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The Tech of Burning Man
Marc Merlin wrote:"Some of you have probably heard of burning man, but most of those
who haven't gone probably don't know that saying that it's just a
bunch of naked hippies meeting in the desert to smoke pot, is a
very unfair description of the event. I have been writing reports of it for the last 4 years now (akin to
the linux show reports I used to do), and my 2005 report is the biggest one yet (1440 pictures, and a fairly complete overview page, showing the highlights) You can also look at the burning man index page (with pictures from the sky), and look at my first 2002 report for a view as a first timer."
Hippies. They're everywhere. They wanna save the earth, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad.
Are naked hippies work safe?
Uh. Ever considered that the whole burning man thing has its roots in paganism...
dudes they are going DOWN. 1400 pictures, many of them on the front page! HAHA FEEL THE WRATH!
"Burning Man"? no: "Burning Servers"!
and Linux.
The latest Slashdot meme.
Since when does a few pictures of naked hippies become news for nerds and stuff that matters?!?
This group of hippies is different, man ... they're deep ...
Er, as far as I could see the tech constisted of a digital camera, a few bicycles and some large gears. Please someone tell me I missed something and link me to the cool stuff!
On the contrary, my stereotype of 'Burning Man' was, and is a bunch of Wired-reading Californian rich kids with iPods (*) and the like playing at being Pagans, and pretending to do the hippie thing for a few days.
Not that dissimilar to the more bandwagon-jumping hippies in the 1960s, who went on to found large, corporate companies and sell out (a la "Ben and Jerries", one of the worst examples of corporate hippie culture), whilst living off their supposed hippie credentials. Plus ca change...
(*) Okay, iPods are *way* mainstream now. Replace with whatever that pretentious rag is recommending they buy this month.
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
Not sure if the summary photo page will get slashdotted, she seems to be holding, but incase...here we go:
http://data.coolnicks.co.uk/burningman
It's all just a bunch of tree-hugging hippie crap!
(Sorry, had to get the Cartman quote out of my system.)
Seriously though, who really cares about a bunch of brain damaged losers trying to save the world one reefer at a time?
Natural selection? I vote that they go back to "burning man" 1973 style.
That should weed out the suburbanites from the real pagans (^_^)
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
It went something like this
Acquaintance: "Hey I went to Burning Man last week!"
Me: "Why?"
Acquaintance: (stunned by my question) "It's BURNING MAN!"
It's so clear now.
Coral cache seems to work fine.
Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
In 2002 I had the distinct pleasure of attending both Siggraph in San Antonio and, about a month later, BurningMan. I found them both to be amazing examples of what the human mind can do.
If you go to Siggraph just looking to see the people who made Spideman's butt look tight, that's all you'll see - but the hundreds of tiny forums and sessions with researchers exploring the edges of science is both enlightening and frightening.
BurningMan may look like a big party in the desert, but unless you go, you just cant understand the experience. The most striking and important thing about BM is the "gift economy" - aside from ice and coffee, there is no money-based commerce. It's not even a barter economy - you can almost always find whatever you want or need, and quickly find yourself getting engaged in the societal lovefest. Even the law enforcement officers we met (and had to deal with after an assault in a neighbooring camp, a very unusal occurence there) were outstanding examples of restraint and respect. The only time Ive seen that level of public harmony and effort outside of BM has been in disasters, my personal experience being the volunteers for the Columbia Debris efforts and here at home on Houston, the Katrina relief efforts.
That said, technologically, BM is a treasure trove of ideas and thoughts - there are many amazing technologies, it's many of the same people that I saw at Siggraph, but this time using their advanced knowledge and resources to delight and amaze their fellow citizens of Black Rock City.
Siggraph and Burningman - I recommend both heartily and without reservation. Look for the beauty, it's not hiding at all.
