Media Mentions in 2009

Hackers set up 24-hour clubhouse

The Straits Times · Tan Weizhen · 14 December

HACKERS in Singapore are being given the chance to come out of the shadows and hang out with like- minded people in a clubhouse of sorts, where they can sharpen their skills and think up innovative projects.

Home for the clubhouse, to be called Hackerspace SG, will be in a 1,100 sq ft shophouse at 70A Bussorah Street. It will be open round the clock.

For Mr Wong, the leader of the group, Hackerspace will be a spot where hackers and other geeks can congregate, exchange ideas and come up with cool applications – all legal, of course.

He said: “The usual office culture does not foster innovation.

“Our schools create workers, not innovators, and a lot of offices smack of the 9 to 5 mentality, which does not help people innovate.”

He added that he sees the new clubhouse as a “combination of living room, science lab, and shared office space for the geek community”.

Eventually, he hopes, a community of experienced, passionate hackers will be formed, and they can pass on the tricks of the trade to others who may be interested.