What Changes Would You Like to See Made to Project14?

Hi Tariq,

I'm glad you are having a look at how to improve the program but I have to say it is already very good.

• I think monthly is about right.   It is probably more work for you but I find all of the Project14 contests interesting, even the ones I don't enter and I always look for Project14 first when I log on.
• I think contest length is about right also.  I am fortunate to probably have more time than most due to retirement but I am still pretty busy :-)  and last year was unable to participate in several I was interested in due to various circumstances.  So shorter might be nice at times if things are already on hand to do the project.
• I like Nico's idea for quick projects.  Several Element14 members like John Wiltrout, Jan Cumps and Jon Clift have published quick projects that are educational and interesting.  Example projects might be make something with a 555 timer, build a useful circuit with no more than x components, demonstrate how a certain active component works, those sorts of things.  I'm not sure how much general interest there would be though.
• How to get more people entering - the quality of the winning entries is frequently quite high in my opinion.  Maybe that is discouraging but high quality isn't bad.  Maybe do an analysis of what projects have generated the most entries.  I was surprised there weren't more entries in the holiday contest this last year as there were great prizes and the theme was not restrictive.
• I don't know about prize size.  For me at least the prizes are recognition and the real reward is learning and applying new skills.  Giveaways beforehand might work for some.  What about the grand prize winner being able to award some amount to one of the entries that didn't win like is done for the holiday winners?

How to make it more fun?  How about a badge for the best title, most educational, or the project that brings the most joy that month regardless of the theme.  Maybe it could change from month to month and be announced beforehand and have a prize.

But again, I have to say the program is already very good.

Hi Tariq,

I'm glad you are having a look at how to improve the program but I have to say it is already very good.

• I think monthly is about right.   It is probably more work for you but I find all of the Project14 contests interesting, even the ones I don't enter and I always look for Project14 first when I log on.
• I think contest length is about right also.  I am fortunate to probably have more time than most due to retirement but I am still pretty busy :-)  and last year was unable to participate in several I was interested in due to various circumstances.  So shorter might be nice at times if things are already on hand to do the project.
• I like Nico's idea for quick projects.  Several Element14 members like John Wiltrout, Jan Cumps and Jon Clift have published quick projects that are educational and interesting.  Example projects might be make something with a 555 timer, build a useful circuit with no more than x components, demonstrate how a certain active component works, those sorts of things.  I'm not sure how much general interest there would be though.
• How to get more people entering - the quality of the winning entries is frequently quite high in my opinion.  Maybe that is discouraging but high quality isn't bad.  Maybe do an analysis of what projects have generated the most entries.  I was surprised there weren't more entries in the holiday contest this last year as there were great prizes and the theme was not restrictive.
• I don't know about prize size.  For me at least the prizes are recognition and the real reward is learning and applying new skills.  Giveaways beforehand might work for some.  What about the grand prize winner being able to award some amount to one of the entries that didn't win like is done for the holiday winners?

How to make it more fun?  How about a badge for the best title, most educational, or the project that brings the most joy that month regardless of the theme.  Maybe it could change from month to month and be announced beforehand and have a prize.

But again, I have to say the program is already very good.

Thanks fmilburn , this is great feedback.  Your projects are so classic and I look forward to them eagerly each month.   Your recent entry,  Cat Commander iot Clock and Kibble Dispenser put a smile on my face.   I was thinking if I ever did a project and posted it on the community, an automated cat feeder would be a good place to start.   Unfortunately,  my cat adamantly refuses to eat anything but wet food!

>> I think monthly is about right.   It is probably more work for you but I find all of the Project14 contests interesting, even the ones I don't enter and I always look for Project14 first when I log on.

This is something I absolutely would not want to lose.  Back to topic of shifting.  Could we launch a theme every month and have a project competition launch a month later?   Maybe we can encourage people to post a part of what they are working on,  so others can learn from them, and then post a full blown project when the theme launches?  Wouldn't change the format and you could simply just post whatever you want,  in your own personal blogs or anywhere in the community.

>> Something similar to do that could also be to maybe have some of those shorter projects which would be aimed more towards hand tools. By that, I mean projects that don't use 3D printers, CNC machines and laser cutters for example, since these are machines that can really help with projects, but not everyone has access to them.

