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Want to write an Article? — Parallax Forums

Want to write an Article?

Nick McClickNick McClick Posts: 1,003
edited 2008-08-11 18:11 in General Discussion
Hey All-

I'm working on a site to let project designers sell their projects - Gadget Gangster (See Screen). I'd like to have a 'Builders Notebook' section of the site with useful articles for hobbyists & I'm looking to commission a few articles. I'm not sure exactly what articles to request - I'm open to ideas. They should be at the intermediate level, and they can be fairly general (don't need to be build instructions). A few ideas to get started;

1 - Project building basics (with photos)
2 - Equipment overview (what's necessary, what's optional, what's a waste)
3 - Project Troubleshooting
4 - Any article ideas welcome

I'm looking for 3 articles & I'll pay $100 each. You can have the byline. If you're interested, please PM me a writing sample. Timeline would 2 weeks for a first draft. Articles would be around 2500 words.

Any articles you want me to publish for free are welcome, too! [noparse]:)[/noparse]

Thanks!

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Comments

  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2008-08-07 05:14
    Looks like you are mostly looking for hardware...
  • Nick McClickNick McClick Posts: 1,003
    edited 2008-08-07 06:14
    ANY article that beginners would want to read is fair game. I suspect the beginner's first concern is "how do I solder?". There are plenty of good articles on that, though. Another one - "What equipment do I need?".

    On the software side - Spin is probably too specific. Maybe an article on "Assembly for beginners"? It's a little tougher as there's already a lot of good stuff on beginning programming.

    What do you have in mind?

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    Concentrate on understanding the problem, not applying the tool
  • Nick McClickNick McClick Posts: 1,003
    edited 2008-08-08 18:10
    Not a lot of takers? I know $100 isn't a lot of money. How much does nuts & volts pay? I have 2 articles selected, but I'm looking for a third. Doesn't have to be long! How about 'How to program FPGA'? Just a really basic overview, what you need, etc.

    SRLM, did you have an idea of something to write about?

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    Concentrate on understanding the problem, not applying the tool
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2008-08-08 22:21
    I'll offer you a free article, if you want to take it. It would be about the bumpers on my BOE-BOT, something aimed at those who are more a programmer type or who just want bumpers without designing them. I meant to work on it last night, but got caught up in a programming project [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    Anyway, take a look at the "Swiftsure BS2e Robot" in the completed projects forum. I have a preliminary draft there (before this thread) and was going to take that information and refine it. Tell me if its worth it.
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2008-08-09 03:44
    What format are you looking to have these in?

    doc, pdf, pub, html, txt?
  • Nick McClickNick McClick Posts: 1,003
    edited 2008-08-10 17:41
    I think it would make a great article. The outline & photos are already there, just need to add the supporting text. Text should be phrased "How you can make a robot", not "How I made a robot" - I'll take any format, but I prefer plain coded HTML ( no css / js ) or txt. That way it's easier to drop in the site.

    Lookin forward to it!

    Nick

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    Concentrate on understanding the problem, not applying the tool
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2008-08-10 19:39
    Where should I send it to? I have the text, and I'll get some detail pictures soon. It'll probably be in .pdf (the html was a little bit of a bluff...), but you can change it to whatever you want. I'll add a suggestion about the articles: they should be available for download so that the user can print them out. Sure, they could print from the browser, but that is rarely well formatted. Just a thought.

    Oh, and I realized I have another possible item. It's a short tutorial (11 pages) about the basics of BS2 programming. It's aimed at those who have never seen a microcontroller or any code in their life, and is entry level. I wrote it to give to my friends who asked about my projects, but I can send a copy your way if you want to review it.
  • Nick McClickNick McClick Posts: 1,003
    edited 2008-08-10 21:30
    Just email it to me at nick (at) gadgetgangster.com. For sure - attach the BS2 tutorial, as well. Text is best.


    The system is setup to display in HTML, and there's a print & pdf button that converts the article to PDF or reformats for printing. If you want, I can also include a link to your PDF version of the article.

    Thanks!!! I'm looking forward to the BS2 article - I've only done prop projects.

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    Concentrate on understanding the problem, not applying the tool
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2008-08-10 23:43
    Well, both articles include pictures. I'll get them to you tonight.
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2008-08-11 02:20
    Done. I broke it up into three emails. (Almost like I'm making my own packet switching...)
  • Nick McClickNick McClick Posts: 1,003
    edited 2008-08-11 18:11
    Got it, THANKS! It's going to take me some time to typeset / prepare things, but I'll send you over a link when it's done.

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    Concentrate on understanding the problem, not applying the tool
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