- Open-protocols.net’s proposed plain-text “like”-based protocol-rating system is criticized for being non-machine-readable and for ignoring DIYbio community feedback.  
- Participants want an RSS-style “replication alert” service to track independent replications of published experiments; Google Alerts on citations is the current best workaround.  
- SKDB, the open-source hardware package system, remains at proof-of-concept; debate centers on data curation, avoiding over-generalization, and hosting example packages at diyhpl.us vs. gnusha.org.  
- A new human-readable HTML specification for SKDB packages is now live at http://gnusha.org/skdb/doc/package_spec.html (and mirrored at diyhpl.us) after enabling ikiwiki’s rawhtml plugin.  
- Humanity+ circulated draft rules for the “Reprap Grand Prize” and “Water Liberation Prize”; channel members question the openness and technical feasibility of the water-prize goal.  
- Marc Fawzi reports that Ponoko will soon release an API allowing apps to send designs directly to 3-D printing services such as Shapeways, potentially integrating with open-manufacturing workflows.  
- A sub-$300 DIY RepRap Mendel build plan was outlined, emphasizing in-house PCB fabrication and community-sourced plastic parts as the main cost reducers.  
- Practical advice shared: use toaster-oven or hot-plate reflow for BGA soldering only when necessary, store solder paste cold to prevent oxidation, and seed torrents for the “Two Hands” vintage computer-show archival project.