[Wiki discussion] Crafting tricks

A few days ago I started a new category in the wiki, collecting more singular procedures on how to do this or that. Feel free to add articles. For example, the article on making a hobbed bolt was mostly moved over from the Wade's Extruder article and replaced with a link there.

[reprap.org]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2014 04:49AM by Traumflug.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

I like the idea because it makes information more accessible to machinists and builders. Instead of having bits and pieces spread across the wiki, there's a singular collection of tutorials.

This underscores something that I still find mystifying and confusing about the reprap wiki --- how does one navigate it?

There are only 4 Navigation links:

- Main Page
- Build a RepRap
- Glossary
- Reference

and I don't see that one could get to this hobbed bolt page from any of them, or any of their sub pages.

Would someone please explain the trick of understanding and navigating the site hierarchy? Or where this page would fall in it, and the breadcrumb trail which would take one to this page starting at the main one?

I've been going through the list of pages and trying to find things which I need to read there, but it's all quite confusing, esp. for someone new to this sort of thing.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2014 10:26AM by WillAdams.

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WillAdams
I don't see that one could get to this hobbed bolt page from any of them

Click on Build a RepRap.
Scroll down to Extruder, Cold End.
Click on Wade's Geared Extruder.
Scroll down to The Hobbed Bolt.
Click on Making a Hobbed Bolt.
And you are there.

But in general, I think you are correct that many pages are not connected into the hierarchy very well. People editing the wiki can click on "What links here" in the sidebar to see what links to a particular page (and add more links higher up in the tree if necessary). You can also check the list of pages that are not linked from anywhere and the list of uncategorized pages and add links as needed.

Also, is the category Crafting Tricks meant to be different from the category DIY manufacturing? Or did DIY manufacturing just get forgotten?

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WillAdams
Would someone please explain the trick of understanding and navigating the site hierarchy? Or where this page would fall in it, and the breadcrumb trail which would take one to this page starting at the main one?

I've been going through the list of pages and trying to find things which I need to read there, but it's all quite confusing, esp. for someone new to this sort of thing.

While many of us agree with you that the structure is less than accomodating, you still aren't taking into account how it came to be and why it's morphed that way. It's been around much longer than Shapeoko and has had an order of magnitude more contributors. The fact that it spans several different iterations over the last several years with thousands of users and contributors without a central control it will get disjointed. There is no central control structure here, it is how it is. As an example Shapeoko is basically two iterations with a limited number of people contributing over a much shorter time. It's easier to control that information source as the contributions and subject matter aren't isn't as wide.

There is also a philosophical difference in the projects where the Shapeoko is a more utilitarian project, specifically making a tool for the means of production whereas Reprap is more of a social statement, based in academia whose founding pillar is giving power the people by distributing the means of production. While that is all well and good, Reprap has morphed more into a ulititarian mindset but that's not been driven by the founders. In fact many if not most aren't actively participating here. The change has been driven by the users for better or worse who aren't developers but rather people that want to build a machine.

I see that you have a few choices..

1 ) Keep asking why it is how it is and bring it up everytime you get a chance. That will change nothing.

2 ) Contribute to the project by defining the things as you see advantageous by either making the changes yourself or developing a team to work toward the goal. The issues would be resolved and the community would be better for it. You've already made it clear that you have no interest in doing any of the work and would prefer someone else to do it for you. That's not going to happen.

3 ) This is the one I prefer. Use the resource for what it is and learn from it. Part of the Reprap mentality is figuring things out, experimenting. Accept that there are caveats and it may take more time to find answers. I use Google site: function to search the Wiki as I too find the results to not be structured to my liking.

As DIY printer building gains even more traction I think Reprap will become less relevant to the overall market but still play a role in the development and experimentation of ideas. I don't see that as either good or bad but rather an evolution in the DIY 3D printer world.

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vegasloki
You've already made it clear that you have no interest in doing any of the work and would prefer someone else to do it for you.

This is not correct, vegasloki. WillAdams has made a number of helpful edits to the Wiki, and I hope he continues to do so.

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MattMoses

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vegasloki
You've already made it clear that you have no interest in doing any of the work and would prefer someone else to do it for you.

This is not correct, vegasloki. WillAdams has made a number of helpful edits to the Wiki, and I hope he continues to do so.

It is correct in that Will stated in another thread (has Reprap come to a standstill) where he was suggesting changes where he expressed he wasn't going to do any of the edits as he didn't have the time. This was not quite three weeks ago.

I like what Markus has done with a crafting page though I had to look at it and see what exactly was being crafted.

It's difficult to justify trying to help out when one adds content identical to existing content and links to other Creative Commons sites and has them deleted 'cause the existing content is deemed inappropriate.

I've helped out as much as I can, and I'd be able to help out more if I understood things better --- my thanks to the people who understood and helped w/ that understanding.

Anyone who is curious as to what I actually said can go read that thread.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2014 10:43PM by WillAdams.

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WillAdams
how does one navigate it?

You're either on a topic already and follow the links, or you use your favourite general internet search engine and add "reprap" as one of the search words.

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MattMoses
Also, is the category Crafting Tricks meant to be different from the category DIY manufacturing? Or did DIY manufacturing just get forgotten?

Uhm, I guess it got forgotten. As I was the only contributor to DIY Manufacturing, I simply deleted it in favour of Crafting Tricks.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

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WillAdams
I've helped out as much as I can, and I'd be able to help out more if I understood things better.

Which "things"? Navigation works the way you craft it. There is no godsent ruling which mandates doing it one way or another.

(description of my plans deleted. If I tell them here, everybody will make me responsible for it and wait until I am done (which will never happen). No chance to finger-pointers and waiters. )

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY