[Discuss] open hardware documentation survey

[malcolm stanley]

* In particular, it strikes me as odd that you would ask
why these things matter-- you run into them constantly if you do any
hardware development *
*
*
But I am first and foremost a telecommunications service product manager.
Everything I know about making hardware I have learned from the people here.
Which means on this subject, and many others that you would think would be
common knowledge, I am completely clueless.

I've long since stopped being embarrassed about it: Instead I would like to
think that I am a representative sample of a specific target market this
assembly may or may not wish to address: the hardware hobbyist newbie.

There are millions of people like me who 'could' become competent and
valuable members of this movement, but only if we are careful to consider
their needs and assume, first and foremost, that they know nothing, and
bring a willingness to explain and educate as part of our core activity.

or not.

So it may strike you as odd, but the curiousity is genuine:
I really would like to understand what this is and where it fits in the
grand scheme of things.

_________________________________________
malcolm stanley

google.voice:  215.821.6252
Cell: 267.251.9479   <------------- new
email: a.malcolm.stanley at gmail.com
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Read my blog at http://soaringhorse.blogspot.com
_________________________________________


On Tue, Mar 26, 2013 at 2:53 PM, Bryan Bishop <kanzure at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Tue, Mar 26, 2013 at 2:44 PM, malcolm stanley
> <a.malcolm.stanley at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Bryan, if I organize a Google Hangout for it, will you put together a
> short
> > presentation on ISO 10303 and do a Q&A for us on what it is, what it
> says,
> > and why it matters?
>
> I would be happy to speak with you about existing standards and
> on-going progress in open source hardware file formats/packaging,
> either over email, irc, voip, phone, or in person.
>
> I am curious as to what outcomes you are expecting from that sort of
> conversation. In particular, it strikes me as odd that you would ask
> why these things matter-- you run into them constantly if you do any
> hardware development (it's seriously hard to find a commercial CAD
> tool that doesn't support STEP), and in the software world there's a
> tremendous amount of standardization on packaging formats, which has
> led to hundreds of thousands of standard 'components' (which you will
> find on most computers).
>
> These are the common elements that have lead to all of the different
> efforts on "github for hardware" or "open source hardware packaging"
> projects. These are not projects by committees*, but rather
> individuals that look at what tools they need, and then they write
> them (* excluding ISO's work in this area, which is very much a
> committee). I think in some cases this has been successful, like
> thingdoc, which successfully solves a small piece of the puzzle, but
> needs all the other tools everyone keeps talking about.
>
> So.. are you expecting to be able to go home and use some existing
> packaging solutions? or contribute to them and fix bugs (or whatever)?
> Are you looking for advice on making this sort of software?
>
> I think that for ISO-10303-specific information, the best person for
> you to talk with would be Charlie Stix, who replied earlier in a
> recent thread, or maybe Mark Pictor when he isn't busy on SCL... As
> for other hardware packaging attempts from the open source world, I
> would be happy to talk with you about those, but I am unwilling to
> prepare a presentation for a "Hangout".
>
> > At any rate, the discussion has to happen before any implementation makes
> > sense.
>
> How do you explain- for example- thingdoc, then? There was very little
> (or no) discussion, and yet it makes a lot of sense and works pretty
> well for its intended purpose, and is a positive contribution to
> packaging within that area of the open source hardware community..
>
> - Bryan
> http://heybryan.org/
> 1 512 203 0507
>
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