READER INPUT Where makers tell their tales
and offer praise, brickbats, and swell ideas.
Editor’s Note: It was with
great pleasure that we
received the following two
letters from young readers.
We hope you enjoy them
as well.
How MAKE
Magazine Changed
My Life
Vincent Brubaker, age 13
1/4/07
Vincent Brubaker
1/4/07
Personal Statement:
Personal Statement
I got MAKE magazine on Christmas Eve in 2005. I received it as a 1-year
subscription from a family friend, Richard Lawler. At first, the magazine
seemed too good to be true. It was an amazing DIY (Do-It- Yourself)
magazine with more than an imaginable amount of projects, tips, tricks,
ideas, how-tos, places to get things, places to go, and things to do,
electronic as well as non-electronic. After I got the magazine, I started to
make all sorts of fun electronic circuits and projects, and hack away at
toys until they do things that they wouldn’t normally do.
I got MAKE magazine on Christmas eve in 2005. I received it as a 1-year
subscription from a family friend; Richard Lawler. At first, the magazine seemed too
good to be true. It was an amazing D.I. Y. (Do-It-Yourself) magazine with more than an
imaginable amount of projects, tips, tricks, ideas, how-tos, places to get things, places
to go, and things to do; electronic as well as non-electronic. After I got the magazine, I
started to make all sorts of fun electronic circuits, projects, and hack away at toys until
they do things that they wouldn't normally do.
The Maker Faire is something that MAKE magazine has started to do annually;
it's a big festival where people come to show off their stuff that they think would be
worth sharing to people who read MAKE magazine or to people who are just
interested. I went to the first annual Maker Faire with Richard, my mom, and another
friend, Joe, and had a blast! I had fun doing all sorts of activities, looking at displays
and taking tours of mini-exhibits, I got to the jackpot.
The Maker Faire is something that MAKE magazine has started to do
annually; it’s a big festival where people come to show off their stuff that
they think would be worth sharing to people who read MAKE magazine or
to people who are just interested. I went to the first annual Maker Faire with
Richard, my mom, and another friend, Joe, and had a blast! I had fun doing
all sorts of activities, looking at displays, and taking tours of mini-exhibits.
I got to the jackpot. It was a huge building full of electronics that you
were allowed to scavenge. To my dismay that I couldn’t have done this
earlier, the Maker Faire was closing down — as well as ending their two-day
run. I made off with all sorts of goodies! I got two 8,200 F 80V capacitors,
a programmable bicycle wheel message displayer DIY kit, and to top it
all off, I got two 32k F 50V screw-in-lead type capacitors that were each
the size of two small cans stacked on top of each other.
It was a huge building full of electronics that you were allowed to scavenge. To
my dismay that i couldn't have done this earlier, the Maker Faire was closing down - as
well as ending their 3-day run. I made off with all sorts of goodies! I got two 8,200 F
80v Capacitors, a programable bicycle wheel message displayer DIY kit, and to top it
all of, I got two 32k F 50v screw-in lead-type capacitors that were each the size of two
small cans stacked on top of each other.
The Maker Faire is important to me because I am able to meet hundreds of
people who like to do the things that I like to do. It is also important to me because I am
able to learn a lot about the thing that I already do, and see how other people do the
things that I like to do - their techniques, methods, etc.; so that I can get ideas from
them.
The Maker Faire is important to me because I am able to meet hundreds
of people who like to do the things that I like to do. It is also important to
me because I am able to learn a lot about the things that I already do, and
see how other people do the things that I like to do — their techniques,
methods, etc. — so I can get ideas from them.
176 Make: Volume 10
