I am a regular attendee of µMeet but I and the few other regulars notice that there are not many people who come. I was wondering if might be a good idea to say that all electronics projects–microcontroller or no microcontroller–are welcome.
Currently, I believe it is advertised as being for microcontroller-based or single-board-computer-based projects. Could we not call it simply Electronics Night (rather like Monday is Woodworking Night, and not just wood turning or cabinetry) to possibly broaden its appeal and attract more people?
I am wondering if some people aren’t thinking things like “I like electronics, but I prefer analogue electronics to digital so I don’t think it is the group for me.” I believe such people would already be welcomed by the others who attend, but perhaps we ought to make that clear explicitly?
It’s for Makerspace members, rather than any smaller group. Although we’ve welcomed non members who are interested to come along for a session in the past.
Both Joe and I believe that That Thursday nights are not about Microcontrollers only anymore. I think a re branding would be beneficial. We’re not seeing many C programmers but I would also like to make them feel welcome still. I want to bring more PIC Microcontrolers into the evenings as well as the Arduinos. I’ll also like to help do more fault finding on electronics. My formal training is in Communication electronics, Radio, Microwave and colour television repair, Programming PIC in assembly. I think a name would have to involve ‘technology’ as some catchphrase.
I disagree with that because if you are doing a purely software project you aren’t making. And this is from someone who has some pure software projects. I think there has to be a hardware element to the project.
I don’t think it misses out microcontrollers, it just takes away the focus from them. Which was actually my original intention behind this proposal. Microcontrollers are only one aspect of the broader subject of electronics. Electronics does not exclude microcontrollers, but naming microcontrollers as the purpose of the group does seem to rule out e.g. analogue electronics and other areas. The problem with ‘not just Arduino’ as a name is that there may well be electronics enthusiasts, and potential enthusiasts, who do not even know what an Arduino is, but everyone knows what electronics is.
No one who is interested in microcontrollers would feel excluded by a group which advertises itself as being about electronics. But someone who is interested in another area of electronics might feel that a group that states its interest as microcontrollers might be too specialized for them. I have heard something along these lines from another member.
There are arguments for having a specialist microcontroller group, but at the moment that seems to be at the expense of no one turning up.
All of my electronics project intentions involve a microcontroller, or a computer, and it would be great if there were lots of people similarly interested (I previously thought, before coming to the Makerspace, that interest in them was taking off) but unfortunately there just do not seem to be the numbers.
When we were picking a name for the space, we went through a lot of possibilities, some zany, some clever, some puns (I like puns). In the end we went with the Ronseal option. South London Makerspace. It does exactly what it says on the tin.
For this reason, I vote Electronics Evening. It’s in the evening, and it’s for electronics.
I think it should be a night for people that want to do things like electronics, software, 3d printing etc… that is what it always has been…
I fundamentally disagree that software isn’t making, it just not physical making at this point, and I don’t think that the space should look down it’s nose at that.