To all readers, In one of my sleepless nights at Kennedy I had an Idea. What FIRST robotics needs/lacks is a good magazine. There are magazines for just
about every other thing I can think of but not this. How many people out there would be interested in being involved in creating and managing a web based
magazine connected to metalinmotion.com? This would be a great way to involve our virtual members. We would need writers, editors, web puplishers, etc. Articles
would be accepted from anyone on any team. I look forward to reading about what other teams are experiencing in a more detailed form than what appears in
the forums. What do you think?
Gene Falendysz - Engineer from 343 Metal in Motion
I like the idea of a FIRST robotics webzine. However, I would rather not see it associtated with one team predominatly. A few people who have spare time/don’t sleep/want to avoid homework could, in my opinion, manage a monthly, depending on amount of sumissions and time of year, weekly zine. I’ll admit to not know much about what goes into it, but I image that it will show up here.
I for one would be interested in helping edit/manage/what have you a FIRST webzine. I would like it to be a 'FIRST Robotics" not a 'FIRST Robotics by MiM".
My lack of cents, for what it’s worth.
*Originally posted by Wetzel *
**I like the idea of a FIRST robotics webzine. However, I would rather not see it associtated with one team predominatly. A few people who have spare time/don’t sleep/want to avoid homework could, in my opinion, manage a monthly, depending on amount of sumissions and time of year, weekly zine. I’ll admit to not know much about what goes into it, but I image that it will show up here.
I for one would be interested in helping edit/manage/what have you a FIRST webzine. I would like it to be a 'FIRST Robotics" not a 'FIRST Robotics by MiM".
My lack of cents, for what it’s worth.
Throws name into hat. **
Yea, I agree with Wetzel - would be cool to have just a FIRST webzine … not necessarily just associated with one team.
If anyone wants to start this and needs help, I’ll be more than willing to help/contriubte stuff, if it’s monthlyor bi-monthly. Weekly would be a little hard to do, but hey, ya never know! If we can all build a robot in 6 weeks… we should be able to manage a webzine, right? Let me know if you need help!!
I would be interested in it. I agree with Wetzle, it should be a “FIRST Robotics Webzine” NOT a “FIRST Robotics Webzine by MiM and the Proud Sponsors of MiM __________”. Many teams should do this and mabey we could even make a web page or use part of Chief Delphi for it. We could have submission parts for “Letters for the Engineer”, “Letters to the Editor” and other things. We could also do three or four columns like “Gear Ratios: Reinventing The Wheel” and “How to make the best handout!”
*Originally posted by Gene F * <SNIP>This would be a great way to involve our virtual members. </SNIP>
Hey Gene… as a VM with the team, I’d be more than willing to help out! Maybe put some journalism classes to good use Though I’m willing to do anything from editing, to helping publish ect.
A lot of people have been thinking about doing a FIRST magazine for a long time, including me. Off the top of my head I remember Robby O. and Colleen of 190 really interested in it (I think…).
It would be very cool if we can actually make it happen. There are tons of ideas we can put on the magazine… FIRST place is one of them, visiting Team’s headquarter is another, then there is reports from kickoff, regionals, Nationals, and off season competitions… Then there are tons of stories we can gather about teams’ effort in spreading the idea of FIRST, or workshops teams put together to help train other teams…
It would be great if we can put some scouting reports on some of the best robots of the year, and technical section with white papers and robots design.
Things like that.
There are so many things we can cover in the magazine, and so many people across the country willing to contribute to it. IT’s just something waiting to happen. I would most certainly be interested in becoming a reporter, and maybe if I work hard enough, I might become an editor.
But Robby used to tell me, “It’s easy to come up with a good idea, but it’s really hard to actually make that idea happen.” I wonder when is the day when the magazine finally get published…
This is exactly what we need. i can’t be scouring thorough hundreds of threads all the time trying to learn about other team s and ideas. i woulod love to submit articals of new theorums and aspects in the vast range of areas in the study of brute force on presicion machinery:rolleyes:
i would also help in the “more inportant” aspects of the magazine
But Robby used to tell me, “It’s easy to come up with a good idea, but it’s really hard to actually make that idea happen.” I wonder when is the day when the magazine finally get published… **
Forgive me for I know not what I do…
::deep breath::
I’m willing to attempt to coordinate things and get things rolling.
