Follow the Bouncing Ball: Mark Frauenfelder and Boing Boing

The Internet is a mysterious place full of memes, message board wars and countless cat videos. Then, amongst the confusion and disorder, there’s BoingBoing.net. Headed by co-founder Mark Frauenfelder, Boing Boing has been creating order out of the chaos of the Interwebs since 1995. It is a place of discovery and a place of sharing. It is a place where all of the interesting tidbits from around the world are rolled into one convenient package and posted for your consumption. Last week, I had the opportunity and pleasure to sit down with Mark and find out what makes him, and Boing Boing, tick. 

Interview with Boing Boing Co-Founder Mark Frauenfelder

Mark Frauenfelder was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado. Growing up, Mark was fascinated by both art and science but, upon entering college, he had to face the tough decision of which field to pursue as a career. He opted to study engineering and, after graduating, spent some time in the disk drive industry. It wasn’t long, however, until Mark’s creative side took center stage.

In 1988, five years after graduating college, Mark began pursuing a career in journalism. He started a zine with his wife, Carla Sinclair, which they called Boing Boing. When I asked Mark why they chose this title, he attributed it to the fact that a number of successful zines at the time had sound effect or onomatopoeic titles. He also had a more metaphoric and humorous explanation for the title.

“Boing Boing also has to do with the concept of bouncing around from idea to idea. Plus it keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously.”

But, as any experienced Web surfer knows, Boing Boing is something that should be taken seriously. Very seriously. Since its inception, Boing Boing has become one of the most influential blogs on the Internet. When asked to describe its philosophy, Mark had this to say, “Boing Boing is whatever interests the editors of Boing Boing. Its about coming across surprising information. Things that stand out. Things that change my opinion. Things that upset me. Things that delight me. Things that make me think about things in a new way. That filter applies to science, technology, art, literature, music, current events. Interesting things in all fields.”

This interest in a wide variety of fields spills over into Mark’s private life as well. Like anyone, Mark has his list of favorite authors and artists, a list that includes Jack Kirby, Carl Barks, Jose Farmer and Rudy Rucker. He is also a frequent comic reader and enjoys the repose that comes from drawing and painting. A former self-proclaimed “ukelele fanatic,” Mark now spends his time obsessing over playing and creating cigar box guitars. When asked about his former obsession, Mark said, “I’m usually interested in something for like two years, but then it fades.” His love of music, however, has been with him his entire life.

Mark is a child of the punk era. Albums by The Ramones, The Clash and The Rolling Stones dot his record collection and, in 1984, he even travelled to London and played in a band before returning to the United States to attend college. When asked what drew him to punk music, Mark broke it down into terms that many a punk show-goer can relate to:

“It was the DIY aspect of the punk culture. You didn’t need to have expensive equipment or a record contract. I also liked the primitive sound. It’s hard to say, but as soon as I heard it, I loved it. I thought to myself, ‘Where has this music been all my life?’ I hated the music of the 70s. I couldn’t relate to it. Then punk came along. It was a great antidote to all of that.”

Were it not for a punk culture littered with zines and DIY ethics, Boing Boing may never have come into existence and Mark may never have been able to share his philosophy of discovery with the world.

Boing Boing is built on the philosophy of discovery, not only for its readers, but for its editors. This philosophy stems from Mark’s childhood fascination with The Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley’s Believe it or Not. “[Ripley’s and Guinness] helped me get my head around the limits of the world. Helped put a container around information for which to evaluate information. Discovery helps you understand the world.” And, now, Boing Boing is doing the same for a new generation of discoverers.

Photo by Laughing Squid.