I'm a new member and just recently happened to see a build thread on an ESR meter. In the thread was a link to a new updated project along the same lines. Unless someone makes a new post these kind of things just get lost in a few months. I'd like to see as perhaps a subsection to the Open Source Hardware, a listing of these threads, or maybe just one post with the basics of the project and a link to the original thread. Something like the ESR meter is a simple build and you get a useful tool at the end.
I'm not sure if this would need to be subdivided or if even the forum section is the correct place. A home brew site I know does kind of the same thing with recipes. Some possible subsections would be test equipment, audio, robotics, whatever.....
Basically, just something to keep these projects easy to find in case someone is interested or just looking for something to build. There is probably plenty of projects archived in threads here already. I'm sure members can make suggestions about which past projects are worth being brought to the foreground and how to categorize them.
Off the top of my head here's how I would do it. I'd have someone do a new write up on the completed project. Schematic, PCB layout, pictures and perhaps a rough difficulty rating. Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. At the end the original thread could be linked to for any discussion. Lock the post so it can't be discussed in the subforum. I'd think keeping this section clean would make it easier to navigate. The point is to build a database of some useful/fun open source projects that people can easily browse.
Understandable request - but that requires someone to volunteer to maintain it. With consistent posting of material, even the most enthusiastic volunteer would become jaded very quickly.
It's just not sustainable - unless you can work out a way for such a task to be automated ... and one that Dave would agree to.
What I think is a more practical solution is that you spend a little time learning how to use the forums "Search" facilities. To add a little spice into that exercise, there are two places you can invoke a search on each page - and they don't always produce the same result.
One is at the top of every page:
Home Help Search Profile About us My Messages Calendar Links Members Logout
and the other is on each board at the top right of the list of threads:
NEW TOPIC NEW POLL NOTIFY MARK READ SEARCH
I know how to use search. That isn't the problem. The problem with a successful forum is that search returns too much. Some of it useful, some of it pages of drivel and bickering about the best implementation. You can end up with dozens of threads with circular references. This would be more of a 'top projects list'. Things that have been built and verified by 'numerous' people. Something could be nominated after it reaches a certain criteria. Just to pick a number, lets say 10 people have built and verified a build and find the circuit useful and performing as advertised. By verified I mean they post their completed builds to the thread. At that point it could be nominated. With the number of contributers here it wouldn't have to be a one person show. Different people for different categories. I've maintained forums and mailing lists so I have some idea what is involved.
Here my suggestion, it works quite well for me, use the forum's "SAY THANKS" feature.
Originally its for thanking of course, but apart from that, I use this feature intensively sort of bookmark the thread or even single post that I find valuable and thanking the poster at the same time.
For whole thread, usually I just clicked "SAY THANKS" to the 1st post of the thread, or down to single interesting post.
Just see this feature as your online bookmark stored here in this forum, and to review it, just click your own -> Profile/Show Posts/Posts Thanked By User , which will list down all post you've thanked.
Hope this helps.
I doubt you can build thins cheaper than buying built ones off eBay. IMHO the value of an EE forum is not providing a step by step tutorial for building a thing, instead, the pages of discussion gives you insight of the design is the value of such a forum.
Well, with thousands of subscribers I doubt all have the same goals and ways of doing. But why worry about design if we are all just buying off sleazebay anyhow? Can't they do that for us too?
... The point is to build a database of some useful/fun open source projects that people can easily browse.
Why don't you give it a try? Sounds like a good idea but someone has to do the work.
A member who's name starts with B and ends in Y, designed a database in a spreadsheet that converts to HTML for this forum. The data is collected inside the spreadsheet:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/other-blog-specific/dd/msg1093983/#msg1093983
If anyone wants to try this, I'm happy to put together a spreadsheet for them to make the exercise easier. You will just have to worry about the data you want appearing, the spreadsheet will generate the code for displaying in a table on the forum.
Just remember - this would be a one-off exercise for me .... but an on-going one for whoever wants to maintain it.
.... and it's that on-going part that can become a loathesome burden.
Where are the rss feeds for this forum? Seems like it would be a good way to track and syndicate these threads.