What's happened to this group?

Needed to look in here to aid a request from one of my pupils, and what has happened to the legions of posts about motors, mechanics and electronics?

Used to be a thriving forum, but it's now almost dead.

Reply to
Peter "Timmy" Timmins
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Good question. First came waves of sporgers, which caused many to flee to web forums. Then major US ISPs like Comcast dropped newsfeeds from their service.

The last big thread this group has seen was way OT from the usual fare; it attracted those with a sexual fetish for terminator robots.

Maybe we should ask for a bailout... The bad economy has ruined people's ability to invest in robotics?

- Daniel

Reply to
D Herring

Yes, I think a $300 Billion investment in comp.robotics.misc might just be the thing to get the economy jump started! Lets get to work on that... :)

What robotics project would you do with your $300 billion?

Reply to
Curt Welch

--It's winter; we're all torturing metal into newer and better robots. I am at least. Just about done with a Stamp calliope:

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Reply to
steamer

Quite a few ISPs have dropped newsgroup support altogether (not just binaries, everything). Plus, blogs and forums have taken over as the "Web 2.0" equivalent of Usenet.

While not all Usenet groups are slow, this was winding down over the years, so with all the other changes in how people communicate on the Internet, c.r.m. just isn't as relevent.

And yes, the splorg of a year or so ago didn't help things.

All this said, I really don't know of a good alternative for general robotics. Most forums/blogs tend to be specialized. You got to the Parallax forum for questions about the BASIC Stamp, for example.

-- Gordon

Reply to
Gordon McComb

...

Heh. I'd build a fleet of bipedal robots for a mere $200 billion. And create a million "new jobs" in the process.

- Daniel

Reply to
D Herring

Some of us are still around -- we're just keeping a low profile.

Reply to
The Artist Formerly Known as K

I don't see how a healthy robot fetish is entirely off topic. Sex Bot 3000 and I enjoyed the perspective very much.

--- Thanx --- Steve + SB3 4 ever

Reply to
Webcam Steve

It's very disappointing. I remember this newsgroup had a lot more activity about ten years ago, even though some of it was discussing "The Three Laws of RowBoatics" or whatever it was.

Have a robotics club in your area? Here's mine:

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That thread was highly cross-posted and most likely started by a troll. I don't count it as on-topic conversation.

President Obama did say he would "restore science to its proper place" or some such, and that surely includes robotics and can only be a Good Thing, right?

Reply to
Ben Bradley

AND THE ANSWER IS: There was a time, when the internet was new, that the best way to find like minded people and discuss niche subjects - such as robots and robotics, was to join a news group. The internet has chance so much since then that more robot information than I can handle is readily available online by doing any of the available search engine searches. At least that is why I have not posted here in a very long time.

GO ROBOTS !

Paul F. Grayson - Chief Engineer AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL MAGIC, LLC Racing to build technology that saves soldier's lives.

390 4-Mile Rd. S. Traverse City, MI 49686-8411 (231) 946-0187, (231) 883-4463 Cell snipped-for-privacy@aimagic.org AIM:
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Robot Club:
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Reply to
Paul F. Grayson

Thinking further on this, perhaps it is as the result of so much being available off-the-shelf such that necessity being the mother of invention no longer applies?

For example, in my father's day, it was worthwhile to find out how a television worked in order to build your own from ex-radar components because a TV set then was several weeks' wages.

Nowadays, you can get a TV for a fraction of a week's wage (£20 for a digi-TV adapter to go in the back of your computer) so there's no motivation, not only to build your own, but to even teach yourself how things tick.

The spirit of enquiry is dead.

Reply to
Peter "Timmy" Timmins

Oh, I don't think so. But the lines of inquiry have certainly changed -- and are, in fact, ever-changing.

Reply to
The Artist Formerly Known as K

I'll tell of one group almost dissapeared. Labview. Regardless of activity most of the info in groups is in Google's archieves. When searching I always also search Usenet for answers. Sometimes its the ONLY way I get answers. Only using Google will also not give you all the information. You need to use other search engines.

greg

Reply to
GregS

In your opinion, is interest and usage of Labview on the decline in general or just activity in the group? I'm curious about Labview as I just started using it as part of a project I'm doing with some high school students.

Thanks.

CP

Reply to
cp

I don't use Labview myself. I am going to assume the group just moved to a forum. The thing about it just seems expensive and for being advertised as easy, seems like you can really get involved solving certain programming issues. Thats what I got out of reading posts from that group.

greg

Reply to
GregS

--Wellll I'm working with Stamp and solenoid valves, having great fun! Have been posting to my own blog and giving pointers to it on usenet. No unsolvable problems yet so no questions! Maybe others are in that boat? It's winter so maybe everyone's buried in a textbook or a workbench?

Reply to
steamer

Where would I use one of those whistles ?? Maybe a steam show !!

greg

Reply to
GregS

I see Labview usage as being pretty large. I run into ads looking for people fluent in it regularly. I don't think it is going down, though it may be just that I am noticing it more now. For my nickel, it would be a really good skill to have.

BobH

Reply to
BobH

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