And regarding Ben & Jerry's... The same B&J that dropped a few products because making the product was giving the factory workers RSI? The B&J that started in a garage? The same B&J that donates 7.5% of its pre-tax profits to charities? The same B&J that's still doing this so many years later, even after having gone public and being acquired by a larger corporation? I don't know, maybe they have become corporate scum and should be hated by hippies, but I can't find any evidence of that after googling for a couple minutes. In fact, the only criticism of B&J's that I've found so far is by conservatives attacking their ideals. Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical of criticism of Ben & Jerry's coming from the fucking Cato Institute.
Fucking hell man, I don't even LIKE hippies. They're extremists, and they piss me off. But don't even try to call them out regarding their integrity... 'cause damn, most criticism directed their way is from people who have no goddamn legs to stand on.
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
Some of you have probably heard of burning man, but most of those who haven't gone probably don't know that saying that it's just a bunch of naked hippies meeting in the desert to smoke pot, is a very unfair description of the event.
This is such a horrible misconception. There are many other kinds of drugs available besides pot!
Why taunt the slashdot dweebs? Most would feel out of place there even after taking the various pharmaceuticals available onsite. It's a party, and we know how well geeks do at parties.
Imagine two people arguing through a thick mental fog of ecstasy, pot and a little ketamine over the question of which linux distro is more secure out of the box. Somebody would be bound to pants you.
Burning Man is one of those things that's very hard to describe, mainly because it's pretty unique. Trying to stereotype it into a "naked hippies" thing is sort of like stereotyping Slashdot into "geeks who can't get laid" -- probably accurate for a small percentage, but not all that illuminating.
This year was my second time there. It was different, calmer, but that's because of me not the event. Last year was mind-blowing -- and no, I didn't do drugs there (apart from a few random joints and lots of alcohol). This year I spent a lot more time socializing at camps and less time with the art, which left me feeling a bit art-deprived (but not too much).
My impressions of this year? Less dust storms, I almost missed the constant whiteouts. Great art, better than last year. Cool stuff -- a small dome in the middle of the playa with a microphone and software that played harmonics based on the feedback. Hard to describe but very cool. A huge 3d cube "screensaver". Burning windmills. A very moving & emotional Temple, proving size does not matter. Lots of very cool people. The Group W bench (and Math Camp). The Moroccan double-decker bus from the always wonderful Bee People. The Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro.
In other words: total gibberish to people who haven't been there. That's the way it is. It doesn't translate, even through pictures.
It's an experience. Most people will hate it, it's not an easy "entertain us!" event for idle spectators and attention-deficit mindsets... and hey, camping for a week in the desert can get tough. At times you could scream about the playa dust getting everywhere. But for the people who love it, it's worth it many times over.
Things I would change: the fucking motorized scooters. Annoying and they raise dust. Get rid of them. Also get rid of the tourists, the people who arrive just before the burn with videocams for shots of naked chicks. I'd tar & feather the bunch of them if I could. Spend the whole week there and get involved or keep out. It's not supposed to be an easy, convenient weekend experience.
Oh, and Center Camp should only sell ice, not coffee. Dammit. :)
Laws do not persuade just because they threaten. --Seneca
The originally did it on Baker Beach. Lots of gay and Silicon Valley nerd content in the beginning. Then they dot.com arts scene joined. It got to big to do in S.F. and migrated to the Nevade desert.
but Bay Area yuppies who load up on Burning Man supplies at Costco.
All that carbon released more than makes up the difference saved by hybrid cars and conservation.
I suggest you read Slashdot
The most obvious example is graphics tech, much of which was envisioned and invented at Evans & Sutherland in the 1960s, where a lot more funny stuff than pot was consumed. And the whole modern paradigm was produced by people at SRI, then injected into the zeitgeist by the "Homebrew Computing Club" members Jobs and Wozniak, no strangers to the waterpipe. And don't tell me that screensavers are the product of mere coffee and tobacco. Quite a lot of the tech we take for granted is the product of the imaginations of pioneers of "virtual reality".
--
make install -not war
All types of subcultures are represented there. All types of drugs are too. Other than that, your comment is right on the money.
