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."

Comments

Re:Work safe or not work safe

[Anonymous Coward]

Depends on your line of work.

If your job involves naked hippies, then, yes, it's fine.

Also, if your job involves lots of naked hippy chicks, I would like a job interview.

I'm missing something

[the_mighty_$]

Since when does a few pictures of naked hippies become news for nerds and stuff that matters?!?

Re:I'm missing something

[pjrc]

I went to burning man for the first time this year... been curious for some time... finally talked my girlfriend into going. Playa dust aside, it really was a lot of fun. But it's not for everyone.

This is a lot of very interesting home-made tech out there.

I resisted the urge to build any large-scale project, though I did do a couple little things. I built some custom lighting for our two bikes, using a couple handfuls of LEDs and a little microcontroller and already-present wheel sensors (from those little bike trip monitors) to switch gradually between different colors as we ride.

We stayed with a camp called Burnstream court. They had a sign that'd broken. They had a mail list, which we'd been on much of the year, and the guy who was working on repairing the sign was using little light bulbs and dreaming of someday "animating" them. Being an electrical engineer (and not being able to resist a cool project), I broght a little microcontroller board that I had solder several high current MOSFETs (and associated circuitry) into a prototype area. On the second day out there, he was working on putting all those little lights on the sign, and I gave them the board, hooked all the lights up to it, and wrote some code to sequence the lights. Everyone in the camp was really excited about the flashy sign. It was cool. It was fun.

Yeah, I'm into creating stuff. Geeky, perhaps? (as opposed to the other geeky... playing video games... or ooggling over shiney new products).

Thousands and thousands of other creative and highly inspired people (must moreso than me) so there every year. And you just can't imagine all the amazing and wacky things they create and build out there.

Well, maybe you can sit back and imagine all sorts things. Surf though the tens of thousands of pictures people post, and feel like you know. But it really is something to see in person.

There's amazing displays of technology, like the cubetron art piece, which had a 9x9x9 cube of LED-lit pingpong balls suspended on wires in a big cube shape, which lit up in mulitple colors in all sorts of interesting animated patterns. There were many, many other very interesting things people created and brought out there, and made work in such an unforgiving environment. It really is quite amazing.

So if you're the sort of person who see tech and wonders "that's really cool, how'd they do that", or "I should of thought of that", or "I'd love to make something like that"... then you'll probably really like burning man. But if you're one of those people, who I personally wouldn't call true geeks but saddly inhabit slashdot, who sees tech and thinks "I can get that cheaper at walmart", then burning man is defintely not for you.

Burning man is also about lots of other things than just building art and viewing and playing with art (much of the art is intended to be played with, unlike traditional art).

For many people, burning man is about partying all night long. There's lots of people who set up bars, which give out free drinks when they're open (pretty much when they feel like it). There's also lots of camps that set up night clubs with lights and large sound systems. Perhaps hundreds of little ones for about 20 to 80 people to party, and on the ends of the city, dozens of huge ones where hundreds of people are dancing and partying all night long.

For others, it's a more mellow social gathering. Lots of people hang out, play some musical instrument or just lounge around and be mellow. It seems like there's some pot smoking, but the cops to drive around and mionitor from the streets, so any drug usage is well out of ordinary sight.

Some people, mostly those who've never been and will never go, just can't seem to see past nudity. Yes, some people go around with little or no clothing during the day, others wearing something provocative. And some are even "hotties" by conventional mass-media standards. But it really isn't that big a deal.

There is a hippie

Re:Work safe or not work safe

[orthogonal]

Are naked hippies work safe?

Most of them are so un-photogenic, your boss can't reasonably claim you had an prurient interest in them. And given the hairiness and man-boobs, you often can't even tell the women from the men.

It's as safe as looking at photos of some Stone Age tribe in National Geographic. Except, in this case it's a tribe of "Aging Stoners".

Re:Yikes! Pagan rituals!

[lucabrasi999]

Uh. Ever considered that the whole burning man thing has its roots in paganism...

Uh. Ever consider that the whole Christmas season has its roots in paganism....

Re:Boligatory South Park Quote

[elrous0]

At this point my irony meter pegs and I giggle incessantly through the remainder of the article.

Dorm room hippie: Fuck capitalism, man. Who needs that shit, when we can all just share the wealth, you know? Live off the land and pool our resources and shit.

2nd dorm room hippie: Hey man, can I get a dime bag?

Dorm room hippie: Sure man, $25.

2nd dorm room hippie: Thanks.

Dorm room hippie: It's like Huey Long and Karl Marx said, we should just share everything, man--just work together, you know?

-Eric

A very technological experience indeed

[SpaceGhost]

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.

fucking sterotypes

[Ender Ryan]

Just who is starting this bullshit sterotype of hippies becoming corporate types? I hear this bullshit all the time. I've known plenty of former hippies... most of them are still hippies, just without the obsession with drugs and other silly shit. But this sterotype of hippies starting big companies I hear mostly from people who are on the opposite end of the political spectrum.

