Make - Volume 10 - Reader Input (Reader Input) (Page 176)

RE_ADER _INPUTWhere 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-y_ear^subscrⁱption from a family friend, Richard Lawler. At first, the magazine seemed too good to be true. It was an amazing DIY (Do-It- Yoursel_f) ^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-e^lectronic. After I got the magazine, I started to make all sorts of fun electronic circuits and project_s, _and _hack _away _attoys until they do things that they wouldn’t normally d_o.

^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 t_han _an^imagⁱnable amount of projects, tips, tricks, ideas, how-tos, places to get thi_ngs, _places^to ^go, ^and ^things ^to do; electronic as well as non-electronic. After I got the m_agazine, _Istarted to make all sorts of fun electronic circui_ts_, _projects, _and _hack _away _at _toys _untilthey do things that they wouldn't normally do.

^The ^Maker ^Faire ^is ^something ^tha^t MAKE magazine has started to do annually; it's a big festival where people come to show of_f _th_eir _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, an_d _another^frⁱend, Joe, and had a blast! I had fun doing all sorts of activities, looking at di_splays^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 tha_tthey think would be worth sharing to people who rea_d _MAKE _magazine _orto people who are just interested. I went to the first ann_ual _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 tour_s _of _{mini-exhibits.}

^I ^got ^to the jackpot. It was a huge building full of electronics that you ^were a^llowed 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 ki_t, _and _to _top _itall off, I got two 32k F 50V screw-in-lead t_ype _capacitors _that _were _eachthe 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 _F80v Capacitors, a programable bicycle wheel mess_age _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 _ofpeople who like to do the things that I like to do. It is also impor_tant _to _me _because _I _amable to learn a lot about the thing that I already do, and _se_e _how _other _people _do _thethings that I like to do - their techniques, method_s, _etc.; _so _that _I _can _get _ideas _fromthem.

^The ^Maker ^Fair^e 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 a_lready _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