Inventor's Collaboration Network

TheLoneInventor · Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 8:51 pm Post subject: Inventor's Collaboration Network

Hello all,

I have been working with ATB for over a year now, trying to find some common inventor's collaborative efforts that could be combined into a useful resource for the entire inventor's community world wide. I spoke with him recently about some ideas for collaboration, and a thread here within the last day has my mind stuck on that ideal again.

I will copy the last three posts from an unrelated thread, as thought provoking comment starters.

TheLoneInventor said:

ATB · Inventor Joined: Nov 23, 2004 Posts: 17

Hello there.

I think this is the way forward. Steve and myself have been discussing ways we might work together on something like this for a while.

I got a spark a few months back and thought about a wiki - using mediawiki. I checked the name 'inventor wiki' and thought I would get a name based on this before some vulture nabbed it and sold it on. I can donate this to a group project if its wanted.

I have downloaded also the mediawiki files but not played around yet or installed on the server, although I asked my provider and they have given me an extra MySQL db free, and so I can install it there. We can discuss with interested parties as to who or how we can host a project like this - we dont want ownership squables later on down the line, as this is a totally not-for-money community project. I think that we should also have a main site/front end Steve suggests above, all great ideas.

So yeah, I'm definitely willing to contribute - hey Steve, how about a private forum area where people can apply to join a development discussion/team?

amuron · Inventor Joined: May 05, 2005 Posts: 28

Sounds like a good idea, and glad you were proactive in picking up the domain.

I wonder if we do need a private forum. Since its a non-profit entity, and as a result, I don't see a problem from a competition standpoint. I do however think we should use some type of standard copyright thing. Otherwise, we can run the risk of someone copying our work as their own, publishing it, and then trying to go after us. My though is something like a creative commons license if that makes any sense.

Since all 3 of us have our own sites, we know all too well, that altruistic efforts do have a personal cost, not only in time, but also for hosting fees, graphics, software, and domain registration. I think we should try to figure out a way to cover ATB's out of pocket costs at a minimum. Possible ways are cost sharing, donation links, or I hate to say it, but commercial promotion. Personally I find google adwords a bit distracting, but it is an option. I find advertising even more so, but thats just me. One classier way to cover costs imho is be selling related products. Not sure if you have visited varmintal's site, but I think its pretty cool. 99% content, but he also has an ecommerce section with online metals. www.varmintal.com Its just an idea.

Then there is the aspect of learning the wiki software, and I guess the only way thats going to happen is just to jump into it.

I think their is some real potential with this, but I also think we need to do some serious brainstorming as to how to implement it, and as ATB brought up, set up our agreements now, such that no one gets slighted later on.

Now, if we do want to pursue a private forum, I have one already set up that I use for clients. I could just add another client called inventorswiki, and we could go from there. Otoh, I really do like what Steve has here.... my approach is pretty crude! Since I have not used vbulletin, which is what I think ATB runs, I don't know how tough it would be to run there either.

Pretty much open to anything
Ron

hans · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:15 pm Post subject: Inventor's Wiki in germany

Hi,
we have just established an inventor's wiki in germany. The URL is http://www.erfinder-wiki.de.

Greetings from Munich!
Hans