>> Another idea for shorter contest would maybe be to have a weekend style contest, since most people are off work then, where the theme can be presented on a livestream on Friday, where people could ask questions about that theme and people would have until Sunday to post a blog on the given theme.

>> I like Nico's idea for quick projects.  Several Element14 members like John Wiltrout, Jan Cumps and Jon Clift have published quick projects that are educational and interesting.  Example projects might be make something with a 555 timer, build a useful circuit with no more than x components, demonstrate how a certain active component works, those sorts of things.  I'm not sure how much general interest there would be though.

These are excellent suggestions!  I am adding these to the list as well.  I love those style of projects and if we keep this even more open,  maybe that can be tied into a workshop and the workshop can include an exercise that is simple in nature.

>> I think the prizes are a great size for Project14 and the value shouldn't change, but I think to get more people involved, specially who aren't a lot on the site, an addition of a gadget or something like that to the grand prize would draw more members to participate.

I was definitely wondering about that.   My impression was that $100 shopping cart pays for your next project and that $200 allows can be applied to something nice such as test equipment.   The only head scratcher I have is that there wasn't more participation with the Holiday Special this year, even with those bigger prizes.

>> How to get more people entering - the quality of the winning entries is frequently quite high in my opinion.  Maybe that is discouraging but high quality isn't bad.  Maybe do an analysis of what projects have generated the most entries.  I was surprised there weren't more entries in the holiday contest this last year as there were great prizes and the theme was not restrictive.

As a content person I am with you on wanting to see high quality content.   However,  maybe there are activities that we can do to encourage entries that encourage people to do something simpler.  Maybe post things they are doing as a comment or a blog post anywhere in the community.   Definitely want to keep things inclusive by nature at the same time,  want it to be a place where people learn by doing.

>> I don't know about prize size.  For me at least the prizes are recognition and the real reward is learning and applying new skills.  Giveaways beforehand might work for some.  What about the grand prize winner being able to award some amount to one of the entries that didn't win like is done for the holiday winners?

This has occurred outside the Holiday competition and something we want to encourage.   This is interesting and something I will add to the list as well.

>> How to make it more fun?  How about a badge for the best title, most educational, or the project that brings the most joy that month regardless of the theme.  Maybe it could change from month to month and be announced beforehand and have a prize.

This is great.  I think the badges need to be revisited and I'll work with our community manager on this in the near future.  It might be time to upgrade the way these are handled. :-)

>>Back to topic of shifting.  Could we launch a theme every month and have a project competition launch a month later?   Maybe we can encourage people to post a part of what they are working on,  so others can learn from them, and then post a full blown project when the theme launches?  Wouldn't change the format and you could simply just post whatever you want,  in your own personal blogs or anywhere in the community.

I have conflicting thoughts on this and have done both partial posts and waited for completion in the past.  I recently have gravitated to completion before posting except for complicated projects.  I can easily go either way though.

>>Something similar to do that could also be to maybe have some of those shorter projects which would be aimed more towards hand tools. By that, I mean projects that don't use 3D printers, CNC machines and laser cutters for example, since these are machines that can really help with projects, but not everyone has access to them.

I can definitely see where access to some tools could be an issue.  Placing a restriction on a subset of the contests could encourage participation for some. I am all for some contests that have an abbreviated educational bent.

>>Tariq pondered:

>>The only head scratcher I have is that there wasn't more participation with the Holiday Special this year, even with those bigger prizes.

I too would have thought the lockdown would be giving people far more hobby time.

In my case, instead of working on fun tech projects I ended up spending most of my holidays waist-deep in mud fixing perimeter drains around our reno house

ntewinkel  wrote:

>>The only head scratcher I have is that there wasn't more participation with the Holiday Special this year, even with those bigger prizes.

I too would have thought the lockdown would be giving people far more hobby time.

In my case, instead of working on fun tech projects I ended up spending most of my holidays waist-deep in mud fixing perimeter drains around our reno house

I managed to get an entry in the Holiday Special, but I was also having to deal with drain problems. Unfortunately it wasn't just mud that I was having to deal with.   And I managed to put my back out doing it too.

>>Unfortunately it wasn't just mud that I was having to deal with.

We hit one of those "not mud" lines while digging the drain areas!

Very lucky for us, a friend who happened to just randomly pop by also happened to just randomly have the exact part to repair the pipe!