Do you contribute to the Wikipedia ?

[Swiss]

I just wondered if anyone here, with years, or decades, of experience in CNC had thought of writing any of that onto the Wikipedia (the online encyclopedia which anyone can contribute to).

When I was learning to use a CNC milling machine (I still am , it took me ages to collect the knowledge required, piecing together scraps of information from books, web sites, forums and experience. It would be so great to have as much information as possible in one place so everyone can access it.

Hugo

[John3]

I contributed once and it was a waste of my time.

One of the regulars deleted my entry on grounds it was "too commercial"
When I challenged his decision he stopped communication with me.

Its a nice system but like everything it has its problems.

John

[Swiss]

What did you write? Was it commercial in some way?

hugo

[John3]

It contained a few trademarked product names of which ton's of articles do in Wikipedia. The basis for the commercial block is if its blatant advertising, which mine was not in any way.

John

[Swiss]

What article was it ?

[John3]

It was an article about endoscopic surgery and the tools used.

John

[Geof]

Originally Posted by Swiss ...it took me ages to collect the knowledge required, piecing together scraps of information from books, web sites, forums and experience. It would be so great to have as much information as possible in one place so everyone can access it. Hugo

To a large extent you have it...here on CNCzone. It is dispersed and difficult to find but there is a lot available.

I think the problem encountered by John3 would surface if those of us who do have lots of experience started to put things on Wkipedia. The problem is there are many different ways of doing things to get the same result. Many Machinists are opinionated old gits who think their way is the only way, and I do not necessarily exclude myself although I do try to present rational reasons when my way is questioned. I suspect things would degenerate into a delete and substitute battle.

One suggestion I have for trying to amass your own personal information pile is to use the "Find all posts by ....." search that you can access by left clicking on a members ID. Go through the posts and copy any that might be usefule to you into a file on your own computer. You could even get organized and oganise things into topics.

I suggest you do this for Hu Flung Dung, gar, Mcgyver, tobyaxis, miljnor, dertsap, and a whole bunch of others who are probably going to be very offended because I have not remembered them. Me too I suppose but you
might have a challenge sorting the wheat from the chaff .

If you, or someone did do this and then made the compilation available possibly the Site Owner would put it in a location on the site so it is accessible to others.

Actually on that note possibly a location could be created so that when someone posts a question and receives a particularly helpful answer they could add it to the location.

Or can something more or less equivalent to the 'sticky' be created so paritcularly helpful answers could be located by referring to a list of categories.

[Swiss]

Hi Geof,

you have it...here on CNCzone. It is dispersed and difficult to find but there is a lot available

I agree. I have learned a lot by reading threads on here, but it is extremely time consuming reading tons of posts which don't quite address my question.

To read all posts by Hu Flung Dung would be a major PhD project. I have conversed with him before, and he is a very prolific poster. He and others do a massive service to the CNC community, like firemen, only better.

It's the same spirit of giving that I thought might transfer so well to the Wikipedia, which is in dire need of information on machining. In my experience, it can and does work; I have been working hard on articles on computer graphics, robotics and milling bits, with some very positive feedback from the other editors there.

I suspect things would degenerate into a delete and substitute battle.

It's surprising how rarely this actually happens. Usually, if two people disagree about something, they discuss it, and try to find a reference for their statement (all wikipedia articles are supposed to have references). If there is more than one way to do something, then both ways can always be presented in an article.

I guess you can think of it like a massive FAQ. A place for the answers to the most common questions people ask when they begin CNCing.

Anyway, it would be great to see you over at the Wikipedia. I'm currently working on the Milling_cutter article, trying to piece together information by calling the Hoffman & Perschmann technical support line and asking them stuff, then adding it to the article . If you see my writing anything daft, please met me know.

thanks for listening

hugo

[Geof]

Originally Posted by Swiss Hi Geof, ....Anyway, it would be great to see you over at the Wikipedia.... hugo

Sorry, not going to happen . I am quite willing to answer questions here, probably in more depth than is needed many times, but I am not intending to start writing a textbook on Wikipedia.

[Swiss]

Sorry, not going to happen

That is sad

I am quite willing to answer questions here, probably in more depth than is needed

But that makes me happy OK, I'm going to post a question about flutes in the general maching discussion section.

hugo