Hi all,
Just wanted to lay it out there that as a newbie I found/find the site quite confusing. Several links from other CNC websites (and indeed some of my Google searches for open source CNC laser) lead directly to:
http://www.buildlog.net/cnc_laser/index.php. There is nothing on this page to indicate that there is an updated design to be considered, neither on the page itself or the linked BOM, drawings, or "kit" pages - which are complete with pricing and buy it now buttons. Indeed the drawings page has a bold title "Version 2.0" which had me convinced that I was correctly viewing the "second generation" of the design that I had come here searching for.
From what I now understand, 2.x (and not the unfortunately named 2.0) is the most current design, but I still can't seem to find an authoritative page that documents this.
I must admit that spending a few days looking around the site and comparing dates on various drawings, photos, and posts, has me a lot more confident. The new drawings page which automatically links to the newest version of drawings is fantastic, as is the BOM generator. However I can't help but think that my initial confusion could easily have been avoided with a short note at the top of the older pages stating that there is a new generation to consider. Also perhaps a page that explains the project life cycle so far and lists the various versions with some sort of timeline.
I would also like to add that I completely understand that this is an open source project and it is up to the end user to do what they will with any/all information. I am simply pointing out that I was a little intimidated when I first started looking at the information and as such I was less likely to pursue this project and in turn be able to contribute my experiences and ideas back into the community.
Anyone else feel the same, or am I having a particularly bad week?
--Nick