Take old warehouses around the country or world, fix em up, wire em up, make them comfy and homey, add resident hacker/managers and make a membership system. Let traveling geeks who are members stay over for free (cost of yearly membership?) in a comfortable, geeky, nice environment. Great for hightech contractors or just unemployed geeks that are looking for social contact. Could be a place for art and culture as well as a place to stay.
-- amadeus, Sep 22 2000

Green Tortoise http://www.greentortoise.com/
[Vis10n, Sep 22 2000, last modified Oct 21 2004]

I think the really viable part of this idea is to have a chain of hotels which are completely unlike normal (i.e. generally rather soulless and boring) hotels.
These would be great for geeky types who have to stay in some far-from-home city. Just for starters...

...every room would have high-bandwidth unmetered internet access and real-time market data.
...no bed, just a double futon on the floor.
...free fridge-full of beer.
...decent stereo.
...access to hotel's DVD library.
...toasted sandwich maker.
-- hippo, Sep 22 2000


While your at it, convert a bus and/or RV or two... (Can you say "toad rip?")
-- rmutt, Sep 26 2000


The RV idea should be passed on to Green Tortoise: they're just the sort to do it.
-- Vis10n, Sep 27 2000


I realize after reading this again that this is similar to the Hostelling system eg from American Youth Hostels etc. Although I envision something slightly more tight knit and comfortable, hostels are very 'functional'.
-- amadeus, Jan 06 2001


This actually reminds me more of the old-fashioned gentleman's club (as seen in mystery novels at least). A part of these clubs' cachet, too, was that they were somewhat exclusive; they wouldn't let just anyone in, so you could immediately assume other members were (high class / rich / refined / etc). Similarly, the hacksquat collective could restrict membership to people with technical interests & skills, so you wouldn't have to go through the do-you-actually-know-what-I'm-talking-about-or-are-you-just-smiling-and-nodding dance with everyone you meet there.

Or maybe it would be better to run it more like a hostel or a gym with open membership ... hmmm.
-- wiml, May 04 2001


when I first saw the ad title I thought it was a take-off on a hacky sack...larger...like a beanbag chair only made of macrame in rasta colours and instead of kicking it around you sit or "squat" on it.
-- grackle, May 11 2001


Sweeeet! All we need now is a way to make LAN parties output some useful deliverable... (one half-baked croissant)
-- jabbers, Aug 15 2001



random, halfbakery