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What Changes Would You Like to See Made to Project14?

tariq.ahmad

Its been a long time since we've made any kind of changes to the format of Project14 but its due for an upgrade.   Its natural for programs to evolve overtime and things can't stay the same forever. We've experimented with different things with the program and some have been received more enthusiastically than others.   I'm starting this thread to see what kind of changes you would like to see us to make with this program.  What shouldn't be touched,  what would make things more exciting, and how do we grow the program without turning it into something different?  Should it be something different?   Where does Project14 fit in with the larger community?  Before getting this conversation underway, I would like to stress that the goal is to improve not diminish the program.  My managers have been very supportive from the beginning of this program and I want to reward their confidence.   Some of these changes are workload related.  Others are business related.  I'm open to all ideas and suggestions.

 

Topics on the Table:

 

- Launch Themes Every Other Month or Keep them Monthly?

- Shorter Contests or Longer Contests?

- If we have fewer contests Is there Stuff We Can Do In-Between?

- How Can We Make It Easier For More People to Participate?

- Should We have Bigger Prizes?

- Should we have a giveaway before we launch every contest?

- Most Importantly How Do We Make These More Fun?

  • in reply to dougw

    Specific demographic? I think that oscilloscope, the bench PSU, was the main reason why I entered! I need to get tools like an oscilloscope and a PSU since I do not currently have any, and if I win, well, I'd get a boost into many things. Shopping carts are also great, I can buy parts image

     

    I just realized with this post- many people don't treat the grand prize of a handheld scope very impressive- to me it might, but to them they have some high-fancy high tech ones image and shopping carts are more useful.

     

    New members? New members, might be inclined towards the scope.

     

    image

  • in reply to 14rhb

    Well, luckily I just had 50 SOIC8 to DIP adapters come and the 16 pin ones are coming image

  • in reply to Jan Cumps

      wrote:


    I'm fed up with seeing this pop up again and again. I'm going to ask e14 to remove me from the Top Members. There's nothing to gain being in and out of it, but I don't have to deal with the drama and tears anymore.


    Don’t do that image  I try to read pretty much everything you post.  Removing the badge might make it more difficult to spot your submissions. I agree having a badge does not change the quality of a submission or response to a discussion.  It doesn’t carry any tangible perks.

  • in reply to hugohu

    Nice, with those adapters are you able to solder the edges down onto another PCB or stripboard without having to add 0.1" headers? I like SOIC packages for SMT, they are just right to allow me to think I'm building things with current technology whilst still being easy to hand solder.

  • in reply to 14rhb

    Maybe the first project could be an introduction to SMD parts with one of those learn to solder SMD boards.   I don’t find larger SMD parts any harder to hand solder than through hole and my eyes and nerves are not so good anymore.   It does require an appropriate tip and finer solder but that is about it.  I even volunteer to design some PCBs, have them fabricated, and send them to Tariq for distribution.

  • in reply to fmilburn

    That would be a great idea and very generous of you offering to help design boards. Helping develop confidence to build in SMT is a great way for Avnet to make more of their product range available as most 'cool' function ICs are only available in SMT. I've noticed an increasing trend to various BGA formats as well but won't worry about that yet. I've found even QFN are possible with hand-soldering, the trick is to design with enough of the pad visible that solder can be flowed onto and then capillary action takes it under the IC....assuming a nice amount of liquid flux has been added first image

  • in reply to Jan Cumps

    I can understand where  is coming from.  I do think the term top member is a bit of a loaded term.   This is true anytime you introduce a new category.   Something similar happened when members who were the most active in posting Project14 projects began participating in the vcp program.   As for the Project14 program,  the program originated in a topic discussion in the top members and is now what it is today.   Without the support of the top members I can not imagine this program surviving to get us to this point.   From our perspective we will use the top member section to throw around ideas with members before launching a new program or initiative that we don't want to be generally known until its ready to be announced.   I did think about posting this thread in the top members section originally but looking at the people that wouldn't have been a part of this conversation,  I think too many good ideas would have been lost so I chose to start the thread in the Project14 section as people who participate,  whether its just viewing projects , voting in polls, picking winners, could have their voices heard to brainstorm ideas before considering any changes to the format of the program.

  • in reply to Jan Cumps

    I'm sorry if I said anything to offend. I was just trying to explain that creating great community content is why people do well in Project 14 competitions and creating great content is also why people become a "top member". That's the only reason why you'll often see top members in the winners' circle.

     

    Top Member or not, please keep up the great content which we all appreciate.

  • in reply to 14rhb

    I don't know what I am allowed to say but this sounds eerily similar to something that is being discussed internally somewhere in the community.   image

  • What I have not found in the community now is kind of establishing local communities and teams. I do not know how much feasible it would be. But maybe encouraging people to work with others in the same city would help the participation? Maybe you have already tested this and it did not work?

     

    I personally find a lot of programs here to be very individual oriented. Sometimes it is very difficult to finish a task by one person. Because it needs a lot of interdisciplinary knowledge. For example for me an FPGA Based AI project is like that. Or the Depth Vision with FPGA. It is very difficult to me to learn all about FPGA, AI and Stereo Vision algorithms during a contest or program.