Migrate from Thingiverse release for any open-friendly site to use.

Hi Everyone.

In light of the latest scandals, We’ve [shapedo.com] built a tool to make it really easy to backup/import Thingiverse designs. You can take a look at it in action here: [youtu.be]

We’ve packed the source code & released to Github so any open-friendly marketplace can implement it. [github.com] The code makes no use of Thingiverse API.

We’ve seen a real rise in the demand to detach the community from TakerBot. We really want to make it easy for non committed users to migrate, and we think there is a real chance to create a snowball effect that will make a real change.

Let’s all get together and collaborate, use all our social & press power to spread the word and help this happen - to users, to design sites, to the media.

Comment 1: ShapeDo has been listed on the Printable Part Sources wiki page for months, along with dozens (literally dozens) of other alternatives to Thingiverse. This page was started after one of the many other bouts of hysteria following a Makerbot "scandal". Politics aside, I think the Printable Part Sources page is a great resource and I encourage everyone to update it frequently and add more sites as they come alive.

Comment 2: Something about ShapeDo that irritates me to no end is that, right on the front page, there is a copy of Emmett's Gear Bearing ripped directly from Thingiverse without attribution. When you click on the ShapeDo link, Emmett's monogram is clearly visible in the render of the part! I think it is hilarious that the selling point for your site is "Come to ShapeDo because Makerbot/Thingiverse is stealing people's work" when... you know... ShapeDo is stealing people's work.

Hi,
The gear was uploaded by a user. Thanks for notifying us it isn't his, will address ASAP.

Thanks. On taking a closer look at some of the items on ShapeDo, I see there is an option to clearly cite the original author and source files (see for example this hexaflexagon). This makes me feel much less irritated. (What can I say... I'm irritable.) I also see some nice original content too.

I would guess that gear was probably a customized version that was made public and got migrated, I also had one in my profile on ShapeDo where I was playing with the tolerances and forgot to hide it on Thingiverse but without seeing the text on the one in the picture I have no idea.

My biggest problem is this - [shapedo.com] - looks like a testing account where they have uploaded many of the popular designs from Thingiverse. Even with the little tiny credit line below the item name, I still feel you will be making the original authors mad.

I also brought up another issue which did not receive a response...you do not verify account holders. I could make accounts and claim half of Thingiverse and you would have no idea unless someone told you. I'm sure the issue has something to do with you not being able to use the API from Thingiverse because you are creating a similar service but maybe only allow migration if ShapeDo name matches Thingiverse name or require a screenshot or something. I see many issues if you do not prevent copies of other accounts.

tjb1 - You are spot on both accounts.

Mirror is a testing account that has lived too long and we always intended to kill. To be fair with us we were careful to have a link to the original author in context right on top of the design. We also chose a name that makes it really clear that these are not original designs. "Mirror" is anything but ambiguous.

The authentication issue really bothered us too. We aren't allowed to use the API and we seriously considered scrapping over this. In the end we figured people can also download the designs and upload them as their own, and we care more about the legitimate people. We did take a few steps to minimize that risk and minimize potential harms:

First - we stuck a permalink that you can't remove linking back to the Thingiverse version on all migrated shapes. If the person migrating isn't the original designer this link acts both as a at least minimal attribution and as a mechanic to make it likely for the real designer/the community to catch a culprit.

Second - We flag "fishy" cases - People trying to import more than one profile, people trying to import really big profiles and a few more cases. In these cases we demand manual authentication.

We hope between these mechanics, we catch most abuse cases and we are very reactive in the exceptions when things are reported to us.

At the end of the day there is always a risk someone will steal designs. People can can download the design from Thingiverse and then upload them as their own or sell them too (as with the gear). My view is that when I share things, I know there is a chance it may be abused, and I choose to share anyway. I choose to live my life believing people and I think in the vast majority of cases that pays off.

I do like the site and from what I have seen, it is one of the most polished out there and has nearly all the best features of Thingiverse and more like the versioning. Myself I do not really care which site I use, when I put something online I know others will take it and possibly use it without acknowledging me or giving credit or maybe even charge for it. I do not have the resources or the time to create a business from what I design so I put my models up there with kind of an expectation that someone will use them in a way that I do not like. I know others do not feel this way and feel/think that if they put something up with a license that everyone will respect that and that is not the case.

Another thing I think is silly is requiring credit for anything that looks alike which I've seen some people complain about on Thingiverse like "This looks like XXX, you should give them credit if you are going to copy them". I've design a few things that are similar to other things on Thingiverse and I've never seen them until I was finished. If you look at the two you may think one was based off the other but sometimes that is not the case and some people think one should always give credit to another. I've had some of my models given credit for things that are not even close to similar. One is the Bulldog Extruder mount I have uploaded, there is a derivative of it that holds the extruder the same way I do but mounts to other things in an entirely different way. I don't see mine as needing credit for that, the way I did it is one of the logical ways to mount the extruder, not something fancy or out of this world.

This type of thing MUST gain real momentum as just one facet to the KICKBACK that must continue to grow.

Competition is fair game, Makerbot have something they can sell and have a very strong backer of course there is no doubt.....HOW....EV....A!

The theft of rights, by what ever means including the small print and underhanded changes to terms and conditions MUST be made to pay a price. I am sure that if someone was considering the purchase of a 3D printer, and was consdering a MakerBot was then made aware (by sheer volumes of publicity) that they would then seriously reconsider that choice. This will Hurt TakerBot in exactly the right place and make them pay for the scandalous fraudulent and disngenious way they are going about their business by taking open source work and attributing it to themselvs by way of patents.

It is my belief that the sheer volume of patents applied for irrespective of whether they will be successful is PURELY for the portfolio shown to investors and sharemarkets to increase their share price and try to get away with what is in effect quite a fraudulent behaviour. does every patent not start with the words to the effect "We have devised...." and purely by those words, the "first to patent" argument kind of goes out the window. They did not devise it! how Black and White is that!!!

I for one have a great concern over these matters as I, like many of your, have poured many many many hours of toil sweat and tears into your design work, and are at serious risk of having this very design work simply taken as if they were walking into your own home and taking your television or other items of value that YOU OWN and worked hard to accumulate the funds to buy.

THIS MUST STOP - THE OSC MUST ACT in Every Possible Way!!! Publicity, Journos, Television, Awareness, debate, tactics, nothing off the table, But the gloves must come off, all ideas and options must be considered. If they, Takerbot wish to play dirty like this, then we have more power if we get together and act as one.

No more can this continue.

WE can design better printers, but we must step up in doing so. This is the only way. A multi Facted Approach. Play to everyones strengths, enroll or enlist all your contacts, from media to legal to patent advisors.

BTW Mesage to MakerBot: These are just my own opinions and views and everyone has the right to an opinion, right? #thank you for watching

Edit: Some have likened the actions of Makerbot to those of Apple in the early days. From what i can ascertain., Apple did actually develop most of not all of what they patented.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2014 07:15AM by Mutley3D.