The World Maker Faire opens in Queens this weekend, in the second annual New York City event for the formidable faire. That was perfect timing for having a conversation with Dale Dougherty, the father of the movement, about why Making is bigger than just tinkering or crafting, but actually represents an important social, cultural and political force.

If you have twenty minutes, I’d love for you to watch the video below and to share your thoughts on the implications of the Maker Movement. It was an incredible privilege to get to talk at length with the person most responsible for making it happen, and my greatest hope is that we can kick off a conversation around this weekend’s Faire that helps many people realize just how significant and important this fun, engaging and welcoming event can be.

Today, lots of people across the political spectrum are willing to abandon logic, reason or even science in favor of their politics, and these people propose only obstruction instead of solutions, letting skepticism take the place of creative invention. Given that reality, I sincerely hope that the people who invent, create, remix, tinker, craft, and simply make can recognize that we are a formidable movement, as powerful as any party, and it’s our right to take control of a political dialogue from those who refuse to make anything but noise.

Related Links

• Dale’s post on the O’Reilly Radar blog about our conversation
• Make the Revolution, which expands on the idea of the Maker Movement as a political force and is referenced by Dale in the interview above
• YouTube and the Million Mixer March, which provides a context where the practical redefinition of fair use on the web can be considered a political movement
• What They’re Protecting Us From, about barriers to entry for a new generation of makers who would want to come to America
• The “Yes, And…” Culture, about bringing improvisational remix culture to political efforts