So anyone who has been using the brewhouse for a little bit has either wanted to know if someone or anyone was there when they wanted to check on their beer or has been asked if they didn't clean/ put back / whatever something.
After a few circumstances of brewers being accused some something no one did, a few days of coming into a really dirty brew space, and a few nights of wondering if anyone is hanging out at our new bar so I can go join them, I'd like to float an idea.
We've talked about cameras in the past, but they have been very expensive....no longer
http://www.costco.com/Q-See-16-Channel-Full-D1-Security-System-with-1TB-...
For $399 - we can have 8 cameras, with a live internet feed. We can set the camera by the bar to live member access - and everyone can see who is hanging out any time. Also quite important, we will never have to wonder who left a mess, or worry about our nice things walking off....
Sould we make a live member feed, make it record only, or continue to do without?
I don't know about that, it kinda freaks me out. I can see having a camera on the doors or something, but a live feed that records us hanging out at the bar seems like a bit much.
I like the idea of the cameras and love the idea of a live stream to see if people are hanging out at the brewhouse.
Strongly not in favor of this. Maybe I don't want Kyle coming to my party. Seriously though, this is getting pretty weasely. I think it will create more bad feelings, not less. The time and money would be better spent finishing up and organizing the place.
How else do we make sure people aren't coming in and continually leaving a mess and not respecting the place?
Something must be done to ensure it stays clean/organized.
I had already stopped brewing at the old brewhouse because an already-long brew day was even longer by cleaning up other people's messes. We're not even two months into our new space and here we go again... It's doubtful I'll brew any times soon lest I (a) have to clean up other people's messes yet again; or (b) get dragged through the coals for NOT spending time to clean up other people's messes.
Cameras sound awesome. Just saying. Especially if any member can sign on and spy. Also, can whoever is in charge change my wimpy light blue profile color back to the far more masculine red? (I just re-upped my annual). Thanks
Poisson
In this day and age when we have red light, speed cameras and the NSA all up in our shit, I am a bit meh on this. So ya want a live feed on the bar, cool, just be warned, at some point you're gonna catch me banging my girl on the bar. And, when I hear the wirr and click of the camera, I am just gonna look up and give ya a wink!
I strongly oppose this for the same reasons as Rich. It's going to take just as much time to go back through video as to clean something up and it's going to cause additional bad feelings. This is a community space and that means in addition to doing your best to clean up after yourself you shouldn't gripe about occasionally doing some small cleaning up after another person. I like to think that few of us are perfect about cleaning stuff and that all of us also pick up after one another.
If you want a live feed to know who is hanging out, get one specifically for the bar. Anything further is going to lead to a spreading of the gap between the board and the general membership and therefore an increased difficulty in feeling at ease with the club in general. I'd like to think we make it easy to identify with the group and feel at home. This is going to make it harder.
I do agree with Daniel that if its a minor mess from time to time (like a spoon left in the sink, etc.) thats fine as you're right, no one is perfect and we all forget things from time to time. What I have been seeing goes far beyond that, including a pot that was not touched after the boil (it was covered in crap and still had hop-sludge sitting in the bottom), a stainless steel table that was coated in something dark and sticky (the spoon stuck to the table), and a sink full of dirty brewing utensils and glasses. To me, this is the opposite end of the spectrum where people are abusing the openness of our community.
I don't think that camera's are the answer as there are plenty of other things that we should try first:
Personally, I think that #1 will make a big difference but I'd love to hear what other solutions everyone has. Its everyone's brewhouse, so we've all got some skin in this game.
Oh... my... god. Why haven't we done this? http://thechive.com/2013/09/17/guys-rig-up-buddies-plumbing-with-beer-wh...
I'm still all about tangibly rewarding people. I know this is a bit more web-work (and I'm totally just brainstorming!) but what if it were easy to see who signed up to use the brew bay before you and you give them an electronic "thumbs up" on their CHAOS web-site profile if they did a good job at cleaning? Then every 10 (or whatever) "thumbs up," the brewer gets for free a 5 gallon batch's worth of grain from the house store; a CHAOS t-shirt; A "+1" to the next event; whatever.
Thumbs up to Jim's idea!
If feasible, I really like Jim's idea as well.
love jims idea.
...igz...