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"Leonardo Zide" <leonardo@centroin.com.br> wrote in message
news:3A3CC2C9.871D75F2@centroin.com.br...
> Tim Courtney wrote:
> I think that www.ldraw.org should continue to exist and should focus
> only on things related to the program LDraw.
I disagree - for now, at least. I don't believe resources should be split up -
and splitting off LDraw 'proper' into its own separate site while putting the
'rest' of LCAD somewhere else works in the opposite direction we have been
working in from the beginning of the project. The whole point of LDraw.org is
to bring LDraw/LCAD resources to _one_ place. That way, you can download
everything there, get tutorials for everything there, etc. That's continued
with mlcad.ldraw.org - where MLCad has become so big we have deemed it necessary
to add on a subdomain for it. Its not split off from the site - they will be
very closely linked (random LDraw.org pages will point to random mlcad.ldraw.org
pages). They will function virtually as one site - different areas of the site
with different foci, but still the same site.
Whatever website in the future maintains the official LCAD standards, committee,
updates, etc should, IMO, seek to centralize the LCAD resources - with whatever
label we put on it. If we move to an 'l-cad.org' in the future, then
www.ldraw.org will just point there, IMO.
> > I was thinking in the form of a common Q&A help desk at LDraw.org, so the • common
> > questions don't keep getting asked and re-asked here. Maybe even an email
> > address that would email a few volunteer 'helpers' and then email the CAD • group
> > as well?
>
> Lots of people don't read FAQs or other sources of documentation but
> it's worth to have them to at least help the few people that read the
> docs.
Yes. The FAQ should be reformatted soon (a couple months) to the new look, and
revised. But apart from the FAQ, there are currently resources being written
and transposed for various parts of LCAD to be included on LDraw.org. There
should be a Help section with common problems and solutions so that people don't
have to email one of us or post to the group to get their problem solved - its
available right there for them on the web.
> > Good idea. Also, it would be nice to have an application written for the • site
> > to manage the parts organizaiton when they are in limbo before an official
> > update.
>
> I don't have any experience writing databases for web pages but if
> nobody else volunteers to do it, I can try to make some perl scripts to
> take care of the parts.
We'll see, then. Why not talk to Steve Bliss about that?
> > And, does this mean parts could be introduced (officially) individually?
>
> I think so, we could have a program that retrieves a file from
> www.ldraw.org (/parts/list.txt) that has all available official parts
> and their dates and compares it to the user's local installation and
> downloads the new files. Of course, this should be integrated with the
> parts tracker to make everyone's life easier.
Yep, this sounds like a good idea. Tore has told me that if we can have an
automated tracker online, he would prefer to have his hands free of it. The
sooner we get that done, the sooner some of those integrating features we're
talking about can be implemented, and the sooner he can be free of the
responsibility.
> It's all a matter of deciding the standards we're going to use and
> having a place to keep the parts. LeoCAD does something like this, it
> checks www.leocad.org/update.txt and tells the user if there's a new
> version of the program or library available (but doesn't download and
> install).
Good idea! It would be nice this built into more editors, or have an LCAD
Manager application which would interface with the website and tell the user
what is new for download.
> > Cool! I just downloaded LeoCAD for the first time in a couple years, and I • like
> > it a lot! I'd love to continue discussing features and what I'd like to see
> > there when I get more free time.
>
> It really needs better documentation but you'll see that several
> features that MLCad has were already in LeoCAD a long time ago. Let me
> know if you have any suggestions, I'd be interested in hearing your
> opinions.
I'll have to play with it some, and with finals week and a couple meetings
before flying home, it won't happen until break. I'll have to remember to give
it some time - especially before going to Steve's next Wednesday. We could talk
about it there easier if I knew more about it then.
> > Yeah. One disappointment I've found in the past is if you want something • done,
> > do it yourself. Granted there are a few people who step up and do an • incredible
> > job, they're hard to come by. I just wish I knew more technical schtuff so • I
> > could do a better job at what I already do.
>
> Yes, and not working together is a waste of time for everyone.
Exactly.
Personally I would like to see parts authors get together with some editor
programmers such as you and Michael Lachmann (and others) and develop a new
parts standard, where Artemis-esque features can be included, and then develop a
single editor off of that. The age-old phrase 'two heads are better than one.'
> > > l-cad.org is my favorite and it's available.
> >
> > Someone should snag it. I will do it myself, provided I can count on • donations
> > to make up my cost. I really can't afford to pay for the whole name myself.
>
> If we decide to really use it (see first paragraph) and someone has a
> server to host it, then I can grab it. When I registered leocad.org I
> payed $17/year, is there any place cheaper ?
I haven't heard of anything cheaper, but I would like to know where you
registered that. I just paid another $70 for two more years of zacktron.com :-(
I would say that for now we should sit on the domain and wait until at least the
second quarter of 2001 to start developing. I want to get a bit more organized
before starting a new project from scratch - this includes organizing and
generating resources for LCad (tutorials, documentation, web applications), and
then promoting LCad (which I have been semi-active in doing in the educational
sector - details to follow when I can provide them). An LCAD strategy should be
developed before developing a new official site. Until we have a clear 'battle
plan' lets stick to what is there now and make it better.
As far as an organization goes - whether we are going to stick with something
like 'LDraw.org Committee/Group/etc.' or go to 'LCAD Committee/etc' should be
decided. If a 'formal' or 'official' organization is to be formed, it should
be, and from there strategy should be developed for the future of LCAD. Within
that strategy may or may not include a new LCAD website to replace the name
'LDraw.org' as the official site.
Within these strategy discussions, it should be decided (once an official group
is formed) how to handle LDraw and the memory of James within the organization
and in public documentation (whether it be web, print, multimedia, etc). James
is an important part of the LCAD legacy and deserves credit, but we should be
careful not to _over- or under-emphasize_ his memory.
LCAD should never eject the name LDraw, but the name 'LDraw' itself does not
include all of LCAD by nature. Its true as has been noted that LDraw proper is
archaic and fast being replaced by new software, and LCAD as a [loose]
organization needs to face that.
--
Tim Courtney - tim@zacktron.com
http://www.ldraw.org - Centralized LDraw Resources
http://www.zacktron.com - Zacktron Alliance
ICQ: 23951114 - AIM: TimCourtne
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Ldraw.organization
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| Regarding a separate LCAD domain, why can't you simply make a sub-domain in ldraw.org like what was done with mlcad.ldraw.org? ((URL) that isn't possible, I heard from someone who said that some place offers domain names for about $15/year. I'll (...) (24 years ago, 18-Dec-00, to lugnet.cad.dev)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Ldraw.organization (was: License revision 1)
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| (...) I think that www.ldraw.org should continue to exist and should focus only on things related to the program LDraw. (...) Lots of people don't read FAQs or other sources of documentation but it's worth to have them to at least help the few (...) (24 years ago, 17-Dec-00, to lugnet.cad.dev)
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