Slashdot Mirror


Democratizing the Maker Movement

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.

1 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. 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.