Nottinghack Wiki:DO NOT HACK means DO NOT HACK

This rule is put there with the aim of people's projects not getting damaged or misused. There are all kinds of reasons for projects to be around the space; for instance some are too big to go in a member's box, or something might be a part-built piece of hackspace infrastructure. If it's not in a materials store or a consumables box, then assume it's not for hacking.

Sometimes, it'll be obvious that something has been built or is a tool belonging in the space. In any case where it might be ambiguous, put a do not hack notice on it. For instance, you've found the perfect piece of board to make a mug rack later that week, or you've built a piece of furniture but need to store it until you've got time to finish the wood. For something so unfinished, it might be easy for another hacker to assume it can be used for something or even consumed as material for a different project.

Some tips:

• Attach the sign to the project with tape or something. Make sure the sign itself can't easily go missing.
• Put your name on it too. If someone needs to ask about it, or something happens to your stuff, this will make things a lot easier.
• Store your stuff in a way that mitigates possible damage. Bubble wrap and cardboard are cheap ways to shield your project from things going on in the space, and if you know it'll be there for a while it may be worth packing it like this.

Looking at it from the point of view of a hacker eyeing stuff up: Just because it's not in a member's box doesn't mean it doesn't belong to someone. If something looks expensive, crafted or useful don't assume you can rip it apart or modify it without asking first; just because it's in the space doesn't mean it's there to be tinkered with. It's possible that something not in materials storage or a consumables box IS available for hacking, but you should make sure first.