I have been on both sites? I picked here…I honestl;y dont find “here” to be lacking in “tech”.
we have a zillion threads from members who have designed and built original drivers, for an example, to fit very specific purposes. They aren’t zip tied together, they get designed and gone over on PCB CAD design, and shipped out for real commercial fabrication.
personally, i dont care how my rods and cones actually work? but, theres probably someone who will talk about it, if you asked.
we have fun, we make jokes, we play fast and loose? but… in my opinion we are not “lowbrow” or “lacking in high tech” by any stretch.
I myself? i’m a rare bird maybe… i’m not “here” because i had any specific issues back at CPF… i just wasnt getting the information i wanted out of that site. I wanted to learn to fabricate “from scratch” various items, and focusable IR lights was the main thing.
THATS what drove me here… and i will explain…
1) years back? another site i am a member of? we were all fanning out across the web, looking for “thge best IR emitter” we could FIND. We wanted powerful, but, we also needed emission angle and size of die requirements as well. And we were “reporting back in” anything that was a likely candidate.
2) i was still “at” CPF… “some guy” was reporting and talking about this “incredible” emitter, that “blew everything away”. When members ASKED what emitter they needed to get? He went ona LONG winded explanation how he wasnt going to tell anyone which emitter was best, his buddy was going to sell units, he had to play it close to the vest, to respect his buddy telling him, its a trade secret, this is about job and money, you guys understand, etc etc.
3) a member explicitly asked “is it XYZ emitter?” He swore up and down it wasnt, it was some other brand, etc etc. (he was lying thru his teeth, by the way)
4) We all eventually found out what we needed, and sure enough? we thought it was “xyz” emitter was “the best”. Hmmm… i related how “that guy” knew of something even BETTER that blew “xyz” emitter out of the water!
5) since this was 2+ yeas later? I popped BACK in (i never had any “issues there, i was cool, just didnt like it there) anyways, i FOUND the old thread? and i very politely asked, if his friend had made enough money now, could he PLEASE share the secret info now? its a couple years later?
6) once again, he went thru a long winded explanation how “this is feeding wife and kids…” blah blah… I thought “whatever”.
7) I ended up HERE, as i was getting WAY better information on fabricating from scratch, videos on machining and specialized hand tools, etc etc. Plus? more “fun” at the same time!
8) and i NOTICED something GREAT here? EVERYone seemed to be in this “all in it together”. Here? even the “guys making money at this” were FREELY sharing all the “secrets” of their builds. The tips, the tricks, the insider tricks to make it great… everything.
9) and in the end? “that guy” was not only HIDING build information from his friends? He was afraid of competition from any of his friends, and… he had LIED to COVER UP the “best emitter for the job” when someone asked explicitly.
by contrast? HERE? I find MORE “tech” than back there, but thats my opinion. Also? while it doesnt reflect on CPF what THAT member did? No one there “chided him” for being greedy and for lying. I cant think of one single time here? that ANYone failed to tell me anything i wanted to know about “how they did what they did”, rather they are kind of proud to show off what they have made.
Now i feel like i am a member of a T-E-A-M.
On another site i am a long time member of? not flashlights, different field, but, high tech? There are a couple guys, who own “real companies” selling the stuff “we” all design and build there. ALL of them? shared freely THEIR designs with ME when i arrived. Patiently explained how to make them, too.
Later on? I went a different direction than the 2 main build styles we were doing? I ended up with my OWN build. I had to share MINE back freely too, fair is fair. And? there are several people making money selling things, and i am proud that “my design” is one of the better selling items.
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THATS important to me. to feel like a member of a TEAM, not like i am a “little guy” begging for information from “big guys”. Here? i am finally managing to begin to contribute BACK in a few ways, and i hope to find more. I feel like i OWE this site.
i dont want LIED to, in an effort to “hoard” key items of information, because someone might make a few bux on the side selling to members and on ebay. When EVERYONE works TOGETHER and shares freely? we ALL succeed. No “leeches” who have no problem GETTING information, and refuse to give back “key items” that might buy them drinking money.
science requires integrity. when “a couple bucks” comes before your friends? Thats not integrity, thats greed. The TEAM suffers.I dont feel like decisions get made here concerning money, or even egos… i feel like we’re all on the same team, and it feels like “family”.
thats the feeling i get from all 3 high end sites i am on, in 3 different fields. And its why I feel like i am really part of something. And? it feels like :friends and family”, not something else.
just my 2 cents.
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personally? some other site, is some other site. They do things their way, whatever. This site? is THIS site… we do things differently. the world is free to choose one or the other, thats cool.
I mean, the people that live in germany? arent terribly interested in doing things “like they do it in france” if a french guy moves to germany. I am also sure, that the people that live in france? arent terribly interested in dong things “like they do it in germany” when germans move to france.
germany isnt “better”, france isnt “better”… france is france, germany is germany. you can live in one, you canlive in the other? heck, you can live in BOTH if you really want to. Free will and all. and god bless.