Comments on: At the Edge of Commercialization: The Maker Faire http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/06/02/at-the-edge-of-commercialization-the-maker-faire/ Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:15:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dave http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/06/02/at-the-edge-of-commercialization-the-maker-faire/comment-page-1/#comment-117331 Dave Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:57:44 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2274#comment-117331 Wow, the technological ignorance. The reason the steam engine became obsolete was for one, they are bombs, and two they are really inefficient. Looks like if they weren't running steam engines, they all could have driven cars and their carbon footprint would have been about the same. Wow, the technological ignorance. The reason the steam engine became obsolete was for one, they are bombs, and two they are really inefficient. Looks like if they weren’t running steam engines, they all could have driven cars and their carbon footprint would have been about the same.

]]> By: Citizen Unimpressed http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/06/02/at-the-edge-of-commercialization-the-maker-faire/comment-page-1/#comment-5999 Citizen Unimpressed Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:39:17 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2274#comment-5999 There's a typo in "Love the machine, hate the factory". The word "factory" should have been written "author of this empty, inflammatory, destructive rhetoric" in sparkle ink. There’s a typo in “Love the machine, hate the factory”. The word “factory” should have been written “author of this empty, inflammatory, destructive rhetoric” in sparkle ink.

]]> By: Jym http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/06/02/at-the-edge-of-commercialization-the-maker-faire/comment-page-1/#comment-5984 Jym Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:40:09 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2274#comment-5984 =v= It's shocking to see a little petroleum transform Chris into Scrooge McDuck. =v= It’s shocking to see a little petroleum transform Chris into Scrooge McDuck.

]]> By: Christopher http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/06/02/at-the-edge-of-commercialization-the-maker-faire/comment-page-1/#comment-5959 Christopher Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:56:23 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2274#comment-5959 Cool! Thanks for the photo-essay. I was glad to see so many bikes there, and to see what looked like a well run bike parking area. I'm one of the people behind the snail, and it is safe to say that we are ambivalent about Burning Man, so I'm not sure if I would say that the snail is inspired by Burning Man. Members of our little group have been doing metal work for years, for example as part of Survival Research Laboratories. The Snail Art Car was inspired to raise the bar on art cars and get away from golf carts covered with ratty carpet and repurpose an old car as something physically beautiful. We really enjoyed the Maker Faire, while it was exhausting for our crew, I felt that it really opened the eyes for many children that there are interesting things to do with ones hands. Like any event, there is nostalgia for the previous years, but I think Dale and his crew have been doing a great job managing the Faire, especially during a shrinking economy. We call ourselves "Oil Punk", which is much more about hands-on, dirt under the fingernails, than Steam Punk. Oil might be a dirty word, but we are more about DYI and such. For example, there was an interesting article in the NY Times about motorcyle maintenance (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/books/29book.html?_r=1) that talks about the "back to the hands" movement really struck a chord with some of us in the way it talks about repair and reuse. The ideas behind the article and the snail are not just about dirty old-school carbon vehicles, but also apply to things like bicycle repair and home repair. Cool! Thanks for the photo-essay. I was glad to see so many bikes there, and to see what looked like a well run bike parking area.

I’m one of the people behind the snail, and it is safe to say that we are ambivalent about Burning Man, so I’m not sure if I would say that the snail is inspired by Burning Man. Members of our little group have been doing metal work for years, for example as part of Survival Research Laboratories. The Snail Art Car was inspired to raise the bar on art cars and get away from golf carts covered with ratty carpet and repurpose an old car as something physically beautiful.

We really enjoyed the Maker Faire, while it was exhausting for our crew, I felt that it really opened the eyes for many children that there are interesting things to do with ones hands. Like any event, there is nostalgia for the previous years, but I think Dale and his crew have been doing a great job managing the Faire, especially during a shrinking economy.

We call ourselves “Oil Punk”, which is much more about hands-on, dirt under the fingernails, than Steam Punk. Oil might be a dirty word, but we are more about DYI and such. For example, there was an interesting article in the NY Times about motorcyle maintenance (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/books/29book.html?_r=1) that talks about the “back to the hands” movement really struck a chord with some of us in the way it talks about repair and reuse. The ideas behind the article and the snail are not just about dirty old-school carbon vehicles, but also apply to things like bicycle repair and home repair.

]]> By: sfmike http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/06/02/at-the-edge-of-commercialization-the-maker-faire/comment-page-1/#comment-5945 sfmike Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:55:28 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2274#comment-5945 That was a beautiful photo essay, and the "anti-market" slant didn't strike me as fundamentalism at all. It was an interesting bit of information. That was a beautiful photo essay, and the “anti-market” slant didn’t strike me as fundamentalism at all. It was an interesting bit of information.

]]> By: Chad http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/06/02/at-the-edge-of-commercialization-the-maker-faire/comment-page-1/#comment-5944 Chad Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:35:09 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2274#comment-5944 Another fantastic article Chris! And good seeing you at CM on Friday, however briefly. Another fantastic article Chris! And good seeing you at CM on Friday, however briefly.

]]> By: Pat http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/06/02/at-the-edge-of-commercialization-the-maker-faire/comment-page-1/#comment-5938 Pat Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:52:39 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2274#comment-5938 The anti-market fundamentalism is rather nauseating The anti-market fundamentalism is rather nauseating

]]> By: Erica, as in Josh + Erica http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/06/02/at-the-edge-of-commercialization-the-maker-faire/comment-page-1/#comment-5933 Erica, as in Josh + Erica Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:26:50 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2274#comment-5933 we didn't make it to the faire mostly because it'd cost $50 to get the two of us in!!!! didn't know of the discount for bikes... glad you were there to tell us about. we didn’t make it to the faire mostly because it’d cost $50 to get the two of us in!!!! didn’t know of the discount for bikes… glad you were there to tell us about.

]]> By: Libby Bulloff http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/06/02/at-the-edge-of-commercialization-the-maker-faire/comment-page-1/#comment-5930 Libby Bulloff Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:40:13 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=2274#comment-5930 That's my back with the patches! Ha, awesome! Thanks for coming to the Faire and for such wonderful coverage. I really enjoyed reading this post. That’s my back with the patches! Ha, awesome!

Thanks for coming to the Faire and for such wonderful coverage. I really enjoyed reading this post.

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