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Well, just to throw in $.02 here, I'd be curious to see a clone database,
and I might even use it from time to time. However, two things:
A. If we view it as Todd & Suz's sandbox, it's their choice.
B. If we see them as fulfilling our needs/wants in a customer service sort
of way (because we're paying them or something), then my input would be that
Todd can spend his time doing much more productive and useful things than a
clone database.
Creating a clone database would be... difficult.
- We're all Lego fans. When we wanted a Lego set database, we as a community
had the resources to build one, going back to old catalogs, old
instructions, etc, dating back to Lego's birth. However, records for MB,
Tyco, Best Lock, etc, etc, aren't as easily available.
- Maintaining the DB would be further annoyance. It's difficult enough to
maintain a DB for Lego, I imagine, without having to monitor all other clone
brands for new products and entering/correcting old information.
- Building the interface to the DB probably wouldn't be that tough, it's
already there. It'd just have to be duplicated and/or modified to take an
additional parameter to ask which database you were looking into. Probably
not terribly difficult to code, but I could easily be wrong. That's probably
the only plus to a clone DB.
- It takes space to run a DB. Space costs money. And really, it's not your
money, it's Todd's. If you donate to Lugnet, then it's in a small part your
money, but really, unless you're a major contributer, I don't think it'd
quite be fair to say you'd be paying for it.
- It probably wouldn't get used terribly much. All of us here are Lego fans.
Some of us dabble in clones, and probably more are vehemently against them.
For the effort and cost involved, it just wouldn't be worth it, I don't
think. Perhaps it would be, I don't know, but I'd assume that would be
Todd's opinion too. If you can prove that it would be time well spent, then
maybe. Otherwise, nah, it just wouldn't get used enough to justify the effort.
- As said, the effort could be best spent elsewhere. There are other aspects
of Lugnet that I think would be much more useful than a clone DB, and I'd
like them to take precedence.
- If Todd created a clone DB, how long would it be before other building
toys would be wanted? If we get an MB DB, wouldn't we want a Tyco one? Then
a Best Lock one? How about Loc Blocks? K'nex maybe? Lincoln logs? Robotix?
Tinkertoys? This isn't the Building Blocks Users Group Net, it's the Lego
Users Group Net.
Anyway, I think Todd's suggestion is a valid one. If you'd like to see a
clone DB, I'd suggest that you either try developing one on your own or
finding other people who are interested, and soliciting the idea to them. If
you can pull together a clone DB, it'd be linked to from Lugnet just like
the Pause Guide was originally, or like Brickshelf, Brickbay, etc. And if at
some point, the clone DB proves itself to be a valued aspect of the Lego
Community, and is still looking for a new home, perhaps Todd would consider
hosting it. Meanwhile, I wouldn't go bothering Todd about it.
DaveE
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