deskthority

There was no Thread for listing KB's and variants, which are not listed in the wiki now. Maybe this could be an inspiration to complete the wiki, maybe.

So the rules are clear, only KB should be listed, which are at the moment not listed in the wiki, also variant.

My first one is a boring KPT-84:
QWERTY but for Germans because of case printing,
labeled on the top as Vivanco,
with black/grey keycaps,
with PS/2,
and white Alps clones.

Shell Number is T21, Tai-Hao APC series, white, clicky.

The Adapter is something special for PS/2, the plastic-pin is very short, not broken.

The printing says Vivanco, Audio Video Editor VCR 5034, so it's made as titler for a VCR.

The KPT-84 is already in the Wiki. If you think you have a variant not already listed, then please feel free to add your images to the Wiki article!

BTW, there is a guy on Swedish auction Tradera that has had a NIB one every week for 250 SEK (+ s/h or pick-up in Malmö). I've been told that they are not that nice, so I have passed.

Findecanor wrote: 26 Aug 2021, 16:05 The KPT-84 is already in the Wiki. If you think you have a variant not already listed, then please feel free to add your images to the Wiki article!

BTW, there is a guy on Swedish auction Tradera that has had a NIB one every week for 250 SEK (+ s/h or pick-up in Malmö). I've been told that they are not that nice, so I have passed.

Thanks for the link - I've been after one of these for a while. In case the seller isn't willing to post to the UK, is anyone living in Sweden willing to proxy one for me?

that is a nice colourway, shame it is likely pad printed (I think most of the black ones are)

zrrion wrote: 26 Aug 2021, 19:49 that is a nice colourway, shame it is likely pad printed (I think most of the black ones are)

i have 2 and they both are.

Findecanor wrote: 26 Aug 2021, 16:05 The KPT-84 is already in the Wiki. If you think you have a variant not already listed, then please feel free to add your images to the Wiki article!

BTW, there is a guy on Swedish auction Tradera that has had a NIB one every week for 250 SEK (+ s/h or pick-up in Malmö). I've been told that they are not that nice, so I have passed.

I'm sure this is mentioned someplace else ...

MediaWiki isn't bad on the user/browser end: I'm sure everyone's used Wikipedia. It's just not really fun to create or edit articles in MediaWiki. MediaWiki's search function isn't that great, either. I usually use Google, instead. I don't think it's unusual for someone to look for a KB that's in the Wiki and not find it.

IMO, if you've got a keyboard that just looks really nice, one you've got some good info about, one you have bigger and better pictures of that's already in the Wiki, or Just something unusual, I'd just like you to post it someplace that someone can find it. I really don't care where.

If keyboardjoy would ever fix the visual editor on the wiki then it would be trivially easy to add pictures to the wiki. I PMd him months ago about it and was told he was working on it but here we are.

I do agree though, always post things to the forums before documenting on the wiki, that way you can use your forum post as a reference on the wiki. The wiki is really not a place for original research.
EDIT: and while I'm thinking about it, please don't reference ebay pages from the wiki. those get deleted after a while and become useless and impossible to verify. archive the contents of the listing (at least the images, but the title, description, and a link to the seller would be good) and reference that archive.

What is the etiquette for updating the wiki based on third-party information? Is this not allowed? Just curious because I found this on eBay. The wiki for the Acer KB-101A only lists SKCM Blue yet the is clearly not SKCM blue.

3rd party info is perfectly fine (a lot of wiki info is 3rd party), just include a link to wherever you got the info as a reference.

For the specific listing you linked in your post however those pictures are not under a license that lets you post them directly to the wiki itself so you can't upload them to the wiki page (unless the seller gives you their permission to do so I guess.) Additionally Ebay deletes listings after a while though so even though it isn't exactly wrong to use ebay as a reference it is more correct to use an archive of the listing as a reference.

BTW, Wikipedia allows only third-party info, and no original research like we do.

zrrion wrote: 28 Aug 2021, 04:11 3rd party info is perfectly fine (a lot of wiki info is 3rd party), just include a link to wherever you got the info as a reference.

For the specific listing you linked in your post however those pictures are not under a license that lets you post them directly to the wiki itself so you can't upload them to the wiki page (unless the seller gives you their permission to do so I guess.) Additionally Ebay deletes listings after a while though so even though it isn't exactly wrong to use ebay as a reference it is more correct to use an archive of the listing as a reference.

As a person who has had two extremely large picture websites, I can confirm that this is fine. You're using the picture for research, not because they're artistic, thus it's fair use. In all the time I've worked on the websites, I've had a handful of people complain. I don't remember anyone that I couldn't come to an agreement with.

And, yes, ebay pics and/or the whole ad disappears after a couple months. In the distant past, that wasn't the case.

hellothere wrote: 28 Aug 2021, 18:02As a person who has had two extremely large picture websites, I can confirm that this is fine. You're using the picture for research, not because they're artistic, thus it's fair use.

Incorrect. The contents of the wiki have a specific license and unless these pictures use the same license as the wiki or have been placed under a license that allows their use on the wiki then they cannot be used at all (and when the license allows use but doesn't match the license of the wiki it should be specifically noted what that license is and the specific details under which that license was obtained). This has nothing to do with fair use but rather in keeping with strict adherence to the license used by the wiki.

My second one is a Robotron KB K7604.55 from 1982
QWERTY
Made by VEB ( Volkseigener Betrieb ) Elektroschaltgeräte Auerbach, yes made in the GDR
With black doubleshot Key caps
Hall-effect switches by RFT
with special connector ( Parallel-Interface )

VEB Elektroschaltgeräte Auerbach
Typ K 7604.55
019 Bauj. 82
DDR

The security plug on the right side of the keyboard was used to authenticate the user under the SIOS operating system. When leaving the computer, the plug had to be pulled out, which blocked the keyboard and stopped the program. In addition, the user's authorization was checked via the plug. Depending on the coding of the connector, a distinction was made between several user classes and the administrator. The safety plug was only effective under the SIOS operating system.

A KeyPad from a Robotron weight
Checked: It's magnetic reed
Double-shot Keycaps
2 Keycaps are handgraved ,maybe because they're not standard Keycaps like the numbers...

I more like the magnetic reed than the hall-effect ones, because feeling is nearly the same but the magnetic reed could easy be used for a DIY project and there is a little "click", only a little one but it's be there

My third one is a Robotron KB K7634.51 from 1986
QWERTY
Made by VEB ( Volkseigener Betrieb ) Elektroschaltgeräte Auerbach, yes made in the GDR
With black doubleshot Key caps
Hall-effect switches by RFT
with special connector ( Parallel-Interface )

On the PCB, the numbers were soldered with tin, that is really something like art

PCB Plan: https://www.tiffe.de/robotron/K1520/K76 ... 634-36.pdf
Doku: http://felgentreu.spdns.org/robotron/k1 ... -Doku1.pdf

VEB Elektroschaltgeräte Auerbach
Typ K 7634.51
2213 Bauj. 86
DDR