HOMAGO Project

This is the third installment of my experience and interpretation of HOMAGO learning.  This post will focus on what HOMAGO is.  My previous posts concentrated on my own experience with HOMAGO style of learning how to swap a limited slip differential into my car. 

HOMAGO is an acronym that stands for Hanging Out, Messing Around, Geeking Out.  Each is a different level of interest driven learning experienced, as described by Mimi Ito
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Hanging Out:
This is the beginning of the process that usually involves a low risk and non-judgemental environment. This allows an individual to explore a subject freely without losing too much if they become uninterested or fail.  Typically the boundaries here are flexible, which promote somebody to pursue their interest. This stage began at the same time I gained interest in modifying cars.  I started exploring which car would be reasonable to own and modify.

Messing Around:
After a person becomes interested in learning about a certain subject, the "messing around" begins.  This is the point where someone begins to delve into whatever they are curious about and start the interest driven activities.  The activities that occur during this stage can vary from research to any sort of entry level activities.  For me, I began to "mess around" when I became curious as to how I could spin two rear tires, instead of one.  This is where I explored the function and purpose of a limited slip differential.

Geeking Out:
This is where the fun begins.  Geeking Out is the stage where a person's interest is at its peak and all learning is driven by their own thirst for knowledge.  At this point, you are neck deep in your interest and you love every minute of it.  I began the "geeking out" stage when I discovered how to fit an Infiniti J30 limited slip unit into my 240sx housing.  After doing all the necessary research, I took a trip to the junkyard and started pulling things apart.

This process of learning is described by Mimi Ito via video format.  While these three stages are the basic essentials to interest driven learning, I think there should be one more section. In my case, one could call that section "Hauling Ass."  While this may not be practical for most others, the idea is the same.

Hauling Ass:
This is the stage where all your hard work pays off and you get to take full advantage of what you learned.  This is the end result of all of that learning you did.  For me, this is when I could go out and slide through a corner with the confidence that the back end of the car will not go rogue half way through the turn and change directions on me. I finally get to drive my with that limited slip installed and show off all of my hard work.