Techno-pollitics and the wiki's first page

Pardon my impertinence, if any. Just wondering what rules, if any, determine the choice of printers featured on the wiki's first page.

I can undestand the Huxley (Adrian's), the Mendel (massification), but then, for example, why the MendelMax and not the Prism?

Why should the Selis Mendel described as mostly obsolete when there are branches very much alive and kicking, like Pen State's hybrid, the very Interesting Simplified Ball Bearing Mendel etc. ?
Are cubic frames to be forever taken out of view?

How to ensure fairness or at least predictability in the choices?

Souldn't the amazing Reprap family tree - which like no other describes the extraordinary mental and material flourishing of the project in a single image - be featured in first page? What if it had clickable links?

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Just wondering what rules, if any, determine the choice of printers featured on the wiki's first page.

The first page is locked down and maintained solely by Adrian Bowyer. You have to convince him.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

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Why should the Selis Mendel described as mostly obsolete

The wording is actually “mostly out of date” And I think..... at least I hope he was referring to the Mendel depicted in the build manual which is waaaay out of date compared to the Mendel's of today, and incomplete, and politely put: Not the most comprehensive or user friendly thing that I've ever tried to follow...... Maybe this is a proverbial kick in the pants directed at Mendel enthusiasts to get off their butts and share some innovations?

Traumflug Can anybody edit the Mendel manual or is that Adrians domain as well?

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Blog

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Can anybody edit the Mendel manual

Try it!

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

Thank you for the insights.
I undestand the difference in meaning between "out of date" and "obsolete".
That Selis Mendel manual isn't bad, in need of a refresh indeed. But towards which successor? I'd bet on some Prusa & Selis Mashup. But which one?

Big changes, the printer models in first page multiply like Orcytolagus cuniculi today! self-reproduction demonstrated..
Gone is the reference to Adrian Bowyer's creation in the RepRap Pro.
And obviously, unless Adrian uses "the invisible hand" for his edits, we should be kindly talking with Glenn and Spacexula

Still not clear to me why the guy that made the Orca got so many dire warnings pre-pended to his page in his time (and the last time I looked they were still there), while so many fresh-with-a-couple-of-users models get the spotlight.

This is not a troll. Just trying to undestand the governance mechanisms involved - and which ones we could conceive-. As "the market" and the stakes grow, the need for some formalization of decision and evaluation criteria will keep emerging.

Orcytolagus cuniculi Cute analogy. Feels more to me of late like autumn leaves on a breezy day, they seem so colourful and they make such a rustle as they pass on by, but then they fade from earshot, and with another gust, comes another bunch to catch your view....... Meanwhile the trunk from which they sprang grows cold and dormant......... or so it seems.

So, Glenn and Spacexula, I noticed that as well..... I'm not sure who Glenn is???? The space guy however I do know, and before criticizing their decisions, or motives “Spacexula hates the Sells Mendel..... by the way” one should consider that they are a couple out of a small handful of volunteers that donate their own time to man the wiki along with many other things. Many people are so dedicated to their own machines and their own innovations but these people are taking time from their own lives and dedicating it to the Reprap project itself. I'm sure that if you rolled up your sleeves and offered to donate some of your own time to the cause that anyone of them would answer all your questions and put you to work in short order. Speaking of donating: Imagine if everybody selling Reprap had the conscience to push that donation button and donate even just 1% of their sales back to the Reprap project. The administration would actually be able to hire some people to handle the administrative stuff and let these developers get back to developing. As a matter of fact I took my own advise and we made a donation!


As for the Sells Mendel manual isn't bad. Just to make a point, I see the MendelMax claim to fame is that is focused on structural rigidity. Well, a properly assembled Sells frame is quite sturdy. I get more flex from my Z bars than I ever do from my frames, unfortunately the wiki doesn't show you how to stiffen it up..... See? Had the manual covered the procedure there have been no perceived need for the MendelMax.

Traumflug, We found a spelling error in the Mendel build manual so Mike logged in to our account and tried correcting it,and, it worked. Suppose we should ask premission before making sweeping changes though.

Yes, autumn weather awakens the bards of decay.

Speaking of rolling up the sleeves, I am already volunteerning some of my time to set up (and hopefully, in due time analyze the data) a survey. Some talk and my proposition in the developers forum, under an "incentives" post by Buback. The hope is to extrat fresh information about current users preoccupations and the most promising directions. Pre-survey input much appreciated

Yes the idea about voluntary donations of a % of sales is good. Doesn't look like it has been actively pursued at any time in the recent years.

So I see you forayed into the thread in general. I'm guessing however that my point view on the matter would be worthless. According to Spacexula “no one who knows what they are doing has built a sells Mendel in over a year also. RepRap has shown no ability to kill old designs, I have had people show up in the IRC trying to get help putting together Darwins ” And he should know because he is a member of the core team. Guess that pretty much answers your first question on the thread.
Quotes taken from
http://www.reddit.com/r/Reprap/comments/mbc9x/printrbot_framelessz_axis_mendellike_printer/
I don't think his views truly reflect those of the core team as a whole though.

I did look over your survey but as one of those who knows not what he is doing and also one supporting an old design that should be killed I'm not sure that my input would be relevant. I did notice that in section 2 you ask for meters a month of filament. That would be hard for us calculate as we process 50 to 60 Lbs. per week. A couple of numbers from the replicating side of our business might be of interest. In the past five months we have printed and shipped 391 Sells Mendel sets vs 41 Prusa sets. Judging by those numbers, only 1 in 10 budding Reprappers actually know what they are doing.
Speaking of rolling up the sleeves, the 1 in10 “experts” might refer to this as “The blind leading the blind” but I figure as a Reprapper I owe it to other misguided souls bent on pursuing the out of date the benefit of my obsolete experience so I am working on this. http://forum.eckertech.com/viewforum.php?f=3