Page 13 - Robot Builders Source Book - Gordon McComb

introduction
xii
Those that are listed in this book are either primary resources that no robot
maker should do without, or are representative of a large group of similar sell-
ers. They are included to give you an idea of the product offerings. The same
goes for schools with robotics programs, and for people who want to show off
their robot creations; it’s impossible to list them all.
In most cases, resources listed have Web pages, so you can easily find out more
information about them. This is not just a pro-Internet bias, but a reflection of
the realities of commerce.
Who’s Not Listed
All this said, certain companies who conduct business on the Web have been
intentionally left out. For commercial sites (sites that collect your money and
sell you things through the mail), no listing is provided for companies:
• That are only on a free server (such as Yahoo, Geocities, or AOL). There
are rare exceptions to this, when I either know the company well, or they
have been in business for so long the possibility of fraud is virtually non-exis-
tent. In such cases I’ll tell you why they were excepted.
• That fail to provide at least a phone number or a mail address (at the mini-
mum, a post office box). This is to help protect you against fly-by-
nighters—shady characters who set up quick storefronts, take your money,
then hide in the anonymity of the Internet.
• Whose site is “under construction” with little worthwhile information con-
tained on it.
For all pages, no listing is given if the site:
• Includes content, links, or advertising to “adult” material, or to online casi-
nos and gambling. No, I’m not a prude, but I recognize many amateur
robotics enthusiasts are under 18. They don’t need me pointing them to
porn on the Internet, thank-you-very-much.
• Contains excessive pop-up or pop-under windows. I tolerate one or two pop-
up windows, but a gaggle of them, especially one right after the other, is
total baloney, and they don’t earn the right to be listed here.
• Merely frames other Web sites. No posers and wannabees!
• Is a simple “grab-bag” link lists. Search engines like Google.com do a better job.
• Tries to add itself (or other sites) to your Favorites list.
• Has not been updated within the last 12 months.
• Provides little or nothing of interest to the amateur robot builder. This
applies to some of the very high-end industrial robot manufacturers.
These Aren’t Paid Ads!
No way! The Internet is full of enough ads as it is.
No one paid me, or the publisher (cash, freebies, beer, dancing girls, what-
ever), to be listed in this book. And they especially didn’t pay for the special
“highlights” that focus on specific products or companies. Those companies,
groups, and individuals listed in this book are included because I felt they con-
tributed to the art and science of amateur robots.

Be Included in the Next Edition!
We (the publisher and I) welcome your submissions if your company, school,
or personal Web site is related to amateur (and not industrial) robotics. If
accepted, your submission will appear in the next edition of Robot Builder’s