Thingyverse is owned by Ultimaker, Printables by Prusa and makerworld belongs to bamboo. I don’t really want to donate my models to a for profit company, so are there any similar community run alternatives where I can upload to? Cheers

  • ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    11·
    2 days ago

    Prusa are 100% a for-profit organisation/company, they don’t attempt to sell printers or services at anywhere near cost, which is absolutely fine too. They are very much what the term implies, which is that they’re a business that has (and wants) to earn money. To say they’re not a for-profit company is absolutely delusional.

    Yes having a semi-opensource approach is their gimmick to get goodwill from people to get them to buy their printers.

    • bluewing@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      11 hours ago

      Even non-profits need to make a profit somehow. They have operating expenses and need to build a cash cushion much like a for profit business.

      Now, Prusa is and always has been a privately owned business and Josef wants to makes money, got to keep the lights on somehow and pay his employees you know. So Prusa is a normal business with a generally “Do no Evil” company outlook and the constraints of trying to be a successful business in the EU.

      And despite the higher price that gets forced by trying to operate in the EU, this should make Prusa a more desirable place to do 3D printing business for all those who want to be socially responsible over another very popular brand based in China. But, evidently a cheaper price cuts a lot of slack for most.

      Full disclosure: I own a Prusa Mk3s and a Bambu Mini.

      • ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        01·
        2 days ago

        You said that they were not a “real” for-profit company, which is just plain wrong. They have even monetised their printables.com platform, if that’s not a for-profit move in the most classical sense I don’t know what is.

        • thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
          1·
          2 days ago

          why are you trying to change what I wrote? Its clearly there. I said none of that. You need to check yourself bro

          OMG monetized their platform. Because they are a business. I suspect you have no knowledge of their platform or how they do business or where or the history of their founder.

          • ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            01·
            2 days ago

            why are you trying to change what I wrote? Its clearly there. I said none of that.

            Prusa being “for profit” isn’t the same as the term implies.

            Well then I misinterpreted what you mention by that statement, what do you mean by it, if it wasn’t that they’re not a “real” for-profit company?

            I suspect you have no knowledge of their platform or how they do business or where or the history of their founder.

            No I have plenty experience and use printables a lot, it’s a great platform. I’ve been in-and-out of the 3d printer environment since early 2010’s, I perfectly well know their history and what they once were.