If you put yourself on this mailing list, you MAY have already received an invitation to complete a brief survey questionnaire. See below for how to proceed.
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HOWEVER we do not want to be overwhelmed by a flood of new member applications all at once, so the directors are sending these invitations in “batches”. If you have put your name on the mailing list, but have not yet been invited to complete the survey questionnaire, you will be when your batch rises to the top. Please be patient - we had a lot of interest when membership was closed. You MUST complete the survey before you will receive an invitation link to join the Makerspace.
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If you have NOT added yourself to the mailing list, please do so at: https://southlondonmakerspace.org/capacity/
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If you HAVE completed the survey, you should receive a link inviting you to join in due course. This is not immediate, and may take a few days.
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If you HAVE completed the survey, but HAVE NOT received your invitation link, FIRST please check your junk/spam box. We have heard of these emails being filtered as spam, so make sure this didn’t happen to you. If you confirm that you did NOT receive an invitation to join, please contact the directors (@directors on Discourse is the best way).
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Discourse is our bulletin board system, and by far the most popular method of communicating with other Makerspace members. There is a link to it on our web page. Anyone can set up an account on Discourse and post to it - you do not have to be a member, although some sections are for members only.
(following section edited to correct it 18/1/19)
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When you receive your invitation link, please complete the forms in the membership system up until the direct debit part.
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Then, email the directors, asking them open up the Direct Debit section — it is currently locked by default, which is why you must ask the directors to unlock it.
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Once you have completed your application, and set up your direct debit, it takes a few days to make your first payment, depending on your bank and how you set it up. AFTER your first payment has been made (please confirm yourself) just come to the Makerspace and pick up your red key tag. Any member can issue you with a key tag, and can help you activate the tag using the member kiosk in the clean room. It may take a day or so after your first direct debit payment shows on your account for it to be confirmed and added to our membership system.
Check your key tag by trying to open the front door! At first, you will only have access if someone else is already in the space. In due course you can apply to the directors for “shutter access” - that process is covered elsewhere on Discourse.
That’s it. If you need further clarification, please post your question on Discourse.
Happy making!
Martin