I have deliberately kept out of this topic- to spend some time simply listening. The discussion seems to have settled now but I just want to take the opportunity to say thanks to all the contributors, your comments are very much appreciated. I will have to be patient and see how things develop, I guess.

My issue is this: I will send calculations with the understanding that others will not only rate them but comment on or improve them. For example I could send in spreadsheet on skid anchorage as someone has requested but I want to see something back: Move this object over to C4 and it will read better, your calculation under to root is incorrect and here is the corrected version or just your calculation under the root is incorrect - hopefully with corrections identified in some standard manner. Someones star rating is meaningless.

I hope that we will work together as a community to share and improve our calculations. When you upload a file you give it a version number and it can be up-issued by the author at any time. I posted a calculation a couple of days ago a user called yukimura left a comment on the calculation and I updated it to version 2 this morning. see http://www.excelcalcs.com/component/option,com_remository/func,fileinfo/id,242/

The Repository is not the best place to develop calculations it is better done through the Forum - you can attach excel files and images to posts and you'll have a better dialogue with other users here. The finished calculation can be posted to the forum.

The Repository rating system allows users to highlight problems with calculations if they are spotted. User ratings and comments are essential for guiding other members to good content on the site.

I take it then that the formum is the place to develop project development teams, passing excel workbooks back and forth, each adding content and commenting, until the team decides ready to commit a version to the repository.

I have old spreadsheets, "as-easy-as" and Quattro Pro format covering simple mecahnical design, others linear programming. Some are solutions to university assignments, so depositing them probably not a good idea. Translating to Excel is easy, except for the linear programming which have a different approach in QPro(DOS) and QPro(Win), those in QPro(win) similar to excel method.

I don't have much time for formatting these workbooks with XLC, currently more interested in VBA programming and controlling other programs from Excel, and otherwise writing functions. If others are interested in formatting I have no problem contributing such old stuff. I also have no problems contributing VBA function libraries. (other than copyright issues previously mentioned)

Unlike JBS however, I am not really interested in the feedback about the workbooks. If users don't like they can modify themselves. The workbooks either were or are fit for my purposes presentation wise, as appalling as they may otherwise be considered. As for errors, I guess I would like to know about them, hopefully such errors are on the conservative side, or are not in real design workbooks, just text book stuff. But as JBS and others have implied users really are responsible for the validity of the workbooks.

Neither the forum or repository should be the place to seek workbooks for areas of practice do not really understand.

Rather should probably be using the repository for guidance on validity of own attempt at creating workbook in a given area of practice. That is contribute something in the first place, ask for assistance to develop.

Some of the requests are fairly general and non-specific. What is meant by skid anchorage. Does the user want forces from the skid, or anchor bolt design? What kind of skid? There was also something about seismic or vibration, I cannot remember exactly, but it seemed a complex area of practice and fairly involved for a spreadsheet. Provide a simple excel template, or plan, illustrating what attempting to achieve and looking for.

More chance of response if contribute rather than just request.

Now we know the forum is the place to pass workbooks around to develop, maybe more activity will result.

AlexB writes

QUOTE:
I can appreciate your difficulties with people's hesitance to upload their calculations.
Perhaps they expect a statement as to credits and the use of their intellectual property.

All authors are credited for their uploads to the repository by their ExcelCalcs username. I am quite relaxed about users adding their personal contact details or web link if they so wish. They are in full control of their work published in the Repository and are free to edit their work (authors get to see an edit link on the Repository page which no other users can - apart from administrators). They can also choose to un-publish their work at any time. ExcelCalcs is setup to ensure that authors are in total control over the material they choose to publish indefinitely.