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dmoore
Wed 04 June 2008, 17:49
Copied from another thread:

Let me start this message by saying that I am in NO WAY attacking or "questioning" anyone personally. On the other hand, I have no qualms about questioning any idea, process or system. I have little tolerance for "this is the way and we don't question the way". I sincerely feel that when people just accept "the way" without questioning it's merits or faults, we do not achieve progress. "Why" is a powerful word and we shouldn't fear using it.

My posts about different methods, processes and tools that differ from the currently "establish" ones are simply about expanding the possibilities. I am in no way attempting to "confuse" people with more options. Some people may prefer one brand of ketchup on the shelf at the store since it makes their life simpler - I'd prefer 10 varieties and thank you, I'll make the choice. (this is in response to a PM someone sent me)

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If we really only need "one way" of doing it, we can just write a single build manual (as I started to do before I realized there were too many ways), stating "the way". Then people can just "hit and run" the drawings and the build manual and never come back to contribute to the forum. I personally think making it "a little hard" is the cost of the MechMate - I personally spent about 30%+ of my total build time on just research and (as stated above), and I am better for it.

Gerald, I very much appreciate the work you've put into the MechMate - the MechMate is without a doubt a top notch product on par with nearly everything out there selling under $30,000. I also feel that together with the "MechMate" community, that it can be even better than just one person could ever design.

I want you know that your knowledge, efforts and time are greatly appreciated, acknowledged or not and I'm pretty sure that all the "regulars" would completely agree.

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Gerald D
Thu 05 June 2008, 00:10
You saw the need for a manual, started writing it, then gave up.

We agree that a manual is needed, this "forum" is the nearest thing to a manual that we are going to have, and I am not going to give up in my effort to get this forum to look like a manual. Yes, a manual has to say: "Do it this way", and it it cannot go into too many options - you have the luxury of chosing to abandon your manual writing, I don't have that luxury. I am sticking to my principle that the MechMate can be built with basic tools all over the world. The primary message must be "Do it this way" - yet there is space on this forum for saying "I did it another way". The "other" way can become the "authorised" way, but it will take some convincing, and will have to pass the test of using internationally available tools and materials.

I hope that you can see that many of your new threads and posts frustrate my efforts to produce the "manual" that you gave up on writing.

dmoore
Thu 05 June 2008, 00:32
I completely see your point of view. Thanks for taking the time to tell me. I made a decision early on that it just wasn't possible with all the "options" and variability of tools from person to person to complete my detailed build log/manual. I personally don't feel that sorting through the processes to do a particular thing (rails, holes, welding, etc) is the lengthy part, it was compiling a single BOM. Early on I chose to abandon the manual because I knew it couldn't be done to the level of quality I would want it - for no renumeration. I instead focused my efforts on the highly detailed BOM (of which you previewed an early version) since I felt it was the most universal need at the time.

Thanks,
david