---
title: "News from the Belfast Hackerspace"
url: "http://andrewbolster.info/2010/09/news-from-the-belfast-hackerspace/"
date: "2010-09-07T13:02:31Z"
tags: ["Belfast","Community","Cryptography","Cybersecurity","Hackerspace","Hacking","Open Source","Privacy","Programming","Technology","WiFi","Charity","Event"]
---

So we’re only a [few weeks into developing this idea](/2010/07/belfast-hackerspace-anyone/), and first I’m going to give some credit where credit’s due; the people that I’m working with this have been brilliant, I want to give special thanks (in no particular order) to [Ryan Grieve](http://www.thegrieve.co.uk) (@thegrieve), David Kane, Ben Harrison, Martin Gilchrist (@Gilchrist\_LLP), Jonny Milliken, Dan Reid, and Chris Murray (@kris18890).

Anywhere, where are we now?

Currently we’re trying to secure storage space from [QUBSU](http://twitter.com/QUBSU), as well as negotiating using The Space as an exhibition area, working with [Digital Circle](http://digitalcircle.ning.com/) to come to some partnership agreement, with two major event ideas;

1. Having a ‘Hack Aid’ (hopefully in conjunction with [Camara](http://camara.ie/web/), where interested parties bring in their obsolete computers and spare parts, which everyone would work together to turn into usable computers that would then be donated to charity. Personally I think this is brilliant because it could combine a wide variety of technical fields from electrical engineering, computer architecture, programming, Open Source Software, and a community spirit that I hope the Hackerspace will be able to continue.
2. Liaising with the [Northern Ireland IET Committee](http://www.theiet.org/local/uk/n-ireland/index.cfm) to take part in their proposed CyberSecurity week this coming year, with a series of activities involving the ‘classical’ conception of hacking, from wireless network intrusion (and intrusion detection!), network mapping, DDoS attacks, encryption and encryption attacks, as well as a wealth of informative talks and discussion on how to secure yourself online given these privacy and security threats.

All in all I think its going quite well!