Recently a guy (sup blairerickson) on a forum I frequent posted a thread about the burning man. In an attempt to dispel some of the (usual) slashdot misinformation, I'm quoting some of what he said
Burning Man is one of those events that a lot of people have heard of but few have any in-depth knowledge of unless you've actually been. So here's a thread to try and explain as many lingering questions people have about this strange phenomenon.
How big is it?
There were more than 35,000 people there last year.
Here's a shot of the Playa (the place in Black Rock desert where it's held) from outerspace:
And 's a random crowd shot to give you an idea of how many people are around any given street corner.
Is everybody there all peace love and happiness type hippies?
Nope. In fact quite the opposite. There are entire groups built on nothing but raw rage. But there are plenty of hippies too. For some people who go, a lot of Black Rock City is described as a cross between Survivor and Mad Max. Mad Max is the most common answer. Here's some photos to better explain why:
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/Muytator2.jpg
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/Thunderdome.jpg
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/mutantvehicle.jp g
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/Spinning.jpg
Oh and then there's a group called the UberCarneys who built a giant device called the "Roaster Coaster" where they dropped spinning cages full of riders through a flame thrower while screaming over a megaphone about the sloppiness of its construction.
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/roastercoaster1. jpg
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/roastercoaster2. jpg
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/roasterfire.jpg
Supposedly they're doing something this year called "Unsafety Town"
In addition to the flame throwers and anarchy, you can also expect a heavy dose of insane behaviour, giant displays of sexual debauchery, and liberal drug use. Just plain good fun.
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/blowtorch-burn-b arrel_f.jpg
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/IMG_1079.jpg
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/IMG_1116.jpg
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/IMG_0617.jpg
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/BarbieDeathCamp. jpg
http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/amacker-and-frie nd_f.jpg
Is it all easy and fun?
Not at all. Surviving in the middle of the Black Rock desert is pretty goddamn tough. You have to bring plenty of gear, supplies, water, and anything you can think of. And you will probably be injured at some point. Goes with the territory. Almost everyone I was with last year was injured. I ended up with a pretty gruesome stab wound (http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/kneescar.jpg) on my leg and a sprained ankle
Ok, at the risk of burning my server down, here is my article and photos of Burning Man.
Not really tech related, but it offers my virgin experience at Burning Man this year, so some of you may enjoy another perspective.
It comes from my heart:
http://lecter.org/fotos/BM05/
Enjoy!
Jim
You sir have no idea what you are talking about.
Burning Man is NOT anarchy and has never claimed to be. Its not a free market, quite the contrary. Rules exist for a damned good reason, and this one in particular is supported by an overwhelming majority of participants. Until people think its "cool" for Fox News to broadcast live coverage from the Playa, until people think its "cool" for 2-bit pornographers to shoot footage of naked people for profit, that rule is not going to change. People go to Burning Man to have fun, not to be the animals in a media circus.
Yes, Burning Man is a (non-profit) corporation. They annually raise and spend millions of dollars on the event. They deal with nasty legal problems and miles of beurocratic tape to make it happen. Comparing them to Disney is totally absurd.
If you don't agree to the terms then don't go there. Everyone knows the rules. They are published well in advance on their website. If you don't agree, then don't go. Its called a choice. If you are a pro photographer and you want to shoot naked people in funny costumes without rights-encumberment, then hire some models.
Style is everything at one of these burns. Appearances count. Any idiot can pick up a tiki torch at a Home Depot and wave it around like a deranged circus clown; it takes talent and panache in abundance to dig a five-foot-wide hole in the ground, dump in an engine block from a scrapped VW bug and set it on fire, then exhort onlookers -- with bullhorns -- to "Look away from the fire; it is many times brighter than the sun, and it will destroy your eyes." Yes, kids, burning magnesium is fun, but the consequences are dire: magnesium burns at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit and reacts explosively with certain salt nitrates. Good thing, then, that our fellows at Burning Man protected onlookers from the burning block by partially burying it in an alkali lakebed.
