I almost grabbed a bright fluorescent shirt the other day and I thought no no no that is Bruce’s domain
So I am going with the roller skates Daisy Dukes and a beard combover for open house tour nights this year
So no one questions my decision making abilities (of course)…
I encourage all DMS members to wear name shirts!
Edit: Even copy mine directly if you want, but use your own name. 
I like how a simple glaring shirt has helped pull me into the DMS community and wish the same for all.
Here are some name-shirt-making and -buying tips:
Making at DMS
Making elsewhere
I’ve had good success with Big Frog in Dallas and their Gildan-brand 100% cotton shirts with many different designs. They are more expensive than making at DMS at $22 or so vs. sub-$10, but you just email them the design via PNG or SVG file and the dimensions and they do all the work. And you support local business.
Font
Choose your font to match your personality.
For example, my font choice was Consolas because that is the most popular software font (monospace), and I love software. My letter height was 32 mm on dye sub paper, and is now roughly 31 mm on my shirt. Inkscape is the free vector graphics editor on all the DMS computers and it makes the font-sizing process very easy.
Bruce
This would make for a very good “new member” class. Pseudo mandatory, even. 
Seems…em…counter-intuitive, to go somewhere else to make such a shirt. No?
Oh, how about a shirt making class on open house Thursdays. Now we’re talking…
I like how you think, krich.
It’s Ken, to my DMS friends.
I like how you think, Ken.
For 2019. One of the things I would like to see us convert to is picture name RFID badges. At over 2,200 members it is almost impossible to remember names and faces.
It would help everyone get a name with a face.
It would be required to wear it visibly with a break away lanyard if you want it around your neck.
So, as a trend, shirts with your name might not be needed. Do as you will.
There is not a board motion on this, yet.
How do we get everybody onboard and known, to some degree?
There are recognition issues with thousands of members.
Any thoughts? Alternate positive suggestions too.
I strenuously object to photo ID badges, for a variety of reasons, not least of which is that my lost ID badge would then be linked to not only a specific person, but a specific structure, where it provides access. If lost now, it’s just a card, and the findee has no idea what it does nor for whom.
Secondly, mandatory ID badges are the pits, and I have always done everything in my power to thwart all such policies as a matter of principle: their primary objective in my early experiences, were to mark and distinguish we plebeians, a practice I find distasteful at best.
Members choosing to ID themselves is cool. Given the right circumstances I might even participate. But mandatory? No, thank you. And mandatory photo ID badges is especially objectionable.
Good idea as usual, Diplomat.
A retractable string lanyard might be even safer than breakaway around dangerous machinery.
The one I have pictured here has a reliable belt loop clip and a somewhat less reliable edge-of-clothing clip:
Those are very good reasons against photo ID badges, jast. I’m glad you thought it through.
While I see the point @Diplomat , I’m going to have to agree with @jast on this. Definitely doesn’t add much in the way of security without additional infrastructure, as discussed. Safety is a concern as well. Break away lanyards may not break away fast enough. There’s a reason you see folks in industrial settings wear badges on their upper arm, their hard hat, etc. Members will simply pocket the badge and keep doing what they are doing today. Good intent, thwarted.
Here’s my alternative suggestion. I try to always offer up a solution when I can… 
Bonus Ideas:
This would play into the relaxed atmosphere of the space and allow accomplished and high contributing members to be recognized (if they choose). Some folks are “achievement collectors” (ahem…gamers) and that in and of itself could be a motivator to participate/certify.
My employer is moving to new badges that just have a picture and first name, for the reasons you mentioned. Other than the “the pits” part.
So members who choose to identify themselves with a photo badge maybe they could stick to something like that.
I love the idea of committee chair recognition! Could we expand it to something for people who are active in a certain committee, too? Patches, not badges! 
I am not against wearing a name tag, but I oppose making it mandatory as I understand the objections to such a policy.
I have been talking with Nicole @uglyknees about this since I joined over three years ago. One thing we may be able to agree on is a standardized name tag so that they are easily recognized. And have some visible indication between “May I help you with something” and “I identify myself, but I am currently busy. Please find me later.”
While I don’t mind having my picture up in Machine Shop and Metal Shop showing that I’m a vice-chair, others will have differing opinions. However I’m not one for a picture on my badge. My company badge has my picture, however I keep it tucked away in my t shirt pocket. I don’t want ever Tom, Dick & Larry to know who I am. Same reason I don’t put my name on my T-Shirt. When people ask for my name at restaurants, I’ll tell them Buffalo Bill or Inigo Montoya. While it’s not a big deal around the space, it’s somewhat inconvenient trying to remember your badge. Then when you wear said badge, people out and about calling by your first name like they know you.
I am floating the idea here.
First name is fine. I had not thought about lost badge issues.
They also do not have to have DMS on them. That is a common safety thing to do. The badges are cheap so lost badges do not need to be mailed back. If I loss my badge. They get my picture and “Steve” on it.
Retractable badge gizmos are fine. Just the basic clip is pretty simple too. Whatever needs to be done to keep safety in mind and people from being hurt.
“You do not need to know who I am.” Does not work well for me. Admission of failure. I get membership cancellation emails every day. Sometimes I know who they are. Many times I do not. I think about who I have missed knowing. I wonder if we had known them better if they would have stayed as a member. Does not make me happy.
This part could get complicated. Each Committee should have an icon. So a person could list their top 5 favorite committees on their badge by icon.
What else? Good and bad.
You assume that all use that white credit card-like electronic door key. Wore/used one of those for the last 12 or 15 years of gainful employment. I really don’t miss it at all. Not just because it’s become so mainstream business, but because while guys nearly always have a belt loop to attach dangly things to, women don’t always have that option.
I much prefer my anonymous purple key fob, thank you very much. And… there are probably a few members with the implant version.
I don’t want a T-shirt with my name on it either.
If there are people I want/need to know, I introduce myself, or they introduce themselves to me. And given the fact that I have no gift for name retention, consider yourself forewarned that I may introduce myself repeatedly.
No.
Not acceptable.
That’s a “Work” thing. I DO NOT work for DMS.
Make it mandatory and I’ll have to reconsider my membership.
For the folks who dislike picture badges please solve the problem a different way. Note how I started the previous post. “Floating the idea…”
How do we identify members. How do we get to know people’s names?
There are LOTS of badge attachment options. Clip or neck strape or the retracting “toy” gizmo.
I challenge anyone to walk with me through DMS at a busy time and tell me everyone’s name.
I know of one instance where 2 cousins shared a membership.
There are issues I am willing to talk about in person, not on TALK.
I think the study runs that over 250 people there is an anonymous issue that starts occurring. The human brain can manage 250 people or less. After that not so much.
We are about 10x that number. Let that soak in. This is an issue.
(Being pedantic.) Do we armor entries and have biometric readers? Finger print scanners? Iris scanners? It can be much more intrusive that a picture badge.
Alternate and effective options are welcome.