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.

It's what you make it

[PetriWessman]

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. :)

Jamie Zawinski said it better than I could have.

[Grendel Drago]

Quoting Jamie Zawinski:

The hypocrisy of the Burning Man organization really pisses me off.

Last year, rzr_grl registered as a pro photographer, and so she got the press kit, which was possibly the most hypocritical thing I've ever read. Basically, the Burning Man Organization's attitude is, "if you take a photo on the playa, we own it, and get to tell you when and where and how it can be published. Even if you take that photo of yourself, inside your tent, surrounded by your own stuff."

Update: rzr_grl pointed out that I forgot the best part: they also demand a percentage of profit (10% or 20%) plus that you send them a copy of all photos, for them to use however they like.

Which is not, in itself, necessarily a bad thing -- that's just a matter of contract. You buy the ticket, you camp on the land they rented, you submit to their rules, and their rules consist of a Disney-like protection of their brand. They try to protect the image of "Burning Man" in as structured and proprietary a way as Disney protects the mouse: you can be sure that Disney demands the same kind of submission the part of any press who take photos inside Disneyland.

But the thing that really pisses me off is that they do all this -- they lay out this completely one-sided you-work-for-us lawyerly document -- and they fill the whole thing with an incredible amount of pomo hippie noise, in a sad attempt to disguise what they're actually saying! They go on at length about how they are viciously protecting their brand for your own good. And every other paragraph says stuff like "Larry Harvey -- dare we say it -- a Genius..."

They're taking a totally standard, normal, corporate line toward their theme park -- but that idea embarrasses them, and would offend their clientele, so they cloak it up in bullshit and hope that everyone reading it will buy the lie that it's really some spontaneous group-hug, and not a theme park. (Try to listen to them explain why it's ok for them to charge money in center camp, but it's not ok for anyone else to do it without your brain melting with the incredulousness of it.)

She really needs to find that press packet and type it in, it will make each and every one of you vomit, I promise.

Now, you might say that the motivations are different, and that makes the intentional obfuscation ok, but A: it doesn't, and B: I don't think the motivations are different at all.

Disney protects the mouse because the mouse's image is their whole business, and any change in how the mouse is viewed by the public could effect their ability to do their thing.

Burning Man is no different. Disney protects their brand because if someone else exploited their park in a way they didn't like, it would no longer be projecting the image they want, and the park would no longer be profitable (or, "full of happy little kids" if you prefer to look at it that way.)

I don't have any problem with that. What I have a problem with is the hypocrisy: Disney is at least honest about what they are doing and why. The Burning Man people went through such amazing verbal and mental gymnastics to avoid using the word "brand" it was comical.

I've enjoyed Burning Man every time I've gone, but after reading that document, I'll be damned if they're getting another dime from me. Which is a major contributing factor to why I'm not going this year: I'd feel dirty giving them my money, and sneaking in sounds like just too much effort (given that I have little tolerance for roughing it.)

I think someone should do Capitalism Camp: the theme of the camp will be to trade US Currency for Goods and Services. If anyone complains, tell them, "Dude, radical self-indulgence! Stop harshing my mellow!"

Now, I am not complaining that Burning Man is about money and shouldn't be. I've got no problem with money.

I think it would be cool if th

Not a hippie fest.

[Vicsun]

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

Re:Not a hippie fest.

[Anonymous Coward]

I've been on the playa 5 times now 1999-2004. The event is always a little different each year, always demanding and always worth it for me. We've taken people who dive into it like a fish to water and we've taken other people who got intimidated by all the wierd everywhere and just wouldn't leave camp.

I've met smoked up hippies out there, and more burn-outs that I've ever met anywhere else, but at the same time, i've camped with a criminal psycologist that works with violent criminals, a group of cirqeu du soleil clowns, seattle politicians and grade school teachers.

The event is not about what's there, but what you can add to what's there. It's a stone soup sort of gathering and when you have 35,000 people bringing out all of their cool stuff to show off, it's hard to describe. Do anything you want, be a rock star for a week, take on a new identity, exchange bad ideas with brilliant people, or simply spend an evening looking for someone with a high intensity laser to light a cigarette for you. Go be a barista, go play some live action pac-man, go be a bartender, a pole dancer, or a mystic.

Lots of drugs, lots of art, lots of cool tech, lots of sex, but lots and lots of enthusiasm and good will. Someone posted that they'd not seen people get along so well except during disasters - that's not a bad comparison. I think the phrase that's used over and over is orchestrated chaos.

If you don't see the point, don't go. If you're curious and have the cohones to make it out there with a few bad ideas of your own, you'll be welcome.