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2018-03-20
__O_n__s_h_a_r_i_n_g__i_n__t_h_e__m_a_k_e_r__c_o_m_m_u_n_i_t_y______
oday I want to share an observation I have made over the past years.
here's a certain mindset present that is reluctant to share source
iles. There are thousands of STL files on thingiverse[0] for
xample. But hardly anyone does release the files these STLs where
enerated from. In the aftermath of my word clock workshop I am still
sking around for the source files of the firmware and the innards of
he casing. Although it turns out the word clock grid and backplanes
ave been documented[1] I almost accidentally have stumbled over it.
nd I wonder why that is. I come from a SW hacker background and here
haring your source code is ubiquitous. For HW tinkerers it seems
ore natural to share compiled hex dumps or blobs.
lease do not do that. It is harmful. Not only do you leave the
eople building your stuff in the dark about its innards, it
iscourages the ability to repair the things you have built yourself!
lso the future you may forget the exact steps on how you created
our files, so documenting that and *sharing* that ensures that your
dea will still be alive tomorrow. With an open mindset this is at
east possible.
am no free software zealot, but I do see the merits of licenses
ike the GPL here. It prepares people to show their work for everyone
o see. Not just the finished thing but also the steps towards that.
o please build your things in the open. You are not the things you
uild. Noone will judge you by your thing's source code.
lso if you use free software tools I will love you even more,
ecause that means I will be able to tinker with your creation in the
uture as well.
lso there's the Right To Repair[2] movement that encourages
onglivety of devices and the ability of the owners to repair their
tuff.
ur current afairs could be so much better if we reclaim the ability
o fix our stuff ourselves.
nd in the maker community I see no excuse to not follow this path.
__References________________________________________________________
0]: http://thingiverse.com
1]: http://wiki.fablab-nuernberg.de/w/Ding:Leuchtgitter (german only)
2]: gopher://vernunftzentrum.de/0/ckeen/media/repair-manifesto.gif
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