Tag Archives: maker faire

How should I give out two Free Maker Faire Bay Area tickets?

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Geek Chic @ Maker FaireGeek Chic @ Maker Faire

After we already bought weekend passes for the Maker Faire Bay Area, I happened to have been given an two day pass tickets. (( Photo Credit: Steve Jurvetson via Compfight))

Now, what is the best way to give these out?  I think I’d like to do a design challenge, but I haven’t decided.  Do you have any suggestions?

Maker Faire 2012 – Torn

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So, here’s the thing.  I really really really like the Maker Faire.  I’m just torn as to the most optimal way to experience it.

First of all, I love taking my wife and daughter to Maker Faire.  Getting to see so many amazing things all in one place – and getting to see them all through my daughter’s eyes is absolutely incredible.  I could spend the entire weekend just walking from exhibit to exhibit with them.

Second of all, I love talking to Makers and finding out what they do, what they love to make, and how they learned all the things they did to get there.  I honestly feel smarter just for having gone each year.1

Third, helping man the MakerBot table last year was AWESOME!  There was basically a constant crush of people coming by all super interested in what a MakerBot was and what it could be used to make.  Everyone was friendly, polite, interested, and had such excellent and insightful questions.  Imagine a place where you got to just hang out with people you like2 and people would stop by and ask you to tell them all about your favorite hobby.  Chances are you could talk endlessly and cheerfully about it.

Fourth, I’ve build and made some things over the last year of which I’m kind of proud.  While all the actual innovation credit must go to Sandy Noble and others, I like to think that my little drawing robot is uniquely mine.  It would be a lot of fun to put it up and have it draw a huge picture all weekend.  It would be even better with a time lapse video playing nearby.

So, what’s a maker to do?  Experience Maker Faire with the family, spend my time talking to makers, man the MakerBot table, or put something on display myself?  In all likelihood I’ll probably hit the Maker Faire before the family is up, help MakerBot, catch up with the family. 3

Oh, Natalie Imbruglia, only you know how I feel!

  1. Admittedly, it wouldn’t take much for that to happen [↩]
  2. Such as the MakerBot crew! [↩]
  3. But, it would also be cool to set up my drawbot in the background. [↩]

Mini Maker Faire East Bay

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So, this year’s mini-Maker Faire East Bay (Oakland) was SO much better than last year.  Last year it was pouring rain the whole time.  Not entirely prepared for precipitation, I got soaked.  Even so, we had fun.

But, this year we had a great time overall.  The weather was mild and nice.  A little breezy, but pleasantly so.  I lived in Oakland and Berkley for about five years – just ideal weather. 1

One of the fantastic and slightly unfortunate things about the mini and non-mini Maker Faires is that there is so much to see.  There’s just no way to see even a large fraction of what people have brought to show off.   After having attended two full sized Maker Faires and two mini-Maker Faires, I’ve developed somewhat of a method for experiencing them.

  1. I accept that I won’t get to see everything.  Whether it is one or two days, there will never be enough time to see everything.  And, taking into account the whimsical nature of children, we will probably arrive about 3 hours after opening and need to leave 1 hour early.
  2. The best I can do is check out the list of makers and prioritize just a small few.  Of that small list of must-see makers, I separate out those ones that have websites and those that do not.  If all else fails, I can always look up those makers who have websites.  The best part of seeing a maker’s exhibit is being able to actually talk to them.  But, checking out their website is a close second.
  3. Traversing the paths from one priority maker exhibit to the next, I’m bound to see additional cool makers’ exhibits.  I try to take the time to check out their exhibits and locate their contact information.  Thankfully, it seems a part of DIY maker culture is to share and document everything about what they do.  I like to take a picture of their exhibits, signs, and perhaps one of their brochures, stickers, or cards.

Here’s the only downside from today – the food situation this year was a bit rough.  There were a few food carts, but the lines were insane and the food slow.  When I heard from one couple that they spent 45 minutes in line and 45 minutes waiting for their food after they ordered, I knew we were in trouble. 2  Even if this couple was exaggerating their wait times by 100%, 45 minutes is a LONG time to wait for food when you’ve got a hungry little one.

  1. It’s never too cold, too hot, too windy, too rainy, never humid, just sunny enough, just breezy enough, clear skys all the time. [↩]
  2. I saw them get their food about 5 minutes after they said this [↩]

Back from Maker Faire SF Bay Area 2011!

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I’m exhausted! 1  What a great time!

I got to spend time with my family, see some amazing stuff, meet some great people, and see some old friends.  I also ate some junk food!  Perfect weekend all around.

I got to meet several people for the first time – including beak90, DocProfSky, DNA.  A few people mentioned they liked my OpenSCAD tutorials, which just made my day.

  1. So exhausted I didn’t get to publish this post until just now… [↩]

Would you be interested in some free MakerBot prints?

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I have this pile of printed PLA pawns I’m not going to be using any time soon.  They’re of varying quality and interesting-ness.  If you’ve always wanted a MakerBot printed part but thought they were just too unattainable, now’s your chance!

I’m going to be at the East Bay Mini-MakerFaire this Sunday just walking around with my family.  If you’re going to be there too, drop me a line or leave a comment and I’ll bring a spare piece for you.  I’ll have at least nine pieces to give away.  (More if I try a few new settings.)  If you’re the only one to respond, you get all nine.  :)