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Democratizing the Maker Movement

Posted by samzenpus on from the leveling-the-playing-field dept.

aarondubrow writes: To its advocates and participants, the Maker Movement resonates with those characteristics that we believe makes America great: independence and ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness. But as impressive as today's tools are, they're not accessible to many Americans simply because of their cost and high technological barrier to entry. An article in the Huffington Post describes efforts supported by the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies to create new tools, technologies and approaches to make the Maker movement more inclusive and democratic.

4 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. All technologies are specialized at first and then by GLMDesigns · · Score: 3, Informative

    All technologies are specialized at first and then spread out - whether it's printing or optical lenses or steam engines or whatever. It's good to speed up the process but the DIY maker movement has decentralized and come down in price remarkably fast. The technological barrier is one of knowledge - something that _mainly_ (not only) requires desire to learn.

    --
    If you're scared of your govt then you need to further restrict its powers
    Vote 3rd Party in 2016 and beyond
  2. Okay by ArylAkamov · · Score: 5, Informative

    The first thing you can do is stop using the cringe inducing term "maker" and trying to make it into a way of life instead of something you just do.

    All it has done is make a new line of trendy hipsters calling themselves "makers" who buy kits to make an LED blink for $10.99.

    Not to mention "Maker Faire" is trademarked and if you want to hold one you need to apply for a license and pay royalties to Maker Media, Inc.

    It's less about learning and more about an untapped cash cow.

  3. David J. Gingery by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 3, Informative
    built an entire machine shop using only a 3/8" drill. He has a complete set of books how he did this. There are a number of youtube videos of people who've duplicated this work. He goes through the process of building a lathe which is used to build each additional tool (kinda like how it happened through history.

    It would be well to realize that most tools and accessories are merely commercial versions of devices that were originally made by hand with limited equipment.

    -- Gingery, David J (2012-05-14). The Metal Shaper (Build Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap) (Kindle Locations 146-147). David J. Gingery Publishing, LLC. Kindle Edition.

    I haven't built anything yet, but have read the books and they are very interesting. Completely agree with DIY being renamed. I used to build things with my dad all the time growing up and particularly remember building a shopvac out of a 5gallon paint can.

  4. you lost me at Huffington Post by liquid_schwartz · · Score: 3, Informative
    I can summarize the majority of all Huffington Post articles in just a few comments:

    - It's the white person's fault

    - Men in tech hate women and keep them out in a variety of ways

    - Men in general are evil unless they are gay or black and get shot by a white cop

    - Anything a white person has ever succeeded at is largely due to their privilege

    - Black people are held back by every force conceived by University Professors who study these things

    - Christian's are horrible yet Muslims are just mischaracterized

    - If you don't want unlimited immigration then you must be xenophobic and racist

    I probably missed a few but that's the gist of it.