I'm Mark Frauenfelder, Editor-In-Chief of MAKE Magazine, and This Is How I Work

For followers of the ever-expanding maker movement, Mark Frauenfelder is king. As editor-in-chief of MAKE magazine, a quarterly publication dedicated to DIY projects, Mark is a defining force in maker culture. Called a "central organ" of the movement, MAKE encourages individual and group experimentation through metal and woodworking, robotics, electronics, and more. Its pages are brought to life each year at Maker Faire, a mecca for engineers, scientists, artists, and every DIYer in between. Mark is also the founder and co-editor of Boing Boing. Started as a cyberpunk zine in the late 1980s, Boing Boing has grown into a go-to blog for everything from tech and space exploration to politics and music. How does he do it all? Mark shared a few secrets with us, but if you want to know more, he's chatting live for the next hour.

Update: the q&a is closed. Thanks for all the great questions! Check out Mark's answers in the discussion thread below.

Name: Mark Frauenfelder
Occupation: Editor-in-chief of MAKE, co-editor of Boing Boing
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Current computer: 27-inch iMac, 11-inch MacBook Air
Current mobile devices: iPhone 4
One word that best describes how I work: Pinball

What's your best time-saving trick?

I use AwayFind to stay on top of important emails and try to ignore the rest. I also make a daily to-do list and robotically go through them in order.

What's your favorite to-do list manager?

I use Wunderlist to make all of my lists and then transfer my daily to-do to TOPS form 2170.

Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can't you live without?

The ScanSnap s1500m. I use this sheet-feed, double-sided scanner to scan all my paper documents to Evernote. It's a life changer.

What's apps/software/tools can't you live without?

Divvy, Blue Yeti microphone, Bean word processor, Palomino Blackwing 602 pencil, AwayFind, Aeropress coffee maker.

What's your workspace setup like?

[I have] a spare bedroom office with an iMac atop a vintage steel desk.

Pictured above: Mark's workspace with standing desk.

What do you listen to while you work?

I like silence, unless I'm using my hands to draw, paint, solder, or make things. Then I listen to mainly old school punk and 60's garage rock.

What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?

Cutting my own hair. I've done it since 1980 and I have saved countless hours and thousands of dollars. The downside is you end up with ridiculous looking hair like mine.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

Good, Inexpensive, Fast: Pick two.

Anything else you want to add?

I highly recommend the book Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion. It taught me to recognize when someone was trying to manipulate me, and how to prevent them from being successful.

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The How I Work series asks heroes, experts, brilliant, and flat-out productive people to share their shortcuts, workspaces, routines, and more. Every Wednesday we'll feature a new guest and the gadgets, apps, tips, and tricks that keep them going. Have someone you'd kill to see featured, or questions you think we should ask? Email Tessa.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/JUIFycxMdXk/im-mark-frauenfelder-editor+in+chief-of-make-magazine-and-this-is-how-i-work

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