Lego Robotics Newsletter

Maverick TimeSurfer writes "Four months ago, in July, a few fellow LEGO Maniacs and I got fed up with the fact that LEGO doesn't have a magazine specifically for MindStorms. So, we got together and set up The Lego MindStorms Monthly Newsletter. Now that we've published four issues and are working on the fifth, it looks like we'll survive for a while. Though the name leads you to believe that the newsletter is strictly for LEGO robotics, we'll publish just about anything original that's related to robotics, and we gladly accept submissions from the public."

Possible future articles?

[heldlikesound]

HOW-TO PAGE

How to break apart bricks that "really really stuck together" if your mom is not around.

OPINION PAGE

Debating the topic: "When is the appropriate time to break up a store-bought model and return it's peices into the logo ether?"

MAIN ARTICLE

Exploring the history of gun substitutes for Lego guys. Remeber the metal detector, or the bull-horn?

SAFTEY

Avoiding foot injuries through proper storage procedures and adequete footware.

On the other hand, maybe it should just talk about robots...

Re:Possible future articles?

[siegesama]

The only post remotely about the article, and it's marked off topic. Now that's awesome.

How long before...

[MaggieL]

...Lego tells them they have to change the name of the newsletter to take the trademarks out? I'm guessing less than a week.

Re:How long before...

[Maverick TimeSurfer]

I'm guessing much longer. We have tried to comply as completely as possible with LEGO's Fairplay Document [lego.com].

*We do not display the red LEGO logo.

*We have a disclaimer posted that denies any endorsement or support from TLG.

*We do not overly emphasize the LEGO trademark.

*Neither the words LEGO or MindStorms appear in our web address. (That was a major legal point a while back.)

*We do not use the LEGO trademark commercially.

*We do not not display any LEGO publications without permission or under false pretenses.

Re:How long before...

[MaggieL]

That's a pretty cool policy they have there; I stand corrected. Nice to see them not shooting themselves in the foot.

However, you could probably do a better job complying with "Finally, the LEGO trademark should always appear with a ® symbol each time it is used." I don't see that happening at all, and it's not all that hard. You also don't display the disclaimer they specify.

It might be worthwhile to attend to those points in the interest of keeping a good relationship with TLG.

Re:How long before...

[Maverick TimeSurfer]

"Finally, the LEGO trademark should always appear with a ® symbol each time it is used." I don't see that happening at all, and it's not all that hard.

Yes, that is a problem, and Mike (the Chief Editor) is (I think) working on it.

About the disclaimer, in the top left corner is a link that states "Read the Disclaimer". I know it's small, but I can't controll that. I will point it out to Mike, though.

"This site best viewed at 1280x1024 resolution."

[jkujawa]

Bah.

There's no way a Mindstorms RCX could drive a monitor that big.

good job

[octalgirl]

As a Lego Robotics volunteer for our local middle school, I'm hoping this goes somewhere. Last year we needed to make a claw and I was dismayed at how difficult it was to find Lego news, examples, what other schools were doing, etc. We can't run out and buy every book just to find claw ideas. It would be great to have a forum where ppl could actually submit photos and stories of their lego creations. So far I have only been able to find these one-at-a-time.