Here’s the thing, it’s possible to have too much love. Maker Faire is suffering from this phenomena.

We’ve been going to Maker Faire for a long time and this year it crossed over. The hassle, the crowd, and the crush over shadowed all the great stuff people were sharing. And that’s a shame.

Unless and until the Faire move to a venue that is more appropriate for its size and attendance, I can’t in good conscience continue to support the event. It’s a mob scene and it’s impossible to get value from the exhibits and interactions due to the conditions.

Even worse, it’s really gone commercial. That’s OK, these things need money to survive and thrive. But it’s now blatant.

To wit, GE had a Twitter exchange with me earlier this week inviting me to come to their garage area. When I showed up, I saw it and it looked kind of interesting. When I attempted to enter the tent, a security guard greeted me politely and indicated that I would not be allowed entry unless I registered at the front.

Sorry, if I want to share my information with you, that’s one thing. If you force me to share it to gain entrance, that’s quite another. No one would have thought to do such a thing at prior Faires and if they did, there would have been a revolt. Total Fail.

No giant mousetrap. No power tool drag races. Too many people to move freely. Ugh. Not a good experience.

Let’s hope O’Reilly Media recognize this and get it together for future events.