/me braces for an onslaught of work
Gene, what did you have in mind?
My email is weffreyATcoxDOTrrDOTcom. No bots grabbing my email.
If we are going to do this, we should tell everybody to e-mail somebody to get started on it. Mabey we could have it up by Nats? Give out some printed versions of it signed by us as souveners.
Here are some things to consider:
-HTML or AOL Text- Should we do the trusty dusty text only version, an HTML version, or forget it all and do a PDF file or something like that.
-What will the columnnests be- Who will do a weekly version/monthly, who will contribute whever they can, who can do it once in a while?
-What will the columns be- Letters to the Editor, Technology News, FIRST News & Rumors, Tech Help, General News,and other things.
-Who will put it all together?
This is a great idea and could get us some special recognition by FIRST, not to say I’m doing it just for that.
My e-mail is [email protected] if you want to e-mail me for my input and other things.
I’m willing to attempt to coordinate things and get things rolling.
-What will the columnnests be- Who will do a weekly version/monthly, who will contribute whever they can, who can do it once in a while?
Ok ok … I’m willing to sacrifice my sleep for this
Wetzel: if you are going to coordinate things and need any help, lemme know. I’ve been the editor for a webzine before and know how to get things going… yea, lemme know…
Team384:JosephM: I’m willing to write a column weekly or monthly… again, just lemme know.
One more thing: Do we want just general scouting reports, or reports from individual teams on what/how they are doing? That’d be kind of cool… as long as a team isn’t submitting a novel every week/month!! Email me (look under my profile for email… stupid robots:() or IM me… AIM name is BrynaShaw
I am too busy to be the person who manages all the columnists. Sorry, but I CAN contribute and I do have lots of ideas. Just AIM me or e-mail me at [email protected] (AIM without the @aol.com)!
I think its a great idea to have a webZine dedicated for FIRST. i think that it is about time that FIRST is rconized more widely. i would be proud to help in getting this created and started. i am very skilled in many things and i think that i could contribute alot. although it will be a little rough trying to juggle school, web page for my current team, programming, and then this webZine. but i still think that it is a grea oppurtunity and and great idea. i also know of some other people that would probally be interested and could help me. if any help is needed im here. just send me a message or u can email me at: [email protected] [email protected]
or you can im me at AIM:
my sn is tennismike7
or you can im me at MSN:
my email is [email protected]
or just post a comment on the guest book at my team’s web site:
the web site is http://jrtrobotics.homeip.net:33
Well, all these seems like a good idea, and a lot of people are interested. You know I am all up for writing about FIRST and talking about robots.
So, here is what I think we got to do:
Get an overall idea of how we want the magazine/webzine looks like.
Figure out what kind of topics we want to talk about.
Split the work and see who is interested in doing which part.
Decide a deadline, and have each part finish their job.
Finally, put all the parts together, and check through the materials. See if this is what we want as the final magazine/webzine.
Then we will show it to everyone!
Right now, I think we got to finish the first one, to see how much work it take, and what we wish to accomplish. Don’t think anything big right now. Just do one, see how people like it, and we will base future releases on feedback and comments from people.
If you guys are seriously about this, then let’s get organized and make it work. Don’t get too eager to make this as big as possible, and do it one step at a time.
If all we are going to do is individual writing a piece of this and that, and ended up no real effort to get it going as a group, then nothing will happen.
I fully agree. We need to have people dedicated to writing columns about certain things. ::raises hand:: I’ll write!! If you give me a topic, and I’ll get you an article. The first issue will probably take the most work… so we shouldn’t set the deadline too soon. I’d say a good deadline would be 3 weeks before Nationals is a good deadline to set. But that’s just my opinion What does everyone else think? Again, I’m going to pose the question: Do we want individual reports from teams on how/what they are doing? I think this would be a good way for teams to get their name/ what they are doing out that. lemme know!!
Let me know if you need help!!
Though I’m willing to do anything from editing, to helping publish ect.
