attached mail follows:
In a message dated 2/13/99 1:44:07 PM Pacific Standard Time, Steven Pollack,
themissinglink@eznetinc.com writes:
> Creativity is also not widespread.
> There also may be a Kinko-ization of RP. First you may get 500,000
> neighborhood fabbers but eventually they will be bought out and
consolidated. Marketing
> of the end product will cause further centralization. The internet has the
> ability to create 500,000 newspapers, but it has not. Indeed, people like
the
> Drudge Report are internet enabled but you still do not have 500,000 active,
and
> commercially viable publishing houses. Maybe 5,000 if you are generous.
So
> why would a cheap RP bring about any greater proliferation of manufacturers
than
> the internet has of publishers?
When speculating on the potential of digital 3D fabrication technology, please
consider the full impact of 2D digital printing technology. Just think of how
many people use this technology to produce 2D hardcopy, THEN, turn your
attention to the world of 3D objects.
Briefly, a lot of people depend on doing things with their 2D printers which
people wouldn't have dreamed of doing twenty years ago. Sometimes these
things are "creative," sometimes they are not. Sometimes the products are
"high quality," sometimes they are
"rough draft." Some products are meant to sell, or to save, others are
intended to be thrown away after quick review.
An essential characteristic common 2D (digital) printing shares with future
"3D printing," is that the output is tangible "hardcopy." It satisfies real
needs for people who are not entirely happy with "virtual" alternatives.
Without an easy and inexpensive 3D printer to play with, who can reliably
guess the extent of the 3D potential? [Would any of us have predicted the
currently advertised $89 color printer just ten years ago?]
[ Regarding the "control" of digital files, I don't know if there is a good
solution. It'll be interesting to watch the music industry, which may be
forced to deal with similar issues, much sooner. ]
Norm Kinzie
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
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