10,010 Members Now

In a message dated 2/2/2007 4:51:52 A.M. Mountain Standard Time,
CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com writes:

It use to be very difficult when I first joined in 2000 to keep up
with the all of the posts. It's a lot easier now. Back then everyone
that had ever touched a mill or lathe knew of this group.

My mill has been up and running for 6 years, but I still find great
info here in this group. Right now I'm dialing in Mach3 and enjoying
the canned cycles. CNCPro has been awesome software, but I have
dreaded the one off projects due to the extensive work just to get
from concept to finished part. Mach3 really helps there. I am trying
to make excuses to machine something, but I just cannot find anything
right now to test everything with.



The above letter explains a lot about the early days of CCED, compared to
now. His machine has been running for 6 years, so he has already obtained a
lot of the knowledge that he needed at the time, and I bet a lot of it was
right here on the CCED group. And I will bet that there are hundreds more just
like him out there right now, with the same basic history, are they still
active here now? I have no way of telling, do you??? If so share with us.

Back then there were basically no sources of parts, or information for a
Home CNC machine. The list brought a bunch of very dedicated and interested
people together, and things began to fall into place.
Many of the early members on the list designed and started to sell drives,
Gecko's appeared here, Vector appeared, and all of the people that had the
knowledge shared, just as they do now.
We had machinists, software writers, electronics people, everything needed
to bring CNC into the home shop.

WE WERE/ARE SUCCESSFUL. Many seem to have a problem with that, but it is
fact.

Sources of parts, drives, Cad, and drive kits appeared, prior to that there
was basically nothing for the home CNC market.
The group was conceived to bring very specific knowledge to everyone
interested in Home CNC, some did not like that concept, and some were just plain
troublemakers, these people often moved on to another list of there choosing, so
be it. It was there choice except in a few case's where they were banned,
again there choice.

I was at a seminar at NAMES, in 1999, and could not hear what they were
saying, so I asked for names of people interested in joining a group. Twelve
people plus myself were the first members, I went to every group of metalworkers
I could find and mentioned the group, and asked if they were interested.
Hundreds responded by joining the group, and the rest is history. I have not
done that for years now. People told people, people posted links on there
sites. Everyone had found a common place to meet. And they did sometimes more
that 6-800 messages a month IIRC. And I did searches for information on things,
more and more I found a link to CCED as the place to look.

We have had our good and bad times over the years, and somehow, I find the
good exceeded the bad, and the group kept growing. Always with the same basic
concept, a place to obtain knowledge for building you own CNC no matter what
form it was in. But never a general machining group, as that concept has
never changed, nor will it while I Am around. There are several other groups
for that field of expertise.
As various people moved on in there lives, they in several cases, developed
there own business supporting, what this group was teaching, and that puts
time constraints on the time they spend here. Some are no longer as active as
they once were, that is just the way life is.
Ask Gecko, Imsrv, Mach, KT Marketing, Ballendo, Sherline, and other home CNC
suppliers if the group was a success.

Yes! Indeed they were exciting times, as finally there was a place that
information was gathered and shared, now many just whip out the credit card and
buy a system of there choice, that in most cases was developed from the
information, and the need as shown by the CCED group.
I still remember the wars between Fred, and Ballendo, I had them both on
moderated status for a long time to hold it down, but they both taught us a lot
even while reacting to the other guy. Hello Fred.... Hello Ballendo...
There are so many people I should mention and thank, but the memory is just
not as good now as then.
But they know who they are, and so do the members over the years, and what
they have done for the CCED group, and more importantly the Home CNC movement
itself.

I find it hare to understand why people want to forget what we have done,
and what changes came as a result. What if all 10,010, members are not active,
does it really matter? Does ranting about inactive members help the Home
CNC movement? I think not.

Activity within 7 days: _47 New Members_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO/members?o=6) - _69 New Messages_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO/messages?o=1)

And a BIG THANKS to the moderators and owners, that have helped to make this
group the success that it is.
Without them, you would be receiving about 10 spam's or more a day. How
long has it been since you have seen one here????? I got three so far today
myself. We are a constant target for them.
Are all of the members that Yahoo counts active? I don't know and don't
really care, it is a number only.
But the thing you can't take away from the members of this group, past and
present is that it is a success............... Period. And it was the
members themselves that made it that way, owners and moderators, just stopped as
many problems as possible that would stand in the way of learning. Every group
rule has a valid reason.

Peace be with every member, past or present.
bill
List Mom

PS, Any volunteers for being a moderator, please contact:
_CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-owner@yahoogroups.com_
(mailto:CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-owner@yahoogroups.com)
Tells us your ideas for the group, and why you want the job.




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