Hi, <snip even more> > A couple of things become strikingly clear from that lot. > 1. Everyone here loves the mailing list, but nobody uses it. It's gone > from 20+ messages a day to a couple per week, unless some topic gets hold of people. Nobody has gone away - we just don't use it. Therefore, we don't need it - we just like it.
I use the mailing list and answer it if it applies to me. So depends on the questions. Less people are doing electronics nowadays so there are less messages. Reasons for the going downwards of electronics developments are: - a lot of industrial things that were neede already have been developed - in several industry branches, people want to buy elsewhere instead of developing themselves (also things like outsourcing - I hate it) - movement of development to asian countries, even if quality is lower (ever had a cheap DVD player that lasted a year - except known brands as Sony, Philips?) These, and many more, reasons make that less people are involved in electronics, so less messages are to be expected here. But that does not mean that the questions are less important to the people asking them! I am certainly willing to help if the questions are in my expertise. > 2. A clear goal is lacking. There is no convergence of opinion as to > what Jaap is trying to achieve, and he hasn't really explained it > himself. Income? - hardly. Useful Service - maybe. Service to whom? > Keeping the Chipdir relevant? (i.e. not obsolete) - Possibly. Jaap? > Exactly what are the goals behind this? What is your target audience? > Did you simply roll this up one wet afternoon because you were bored, or > people were nagging? I think Jaap want this group of people to help each other. This is in the benefit of all. Service is from us to us. Compare it to a usenet group (newsgroup). I think the Chipdir is relevant. > 3. That forum will probably founder if there is no pretty direct link > between the experts who currently populate the list and resist the > forum(Like myself), and the potential user who would be the lifeblood of > a forum. That also relies on us instructing them with patience. Fine if > I'm being paid for it (I could use a job). But otherwise there'd be a > limit. > > 4. There has been very little mention of the competition. What other > mailing lists do people sit on? I'm on one general linux list besides > this. I would like a more active hardware list as well. Any suggestions? > What other forums do people use? I woulkd like to know this too. I saw that there also is a motorola list? Where can I subscribe? > The best use of the archives I have seen is when my prospective > son-in-law wanted my e-mail address, and he lives in Italy. He googled > for the expression "Declan Moriarty" and found it in the chipdir > archives. I think archives are hugely overrated and largely redundant. > Electronics is simply too varied - too many parts. There are very > interesting design discussions, enginneering standards, and > hairsplitting over engineering correctness, but otherwise they > are redundant. Who cares if I wanted data on an STK7138 chip two years > ago? The man who want to repair a device conatining that chip? Somebody who wants to do a redesign on it existing equipment? Please note that though a PC is already outdated when you buy it, industrial electronics often has lifetimes of 15 years or even more! This by the way is a big problem for many companies: chips going obsolete. But its good for me: selling older parts, making and selling replacement devices, re-engineering existing electronics etc etc. > By contrast, Uwe's contribution to the "What is it?" debate some > time back listing links and papers to Bipolar Mode Fets a.k.a. Static > Induction Transistors a.k.a (I forget) a.k.a (I forget) was a landmark > piece of careful research that informed me about the devices I was > meeting. Coming across a SIT when you haven't ever seen/heard of them > was a mind bending experience. > A forum will be rated and reccomended only if it produces quick results > for a lazy generation. And websites (Including forums) are in the > business of selling advertising. That's the bottom line. You mean the going commercial of the internet where you either pay for everything or get spammed? I do not expect this to happen with Jaap. Regards, Pieter ______________________________________________ Hoeben Electronics Phone: +31 6 51590081 Ronkert 44 Fax: +31 13 5096025 5094 EW Lage Mierde Private: +31 13 5096200 The Netherlands E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.hoeben.com ______________________________________________ -- Author: Pieter Hoeben INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Hosting, San Diego, California -- http://www.fatcity.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB CHIPDIR-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).
