Definitions
What I mean when I talk about amateurs.
I'm researching and writing about amateur technology scenes.
Each of those words — amateur, technology, and scene — helps draw a boundary around my target.
I use amateur in the highest regard. The French definition: the lover of. Amateurs do things for the pure joy of the activity, rather than for fame or fortune. In some circles, amateur has become a derogatory term for second-class or shoddy work. Not with me. In a world obsessed with efficiency and money-making schemes, I treasure these folks who gather simply for some shared enjoyment.
The amateur world is vast, encompassing hobbies as varied as birdwatching and pickleball. Technology helps narrow it down. As a general rule (mine), an amateur technology scene means the group devotes at least half time to building equipment. More than just a hobby, it also involves creating or improving a tool or piece of kit to aid in the activity. So homebuilt airplanes fit the purview, but kiteboarding doesn't. Model rocketry is in, but ultramarathon running is not. Some of the lines get blurry. For example, the Camp 4 heyday of Yosemite rock climbing would qualify, whereas today's El Capitan climbers wouldn't, even though their feats are equally impressive. They just aren't tool builders.
Lastly, the scene aspect is important. Brian Eno coined the term "scenius" to describe the moments of brilliance that can emerge within a small group of practitioners. It works here. These amateur technology scenes often exist in the background, away from the headlines and hype of professional science and technology. But they occasionally gain momentum that sends them surging into the spotlight. When it happens, it's often difficult to point out a single factor or person responsible, an ineffable magic that defies a simple explanation. More than any lone inventor, scenius occurs in a group, between and amongst the participants.
The important open questions in amateur technology all revolve around creating and nurturing scenius: What are the ingredients? What type of people do you need? How could we make this type of innovation more common?
It's worth clarifying that amateur technology scenes don't exclude professionals. They're often involved. Sometimes the pros are moonlighting in these scenes because the bureaucracy of their day jobs has stifled their ideas. Other times they are trespassing into a new field or discipline, and the amateur scenes offer the best way to get started. Either way, it's a mistake to write amateurs off as under-educated and second-class. The defining characteristics of these groups are freedom and fun.
And that's exactly what I hope to maintain here on this Substack: freedom and fun. If you're interested in similar topics, I hope you decide to subscribe and contribute.