Networking the Internet I Embroidery Project

NOTE: Several websites are referenced within the context of this article. The author does not have any affiliation with these sites and is not attempting to single out or promote any of them. They are listed for reference only.

The Internet is a wonderful thing for the budding embroiderer. With a few clicks of the mouse, a person can search a vast library of resources from the comfort of their home. In fact, the Internet has evened the playing field for commercial and hobby embroiderers alike, by breaking down the barriers to communication and information sharing. It was only a scant few years ago that an embroiderer’s knowledge was limited to lessons learned from the school of hard knocks. But the web has changed all that by bringing together thousands of individuals who share a common interest.

But there are drawbacks to the free-flowing information found on the web. For starters, there is no single person or agency in place to monitor the information and those who submit the information. The result is a lot of misinformation, sometimes intentional sometimes not. The old adage “you can’t believe everything you read” is certainly true of the Internet. The anonymous nature of the web has brought out the dark-side of the human race and many sinister elements lurk in the shadows, hunting for unsuspecting online victims. Viruses are carefully planted and spread through the massive streams of data racing through millions of servers and phone lines all over the globe, wrecking unsuspecting computers and databases. In fact, several years ago a virus was created that specifically attacked a certain embroidery machine format. It was delivered through email and once it got into a computer, it would systematically search for and destroy that specific type of design file. Luckily the perpetrator was tracked down and prosecuted.

In actuality, cases of someone maliciously trying to hurt others and are quite rare. However, much more common is the unintentional spread of incorrect information. For example, there are quite a few websites that feature embroidery placement charts for download. However, some of these charts have flaws and most of them don’t agree with each other. So, if you download five charts and each gives different information for the placement of a three letter monogram on a bath towel, which one is correct?

In spite of some of the drawbacks, the positive benefits of the internet far outweigh the negative aspects.

For embroiderers, the Internet offers the following opportunities: networking with others, quick access to a variety of products, instant purchasing power and almost limitless embroidery knowledge. This is accomplished through internet chat rooms, email lists, resource websites, and online vendor stores.

Internet Chat Rooms

Chat rooms are very popular destinations for embroiderers. Most rooms are free and open to anyone that wishes to participate. Some of them are informal and open 24/7 for embroiderers to drop-in and have a conversation at will. Others maintain a specific schedule of topics and meeting times. Most chat rooms are composed of a simple text environment. All of the participants see the same screen on their computer and type in questions or comments, which are visible on the screen for all to see. Typically each attendee is identified by a name (real or fictitious) which is attached to their “statements” for easy identification of who said what.

One of the most interesting chat rooms is Latte’s which can be found at www.embroiderymall.com. Rather than a screen full of text, it is laid out like a coffee shop complete with booths, tables, chairs, a counter, etc. Participants create their own characters called avatars and can move them around within the room. When you ”speak” the text is displayed next to your identity. Latte’s does require participants to download software before entering the chat room, but there is no cost. Latte’s is open 24/7 for casual conversation, but has formal chats once per week.

The Embroidery Forum offers a weekly chat focused on digitizing. It can be found at www.embforum.com. It requires a membership to participate.

Chat rooms can be found in a variety of places including vendor websites.