# Key Points from IRC Discussion

• Electronic component search tools like Octopart and alldatasheet.com were discussed alongside open hardware initiatives including the Open Hardware Repository (ohwr.org) and NextFab Studio, demonstrating the community's focus on accessible hardware development resources.

• Ben Lipkowitz presented a quantified self-tracking project at Kevin Kelly's meetup that gained blog attention, while another participant (Fenn) maintained a comprehensive life-tracking system viewable at fennetic.net/sleep, showing the community's interest in personal data collection.

• SKDB (Standard Knowledge Database) was discussed as a system for representing manufacturing processes and dependencies, with a demonstration of a git+wiki front-end at designfiles.org, highlighting efforts to standardize hardware design documentation.

• The group debated approaches for creating semantic markup for process descriptions, suggesting templating engines like Cheetah to embed variables in plaintext instructions while maintaining human readability and machine processability.

• Participants discussed collaboration potential with make.ifixit.com to develop open standards for representing tools, materials, and processes in DIY project documentation, reflecting interest in standardizing maker knowledge.

• Several cutting-edge technologies were shared, including piezoelectric polymers (PVDF) for potential space activity suits, the G-language project's zoomable interface for molecular biology, and a virtual presence robot from Willow Garage used to attend Singularity University lectures remotely.