Forum Changes

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 minute ago, peteski said:

You mean like  the beach footwear mentioned in Jimmy Buffett's song? 

I know you're funnin', but single flip-flop cannot be a computer.

That's funny.

Even Googli's AI gets the reference:

"To state that your first computer was a single flip-flop can be interpreted as a playful exaggeration that emphasizes the fundamental role of flip-flops in computing, particularly in the context of building early digital circuits. 

Here's why this statement makes sense in a metaphorical or foundational way:

• Flip-flops are the building blocks of digital memory and logic: A flip-flop is a bistable circuit, meaning it has two stable states (representing 0 or 1) and can store one bit of binary data. It is essentially the smallest unit of memory in a digital circuit.
• Early computers were built using flip-flops: Before more complex integrated circuits, computers were built using individual components, and flip-flops were crucial for creating registers, counters, and memory elements that processed and stored information in binary form. For instance, the Colossus computer used in World War II to break German codes, incorporated flip-flops.
• A single flip-flop demonstrates the core principle: Even a single flip-flop can be considered a "computer" in the most basic sense – it stores a bit of information and can change its state based on input, according to testbook.com. This highlights the essential function of storing and manipulating binary data, which is at the heart of all computing. 

So while a modern computer is incredibly complex, a single flip-flop serves as a powerful symbol of the basic element that underpins its ability to process and remember information. "

[sidcharles]

30 minutes ago, peteski said:

. . . some build threads have posts with lots in-progress photos which I find informative.   I guess the person posting large photo essay could just split it into multiple posts. . . (or auto-resize on upload) . . . 

i think the more "auto - magic" you can make Anything, the easier acceptance and compliance would be.

if that were the goal.

[sidcharles]

i understand there's some high tech gurus hiding amongst us, but unless technology is part of your day to day, i think [myself included] there's plenty of

inmates just as happy to build models and not have to learn more stuff just to keep their head afloat. this is also sheer projection on my part.

[Can-Con]

Didn't we have a limit of 10 pics per post at one time or am I thinking of a different site?

[Ace-Garageguy]

19 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

Didn't we have a limit of 10 pics per post at one time or am I thinking of a different site?

IIRC, there was indeed a photo limit per-post on the "other magazine's" now defunct forum.

[iamsuperdan]

59 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

Didn't we have a limit of 10 pics per post at one time or am I thinking of a different site?

I think we have asked nicely in the past to please not post post more than 10 pics in a single post. And most people were cool with that.

Technically though, there's no limit to the number of pics one could post in a single post.

 

[peteski]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

A single flip-flop demonstrates the core principle: Even a single flip-flop can be considered a "computer" in the most basic sense – it stores a bit of information and can change its state based on input, according to testbook.com. This highlights the essential function of storing and manipulating binary data, which is at the heart of all computing. 

LOL. You of all the people who consonantly ridicule AI, are now using it for reference?  Please!

You don't have to explain computer principles to me - my education was electronics and computer technology, and worked in the field for decades.  A single flip-flop (and there are many different types of flip-flops like SR, D, JK) cannot be a computer. A simple SR flip-flop can be constructed using a pair of transistors and few resistors. Look up a definition of a computer to understand why a single flip-flop cannot be considered a computer. If anything, it can be considered as a type of very basic storage cell.

If you were just yanking my chain then you succeeded (at list this time).

[Ace-Garageguy]

42 minutes ago, peteski said:

LOL. You of all the people who consonantly ridicule AI, are now using it for reference? 

I don't ridicule AI in general, as I fully embrace (and have for decades) that machine consciousness is possible and machine intelligence will inevitably surpass humans by orders of magnitude.

But see, there's this thing called "nuance".

What I've said repeatedly is that the current state of most consumer-grade AI is a joke, and people who don't apparently know any better act like it's fully developed and ready to take over the world, which is laughable.

However, even Googli's cute little AI occasionally draws the right inference from the information it accesses prior to responding, and it's only fair to give it credit when it's right...which seems to be becoming more frequent as it learns to better separate the wheat from the chaff, particularly on subjects where the web isn't awash in ignorant but endlessly rebleated gibberish concerning more common topics.  

 

Edited 12 hours ago by Ace-Garageguy
punctiliousness

[Bugatti Fan]

Can we just stick to suggestions about forum changes and improvements?

The thread drifting  onto posts about AI and flip flops is all very interesting but I cannot see the relevance.

