Revival of the Bits from Bytes Community

Hi all,

As some of you have heard, on april 1st 3D Systems abruptly terminated the Bits from Bytes line of machines they acquired some years ago. There was only a short notice on Facebook but further nothing.

Official announcement:

Quote

On April 1, 2013 we will be discontinuing the 3D Touch and Rapman and integrating our website and social channels with 3D Systems. Both printers will continue to be fully supported with more information to come. Please join us on our 3D Systems social channels and 3D Systems consumer community, Cubify. On Cubify you'll be able to share in the marketplace, play with new apps and design tools, turn your models into apps, and monetize a 3D business

With "Both printers will continue to be fully supported" they did not mean the obvious, to keep the forum online which the majority of its customers use frequently and which was very active. The whole website has been forwarded to Cubify.com.

So I have setup an alternative 'forum' for Bits from Bytes users at [groups.google.com] If you are a BFB user head over and say hi, If you know people who still have a bfb machine, send them a message.

I also managed to make a backup of the forum as static html pages (somebody did not redirect the alternative www port :8080 for www.bitsfrombytes.com) and will see if I can find a good place to host them. Also the wiki is still accessible at wiki.bitsfrombytes.com, I also made a backup just in case. Both sources contain a wealth of community content (also non bfb related) and should be owned by the community for future reference.

Let's prove that a community is stronger and smarter than corporate blindness

ps. Maybe it's a better idea to have the alternative forum on the RepRap forum here (like a usergroup), let me know what you think. Most 'brand' specific fora are seperate so I thought that was a good idea...

... I can create a subforum if wished -- think about a good place to anchor it

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Hi Viktor,

Thanks!. But let's see first if there is enough interest before we create yet another sub forum. But I was thinking it could maybe best be a Usergroup, like all the local usergroups but then one dedicated to one brand of machines.

What a shame, I much prefer the BFB machines to the CubeX.

It would have been nice (Impossible for big companies) for 3D systems to let BFB continue with the 3000 and Touch into the Education sector, using low cost filament reels, now the CubeX just has the same silly expensive cartridges at the Cube.

I'm sure they have a plan...

BFB machines and users are all very welcome on the RepRap Forums - we still Love you Dear Cousin.

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[richrap.blogspot.com]

Quote

I'm sure they have a plan...

Extracting as much money from as many people as possible, while expending the minimum of effort required. In other words "good business practices", lol.

... the plan of all the 'global players' is simply to control the market

My first intention when heard that 3DSystems started their 'shopping' tour buying/acquiring other companies and small startups like BfB and others, was, that they wanted to crush possible future competitors

But even then the DIY-community around RepRap was too big and chaotic to find solid cores or central nerves

So let's be funny and change the world in our sense

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

> But even then the DIY-community around RepRap was too big and chaotic to find solid cores or central nerves

cheers on that!

Hi,
I have four printers here in Sweden and of course its sad but very common today to buy the competition.For me its easy to start a new production here.And with a lot of improvements.
regards to all printers around

Did the BFB printers not work well? Or did they not sell well? From my perspective, they were a bit pricey, but I never saw one personally. Just curious what the owners of them thought.

Very sad for the owners of them to lose their support from 3D Systems. That is the great thing about RepRap printers and community though, there is always support.

The BFB Printers were, and are fantastic - which is why they had such a following, and presumably why 3DS decided to buy them and shut it down!

We bought one of their printers because we needed a printer - not a project and they were based in the UK which meant quick, low cost delivery. Now everything has to come from the US (which I have nothing against) but the shipping costs make it less favourable.

The forum was a great resource - and I'd like to see it up & running again!

Si

Here you go! [www.bitsfrombytestalk.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2013 05:19PM by plexus.

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[www.printrbottalk.com] Printrbot Forum and Wiki

I get a 404 from that link.

I can see why people buy kits or pre-built printers, but you are then at the mercy of their marketing department,
and you count for little in the end, build your own system, then you are in control, and get to learn and be creative, not just an end user.

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Random Precision

johnrpm Wrote:
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> I get a 404 from that link.
>
> I can see why people buy kits or pre-built
> printers, but you are then at the mercy of their
> marketing department,
> and you count for little in the end, build your
> own system, then you are in control, and get to
> learn and be creative, not just an end user.

Try it now. there was a typo in the actual url of the link.

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[www.printrbottalk.com] Printrbot Forum and Wiki

works now, thanks.

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Random Precision