GearLink

Dear users,

          Hello! My name is Emma Sarabia, I'm a high schooler that's currently a member of FIRST Tech Challenge team NEMO 21890, and I'm the lead developer of this site.

          I first had the idea for this site a few months back… it seemed like quite an ambitious project (for someone with basic programming experience), but I was interested in learning about web development so I decided to try to turn the idea into something. Here we are now, and today is the “official launch” of GearLink! The goal behind this project is to create a healthier platform for the robotics community to interact. I wanted to create this site because felt like there were too many issues with most existing social sites – to list a few, they can be filled with inappropriate content, algorithms, addictive content, marketing strategies, and toxic environments, and at the end of the day have money- and power-hungry companies behind them. I felt that the robotics community could benefit from a community-centered, safe, education-focused, and welcoming platform, providing an optimal environment where people can learn about robotics and get involved. If this sounds like something you think yourself, your team, or others could gain something from, I encourage you to be present on GearLink, whether that's making an account, making posts, or simply observing signed out – if you're here in any form myself and my team would be overjoyed. We look forward to meeting you and hope that you can help us turn this into a great resource!

Best,

Emma Sarabia