Guilds

Guilds are self-organized groups that maintain Resources and organize Events at Noisebridge — each a self-governing "mini Noisebridge," free to operate according to its own conditions and best practices.

If you have questions about space use or items owned by a guild, see Guilds/Contact.

Hacking, it's more than just electronics

Craft hacking

Video editing

How to Join a Guild

Every guild has an open door. You don't need permission to join a Guild. Just find the guild that matches what you care about and start doing things.

What makes a guild different from just using a resource? Intention. A guild is a group of people who've decided, explicitly, that they're responsible for keeping that resource alive for the next person.

If you use a guild's tools or space regularly, you may already be part of a guild!

The next step is making that explicit: showing up to help, asking what needs doing, and getting to know the people who keep things running. Most Guilds have a regular meeting time. Make it your business to come to that meeting sometimes so you can meet people, share knowledge, and learn what the Guild needs and how you can help.

All guilds have a Discord channel (listed below). That's the fastest way to find out when people are around and what's happening.

The Guild concept is a home-grown Noisebridge cultural structure based on anarcho-syndicalism.

For philosophy, guidance, and patterns to follow, see MetaGuild.

Infrastructure Guilds

• SecWG: Maintains the access system.
• Rack: Maintains the servers infrastructure and network.
• Fundraising Guild: Works on fundraisers for NB.
• MetaGuild: Helps develop patterns for other guilds.
• Accessibility: Works on accessibility culture, streaming event support, layout. bathrooms, and planning elevator.

Currently Active Guilds

Games

• Games Guild: Encompasses multiple game groups and resources.
  • Gamebridge Classes: Runs weekly classes.
  • Noisebridge Gaming Archivists

Fabrication

• Sewing | #sewingstation on Slack, Sewing Channel on Discord
• Electronics: Maintains electronics shop and Circuit Hacking Mondays event.
• 3D Printing
• Wood Shop
• Laser Cutter

Art & Creativity

• Music Guild: Claims the music room and all its resources. Hosts a songwriting class on Sundays (time TBD).
• Rubber Ducky Guild

Tech & Learning

• AI/ML Meetup: Hosts regular discussion and MooC co-working learning.

Unknown Status

• Essential Infrastructure Guild
• Crypto
• Out of Space
• Simbridge
• Yak Shaving Guild
• VRBridge

Proposed guilds

• Art : Start improving NB art resources, classes and decorations by meeting for Artbridge.

Guild Checklist

Here's a starter list of basic things each guild's maintainers should aspire to do and get enough people onboarded to keep doing them.

• A guild requires a first maintainer to take point in recruiting more maintainers.
• RECRUIT MAINTAINERS: Recruit 3-5 maintainers to keep "maintainers > 0" status.
• GROW: Invite at least 10 people to join the group. Look for interested people by searching Discord for messages related to the topic.
• Maintainers list indicates who are active
• Inactives: Away & Past maintainers lists to avoid all maintainers listed being inactive.
• POST PHOTOS You need at least one photo in the info box of your guild or event.
  • Take current photos of any resources like machines in their current location.
  • Take one group or activity-related photo at every events meeting.
• TELL PEOPLE WHEN: Current time and date of any events they can attend.
• TELL PEOPLE HOW TO COMMUNICATE: communications channels info for any events
• TAKE NOTES: Write notes in the Discuss tab of your event page or guild.
• Note-taking Notes section or /notes sub-page updated if group has meetings or updates.
• Make a notes template page with a copy-pasteable notes template that has your usual event meeting format to fill out so anyone can facilitate the meetings.
• ANNOUNCE THINGS:' Post Announcements pages about anything the guild wants to share or ask for. You can add them to the meeting agenda to be read at the next meeting or mention them at meetings yourself. Post on Discord with a link to your announcement.

MAINTENANCE

• HISTORY SECTION: Outdated info moved to History sections at bottom of pages or entirely old pages marked { { historic } } if they won't be updated or { { outdated } } if they need updating.

Group Patterns

For patterns and guidance on running a healthy guild, see MetaGuild.

Style Guide For Guild Pages

The two best examples of well-formatted guild pages so far are games and sewing. Emulate those or improve further.

Use the guild template on top

Put the { {guilds} } template on top of the page. (View source to see how this is done with double curly braces around guild).

{{guilds}}

List Maintainers and add recruiting template if it is below 2

Put a list of maintainers at the very top of the page with 0 if there are none signed up. Add the { { recruitnig } } template to include a volunteers needed infobox:

{{recruiting}}

To use in future

Wikipedia Editable Templates

Example on Wikipedia: Infobox_country

{{ManualPage}}

Past Organizational Models

• FractalWorkingGroup: The pre-existing informal group creation model.