TheLab.ms Wiki

Member Meeting Minutes – July 23

1. Opening and Platform Transition - Leadership welcomed attendees and shared a video showcasing a new membership and billing platform. - Over 50 volunteer hours have gone into replacing Confluence (being sunset) and the current billing system. - The new system removes PayPal as a middleman, uses Stripe for payments, and enhances privacy and billing control.
2. New Member Portal Demo - Cameron demonstrated a functional prototype of the member registration, billing, and management platform. - New members will sign up, verify their email, choose payment plans, and optionally link their Discord accounts. - Stripe handles billing and securely stores payment data. - Keycloak manages user identity and access.
3. System Migration and Legacy Rates - Current members will retain their legacy rates during the migration to the new system. - The old system had numerous issues with data integrity and membership tracking. - Email invitations to switch platforms will be sent within the next 30 days.
4. Membership Validation and Impact - Leadership aims to clean up inactive or unknown member accounts. - This shift ensures only active, consenting members are billed. - A potential 10% member drop-off is expected but considered manageable.
5. Lab Activity and Member Highlights - Miles updated the group on his cosplay project, electronics progress, and working with his dad’s membership. - John shared a digital Game of Life project involving LED matrix animations. - Jen announced a needle-felting workshop with a small material fee. - Weekly “Get to Know Your Lab” workshops will be hosted on Thursdays by Duck to cover topics like 3D printing and lasers.
6. Additional Notes - Members were reminded they can suggest technologies they’d like covered in future workshops. - Discussion about the co-working channel clarified it’s informal and for casual lab use—not a formal co-working space. - Discord channels will be reorganized to improve clarity and usability.
7. Meeting Closure - Meeting ended with a short break before transitioning to the leadership session. - Members were encouraged to observe the leadership meeting for transparency and learning.

Meeting Summary

Summary of Member Meeting – July 23

• A new membership and billing platform is being launched to replace Confluence and the old billing system.
• The new system will improve accuracy, privacy, and user experience using Stripe and Keycloak.
• Current members will retain their rates during the transition; emails to migrate accounts will be sent soon.
• Leadership anticipates a small drop in membership but expects more reliable data.
• Ongoing and upcoming events include a needle-felting workshop and weekly lab orientation sessions.
• Members shared updates on projects (cosplay, electronics, Game of Life demo).
• Co-working Discord channel clarified to be informal; broader Discord reorganization is planned.