Shamelessly stolen from Pigdog.
Never approach a vast undertaking with a half-vast plan.
Have _you_ gone to burningman?
No, I think he went to Birmingham by mistake; that's why he was pissed off.
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
1. Party - this really kicks off with the Thursday crowd that hangs till Sunday - so if you're in party mood, don't go earlier. Or stay home. Yeah, I like that ...
...
2. Art - a lot of the art is more accessible and organic early on, so best seen Tuesday to Saturday - by Saturday afternoon it's way too party to bother.
3. Drugs - not really into that, but if this is your style, then sleep during the afternoon heat and stay up till dawn and you'll have lots of fun - the dancing till dawn part is cool tho and my fave experience was finding my flourescent green artists tube (transparent) when twirled at a giant black light music piece off in the desert with windsocks around - well, it vibrated and the dust from the playa really made it glow like mad - must be the desert salts
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
The festival is about many things, but I tried to capture the art (for the most part).
My online gallery is here.
Truly, the art is largely done by a bunch of geeks -- from the 9x9x9 "display" of ping-pong balls with three LEDs in each that can display any color on the rainbow, running a whole slew of programs that showed off the three-dimensional aspect of the project (Cubatron) (think rotating planes in the XYZ axes in three colors all at once) to the otherworldly Alien Semaphore, whose light/arm movements were user-programmable through a control panel near the front. Or The Machine whose top would rotate and arms slowly raise when all three turnstyles were rotated in the proper direction simultaneously through a tremendously complex system of gears. It was all simply incredible.
I've been to Burning Man, and it's not that easy to write a "fair description" in 100 words or less. Although I saw the "nuked" page, and it seems fair, the pictures are great, and he probably uses more than 100 words. (wait for the slashdot effect to cool off, the site will recover). It's tempting to say "These are not the droids you are looking for, move along...", but you asked nicely, so I'll try to offer a short description.
Burning Man is gathering of about thirty-five thousand people for a week-long art festival on a dry lake-bed in the Nevada desert. The alkaki dust doesn't form dunes, and no bug or blade of grass can live on it. Miles of flat dry mud form a blank canvas, fresh every year.
Participants bring amazing sculptures and structures of all kinds to the desert, some huge projects, like towering temples and mazes full of art, a gigantic Tesla coil throwing unbelievable lightening bolts, giant sculptures made of laser-light, and thousands of small creative expressions everywhere, crazy costumes and ad-hoc fire-spinning and music jams. I've seen huge vehicles that look like a 100-foot long fire-breathing dragon or a full-sized pirate ship with dozens of people and a rocking party on top. Some people play dance-music or drums late into the night. Earplugs are recommended.
You must bring with you everything you need, not just to survive, but to thrive. And when the event is over, you take everything home, and leave no trace. Just planning your packing list for a week in the desert can be enlightening, but learning to "leave no trace" can be equally educational. No exchange of money is allowed during the event. (with minor exceptions) And although it's a simple concept, I believe it has a profoundly liberating effect on attitudes of participants. This is one of those things that really can not be adequately described in 100 words or less, but really has to be experienced.
Buring Man is a celebration of each individuals' uniqueness, amazing diversity, creativity, skills, humor and generosity. The experience of becoming a participant, not just a spectator, is what really makes Burning Man different. The process seems simple, but Burning Man has subtly changed how I think about my own creativity, self-expression, and citizenship. Perhaps trite, but true, more than almost anything, what you get out of Burning Man totally depends on what you put into it, and every person's experience will be different.
It actually moved out to the Black Rock desert in 1990, well before the dot-com boom. Dot-commers were very well represented during the boom, though, largely because they had scads of imaginary money to spend on supplies.
Here's a timeline. Note that they were only at around 800 people when it got too big for Baker Beach.
My favorite phrase from this year's burn: "Burning Man nostalgia isn't as cool as it used to be."