Quiet around here

[Scampy]

I visit the site daily, but can't help noticing how little activity is, especially given these figures



Currently Active Users
There are currently 363 users online. 1 members and 362 guests


With almost 400 guests you would expect lots of post.. by my guess they are simply bots and I'm the only one here !!

Sad really, especially given how busy the boards used to be a few years back

[Demon]

Nope, Jerson is always here zapping aliens before I get to them. :D

I figure a lot of people find the answers and leave.

It's summer, so I'm sleeping, mowing the lawn or riding.

[Jerson]

Heck yes. I get here early morning to find spam. They seem to have a pattern too - post a new thread, get around 8-13 views and just vamoose. Funny.

Well, I guess folks have moved on to bigger and maybe better platforms due to increasing requirements like TFT, SDIO, WiFi, LAN, GSM. I myself have moved to arduino and ARM platforms and C coding. Wonder how many magical things we did with simple processors way back when.

[HenrikOlsson]

I'm still around as well, usually checks in on the forum a couple of times per day. Have not moved to other platforms though I wish had the energy needed to learn C.
Not beacuse PBP doesn't do what I need it to for the 8-bit PICs but because for pretty much any other platform C is the standard whether I like it or not.

I can tell you though that without Darrels interrupt routines I would not be able to do much of the stuff I have been doing wit PBP. Of course we can't do anything but guess what PBP would've been without his work, would MeLabs have included similar functionallity in the compiler itself? Who knows. He is missed, that's for sure :-(

But all we can do is post questions, examples, projects and discuss. We, as a group, are what makes the forum what it is, relying on "someone else" won't work.

/Henrik.

[Scampy]

I appreciate that things move on, and since I joined this forum there has been the launch of several alternative platforms such as Arduino, Pi etc, which may explain the lack of interest in PBP compared to the good 'ol days. I too miss Darrel. His legasy lives on in my first ever major project that I needed help on. My four channel vivarium controller is still running and has never missed a beat (PID... punn in there somewhere :) )- but it was thanks to him (and to you Henrik for collaboration on the PID routines) that I learnt so much.

I wonder if the developers had worked with Darrel and others to develop PBP to to keep pace with other hardware such as wi-fi modules, GLCDs, Oled etc, if it would have been as popular now as it was back then...?

[Mike2545]

Hello, I've been a member since 2009 and visit to search existing issues, and occasionally ask a question. I also belong to other forums that are of the electronic nature, one site uses a chat feature that I use along with that community. Do you guys use this sites chat?, I'll see about hanging out in there to say hi.


Mike

[mpgmike]

I appreciate that things move on, and since I joined this forum there has been the launch of several alternative platforms such as Arduino, Pi etc, which may explain the lack of interest in PBP compared to the good 'ol days.

My opinion is Arduino, Pi, etc is for folks strong in the programming side and barely functional in the electronics side. If you can actually build electronics, PIC is cheaper and overall, offers more flexibility in the design.

I too miss Darrel. His legasy lives on in my first ever major project that I needed help on.
I was fortunate enough to speak with him once. However, like you, his contributions are strewn throughout much of my work.

[Art]

You can use the Arduino platform with your own hardware and also reap the same benefits, such as being free :D
I couldn’t agree with the “strong in the programming” part. It’s quite the oppositte.
All of the important stuff you’d need to understand to use any real C compiler is hidden from the user to prevent them breaking things.

That said, I still maintain that BASIC is a good starting point from which to learn C.
Every BASIC program can be easily ported to C. It’s just C that has some features that can’t be ported easily to BASIC.
Ported is even a strong word. You can change the syntax slightly (in most cases), and the BASIC becomes C.

[Ioannis]

I am still here too. Checking the forum for any intruders but Jerson has already zapped them.

In general there are fewer active members now and I think too is because of other platforms but most because PBP has not evolved much on other 24 or 32 bit PICs and Human - Machine interface. Meaning GLCDs etc.

Ioannis