Today we hit 12,000 members, and growth continues to accelerate. Despite a pretty rigorous admissions process (applicants need to answer questions about themselves, do a quick quiz to prove that they're human, and then they need to be approved by a moderator), we're now adding 1,000 members every seven weeks (a month ago that was every eight weeks).
As you can see from the traffic stats above (click for a larger picture), we're doing nearly 30,000 page views every day. Over the past year, we got 2.5 million visits and 8 million page views and more than doubled our traffic.
At this point we may be the largest robotics community in the world. The other community that is normally described (well, describes itself) as the World's Largest Community of Robot Builders is Let's Make Robots, and it looks like we're now bigger than them:
Comments
So are you saying you make no money what-so-ever off your "Start Here" robot bundle?
Also, for those I'm sure are slightly put off by his description of DIYDrones, I coped here what he also put up on his website Let's Make Robots about it:
"Haha, there's apparently a shop that sells UAV parts, that has made a community that you have to sign up for, to get support of their products. And this has generated a lot of traffic for them - perhaps something wrong with the UAV-products they sell? Read this story to understand why we where provoked (in a fun way). But hey, then Sparkfun is the biggest! When we say that we are "The Worlds Biggest Community of Robot Builders", it is as a community. A pure robot builder community. Not a shop, not a companys support page, and focusing on robots. Fuck it, we are the biggest, no matter what you say :D"
I was reluctant to post this in the effort of not starting a flame war, but felt if there was going to be mud slinging, everyone should be aware of it.
:D
Hi there, Frits from letsmakerobots.com
My man rik just send me your public provocation, and challenge taken ;)
Mind you, this is just fun, but you played the ball, so here it is back:
You are a SHOP. Apparently several shops. In order to get support on the products that you sell, one has to sign up in this community of yours.
If you sign up on LMR, it is purely to join the community, not to get support for something you purchased at us. Because we are not a shop, you see.
Comparing us like apples and bananas. And I tell you, Sparkfun is beating you in your league. (And us, btw, if you should compare us with them)
You are extremely aggressive in your fight for more visitors, you pay to get more visitors, and have pages like http://diydrones.com/main/invitation/new?xg_source=msg_wel_network and http://twitter.com/home?status=Just+joined+http://diydrones.com
That on top of a shop = smart marketing, respect for that. But not really for being a cool community.
Though - Hey, these are actually good ideas when fighting for visitors, we might want to dosomething like that and boost visitors, yer! Never did anything like that before, people came to join the community, not due to viral marketing.
Anyway, to did you read the top search words that you have?
* blimp cam,
* basic stamp vs arduino,
* aerial photography,
* how to make money with arduino,
* www.justin.tv/uavchallenge
"how to make money with arduino" ?! Now, is this a business or a business covered with a community?
LMR has these:
* how to make a robot,
* electret microphone arduino,
* simplest radio receiver,
* lets make robots,
* long throw magnetic actuators
- on http://siteanalytics.compete.com/letsmakerobots.com+diydrones.com+s...
and good old SoR has these:
* how to build a robot,
* robotics grants and funding,
* tomy omnibot 2000 value,
* lm298 motor circuit,
* axon microcontroller and windows vista
Now that is relevant for robot communities. And I must say that SoR just beat us again, I did not know that, but I respect that.. though he also has an agenda of selling stuff.
Hmm.. Finally; if you want to compare us - if you are "The biggest robotics community in the world" - then where the heck are "the robots"? I thought this was (a shop-support community for) UAV - not that many "robots", apart from UAV's? So .. well..
:D
But when all this is said; I love you! Just because you make cool stuff, I am sure. Let's make friends ;)
Speaking for myself, anyway, but hopefully others here, I don't really think pointing out these statistics is meant in any hardcore sense of competition, i.e. we'll take traffic at the expense of your site. I think it's just a natural matter of pride, nothing more. In fact, I think it's great to learn about these other robotics sites here since, as you pointed out, this site is quite focused on the UAV aspects of robotics. If anything, these sites are cross-pollinating and growing off each other.
DIYdrones really isn't about general robotics IMHO, it's more for autonomous vehicles sub-division.
I also find the crowd around DIY is more mature, where SoR is more for beginners with a good mix of experts to help them. They have been around for 5 years, and is still going strong. The community is forum based, since blogs were not the 'cool' thing 5 years ago. The have many beginner tutorials, including the famous $50 robot tutorial for the extreme beginner.
I'm a firm believer that the attitude/personality of a online community is an extension of the attitude/personality of it's creator / admins. This is why out of the sites mentioned here, I'm a active member of both SoR and DIYdrones. Both sites offer a relax place to hang around and converse with like minded, decent people.
For those more into general robotics, I suggest checking out SoR. And I equally send drone minded people here from SoR when I get the chance. I've even been advertising for Arducopter over there.
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/letsmakerobots.com+diydrones.com+s...
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