Software for Good: The Maker Movement

Furthermore, the technology that I pick up, whether through hands-on involvement with projects or by looking over the shoulder of others, has been directly applicable to my professional work as an embedded systems developer. The people I’ve met extend my professional network, and the projects I’ve completed through the hackerspace contribute to my resume just as much as projects I do for pay. They have the additional benefit of serving as a small contribution to the open source world as well, something that is a source of pride for me. To share the code I love, teach it to others, and contribute it to the community and to art is an exhilarating opportunity, and it recharges my creative spirit in a way that extends to all aspects of my life, including my “day job.”

The maker movement is real, and it is immediate. Hackerspaces are springing up all over the world, and with them comes real innovation. If you’d like to get involved, consider finding your local hackerspace. If it doesn’t exist, consider founding it. The rewards, in my experience, are significant.

References

1. The Jargon File , Version 4.4.8. Appendix A: Hacker Folklore. "The Meaning of ‘Hack.’" Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://catb.org/jargon/html/meaning-of-hack.html.
2. The Jargon File , Version 4.4.8. "hack." Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://catb.org/jargon/html/H/hack.html.
3. Lori Hepner. Status Symbols: A Study in Tweets (Artist Statement). Retrieved December 3, 2011 from http://www.lorihepner.com/status-symbols-new-/statement.
4. Time LightBox . Data Visualization: Twitter Portraits by Lori Hepner . Retrieved December 3, 2011 from http://lightbox.time.com/2011/08/26/data-visualization-twitter-portraits-by-lori-hepner.
5. HackPittsburgh. LEAD Balloon Project . Retrieved December 3, 2011 from http://www.hackpittsburgh.org/wiki/index.php?title=LEAD_Balloon_Project.
6. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: TechMan Blog . "HackPittsburgh Hosts Second Arduino Class." Retrieved December 3, 2011 from http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/news/techman/5702-hack-pittsburgh-hosts-second-arduino-class.