Fwd: Getting Ready World Maker Faire New York!

	A Message from Make Magazine and Maker Media: Dear World Maker Faire Ticket Holders: We are counting down to World Maker Faire and wanted to make sure that you have the latest and greatest information to prepare you for your visit this weekend. If you haven't already done so, please take a moment to download "The Official Maker Faire App".  It is available for iPhone and Android and includes information on makers, exhibits, a complete program schedule, venue and neighborhoord maps, search, personal scheduling, Twitter and Facebook integration and more! http://makerfaire.com/app/ And, if this is your first time at Maker Faire, we have included a special note from Maker David Lang.  He has some great advice - and we thought for those that have attended in the past, you might enjoy reading it too. We look forward to seeing you this weekend! Best, The Maker Faire Team     First Time at Maker Faire? By David Lang, author of Zero to Maker: Learn (Just Enough) to Make (Just About) Anything Welcome! I know what you're probably going to think when you arrive: "Where the heck am I?" Totally understandable. That's exactly the way I felt when I came to my first Maker Faire three years ago. It was overwhelming: the interesting and whimsical contraptions, the robots moving among the crowds, the cutting-edge technology. It seemed like a scene from a science fiction movie, and was a stark contrast to the office- and email-centric life I was familiar with. But by the end of that first day, the novelty had worn off and I was left with a few major impressions: 1) Maker Enthusiasm - Behind every interesting project was an equally interesting person or group. It was so refreshing to meet people who made things because they loved them, instead of just trying to sell something. And every question about how something worked found an informed and lucid explanation. My advice: MAKE SURE TO ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS! 2) Excited Kids - Unfortunately, Maker Faire is the opposite of my educational experience. Watching the kids light up around the different projects at Maker Faire makes it clear that this experience fills an important gap that many classrooms are missing. More advice: ENCOURAGE YOUR KIDS TO ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS! My last major insight didn't happen my first day at the Faire. It came months later, after I finally decided I wanted to get more involved with the maker movement. I had no idea where, or how, or what I wanted to make - I just knew I wanted more of the creativity and curiosity I had seen at Maker Faire. After a few months of taking classes and meeting more makers, I learned the final lesson: 3) Making Is a Team Sport - It has very little to do with DIY, and everything to do with DIT (Do-It-Together). The tools are much easier to learn (and more accessible) than I could have guessed. The online and in-person communities are wildly supportive and informative. And the potential to start something that turns into a fun hobby, a small (or big) business, or an engaging parent-kid project is much closer than you realize. So, my last piece of advice? GET INVOLVED! 2013 World Maker Faire New York Hosted by Make Magazine and Maker Media New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th Street, Queens, NEW YORK 11368  |  Directions