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I just tested Amazon.com's new "Search inside this book" feature (which
provides a cool new full-text search across the content of its books) by
doing a search for "LUGNET". I found a few references in various books
that I hadn't yet known about. In particular I want to correct some
misinformation in the book "LEGO Software Power Tools, With LDraw, MLCad,
and LPub," by Kevin Clague, Miguel Agullo, Lars C. Hassing, published
January, 2003 by Syngress Publishing, ISBN 1931836760.
On Page 369:
> The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the most
> prestigious technical colleges in the world, and LEGO, one of the
> most prestigious toy companies in the world, have officially teamed
> up in the past to design a variety of LEGO MINDSTORMS robotics
> elements such as sensors and programmable bricks.
True.
> LUGNET is also the result of this collaboration, albeit an unofficial
> one, between LEGO and MIT.
False. LUGNET is in no way the result of a collaboration between LEGO
and MIT, nor in any way the result of anything from either LEGO or MIT
separately. Other than being on friendly terms and knowing a few faces,
the only connection LUGNET has ever had with MIT is that Dr. Fred Martin
moved the hosting of his Handy Board mailing list to LUGNET around the
time he left the Media Lab, two or three years ago. (The Handy Board is
a robotics product developed and owned personally by Dr. Martin and not
the Media Lab.)
> Suzanne D. Rich, the cofounder of LUGNET along with Todd S. Lehman,
> attended MIT's Media Lab
True. Suzanne (then Rich, now Green), attended MIT's Media Lab for
approximately a year and a half in 1999-2000. During Suzanne's attendance
at the Media Lab, however, she pursued LEGO research interests wholly
unrelated to LUGNET.
> and later received some funding from LEGO to start the LUGNET site.
Partially true. LEGO Direct (on behalf of the LEGO Company) did make
a one-time cash donation to LUGNET in early 2000, but this had absolutely
nothing to do with the starting of LUGNET (which occurred in 1997) and
had no connection to MIT. MIT's collaboration with LEGO occurred via LEGO
Futura Boston, and LUGNET's early communication with LEGO occurred via LEGO
Direct of New York.
> Although LEGO and LUGNET maintain their independence from each other,
> both enterprises gravitate around the same subject, and there is plenty
> of collaboration between them. After all, LUGNET is the voice of the
> LEGO fan.
There is indeed a large volume of communication between LUGNET's users and
certain employees of the LEGO Company. Suzanne and I have also met with
folks at LEGO on many occasions to discuss various topics in general terms.
--Todd
[xfut -> lugnet.books]
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