One small suggestion is that the heading 'Market Place' he replaced with 'Swap Space'. It is not really a market place at all if no buying or selling is allowed. So Swap Space might be more reflective of the area.

Personally, I cannot see why buying and selling is not allowed on this site with a disclaimer and that all transactions are deemed legally to be purely personal between buyer and seller. Other sites allow selling and buying, so only allowing swapping on this one seems a bit archaic.

Edited 7 hours ago by Bugatti Fan

[sidcharles]

3 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

. . . . suggestions about forum changes and improvements . . . .

cannot see why buying and selling is not allowed . . . . *

and with that, if the buy/ sell department required a subscription $$$ - it still may become a go-to venue.

if one were to need a piece of heretofore unobtainium, where else could he go to hopefully find one?

serious modelers view their projects as investments [time, skill, & money]

 

*please note concisely trimmed quote

Edited 4 hours ago by sidcharles

[stitchdup]

1 minute ago, sidcharles said:

and with that, if the buy/ sell department required a subscription $$$ - it still may become a go-to venue.

if one were to need a piece of heretofore unobtainium, where else could he go to hopefully find one?

 

*please note concisely trimmed quote

are you deliberatelly being antagonistic to other members? many of your recent posts have not been in the spirit we try to have here and some seem more like trolling. go back and read the forum rules please. we can place you on moderation if it continues

[sidcharles]

not at all. there's always more than one way to view a conundrum. if there's something so offensive, you can certainly moderate the replies - that's fine.

[johnyrotten]

I personally like the "no sales" aspect. It puts a hard stop on using the section as a personal storefront. Ebay already has that covered. Many members here are retired, fixed income,ect and bartering allows you to get what you want/need without diving into your wallet, no matter how small the price. As soon a currency gets involved, so does the aspect of theft and all the headaches that come with those kinds of situations. 

[Xingu]

We have been discussing making the Marketplace one of the premium areas and allowing buying and selling. There would probably need to be an extra set of rules for this area that members would need to acknowledge before being allowed to use it.

[johnyrotten]

25 minutes ago, Xingu said:

We have been discussing making the Marketplace one of the premium areas and allowing buying and selling.

The Marketplace as a whole, or just the buying/selling option? I'm all for the premium idea, this forum is a great resource, I can only imagine the overhead it takes to run. Not to mention the time required to maintain. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

26 minutes ago, Xingu said:

We have been discussing making the Marketplace one of the premium areas and allowing buying and selling. There would probably need to be an extra set of rules for this area that members would need to acknowledge before being allowed to use it.

It would be nice to be able to sell directly to active modelers, and avoid the whole eBay fees, doofus buyers, and jacked up shipping thing.

But an enforceable e-signed agreement that participants could not hold MCM in any way liable for deals going south would probably be prudent.

[bobthehobbyguy]

I think the non selling options should free or limited to say 5 transactions. If s9me one wants to do more than that then make that a premium option.

Selling should definitely be limited to premium users.

[Xingu]

It is still just being discussed, nothing firm yet. If we had a free trade section, there would be people trying to use it to circumvent the minor yearly fee to use the paid area. That is the nature of a lot of folks in our hobby.

[sidcharles]

45 minutes ago, Xingu said:

We have been discussing making the Marketplace one of the premium areas and allowing buying and selling. There would probably need to be an extra set of rules for this area that members would need to acknowledge before being allowed to use it.

i think that would be a great service to the sport. there's only so many producers [doing 3D as an occupation even if part time] who must make a marketing/ business decision their parts have to be weighed against time & profit.

someone who wants to crank out 3 or 10 specific parts on request [for a fee] would be elevated as providing a courtesy to his fellow modelers.

[sidcharles]

2 minutes ago, Xingu said:

It is still just being discussed, nothing firm yet. If we had a free trade section, there would be people trying to use it to circumvent the minor yearly fee to use the paid area. That is the nature of a lot of folks in our hobby.

this happened with me on the 'bay, but it worked to my advantage {buyer}. the seller marked the product sold, then contacted me with a much lower price and no delivery cost ; i lived only 30 miles away.

evidently he had to pay a per cent of sell price for their service.  

[Volzfan59]

I like the idea of being able to buy and sell. Speaking as someone who returned to the hobby a couple of years ago, I don’t really have much of a parts stash (yet) and don’t have any kits that I want to trade off. Being able to buy kits without breaking the rules would be great.