

Open-source plans for a low-cost CNC mill - motters
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chrisreilly/diylilcnc-20-open-source-plans-for-a-low-cost-cnc?ref=card

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enko
I am beginning to feel like kickstarter.com is one of the most important
websites of the decade. I love how it basically solves the organisation
problem for open source projects requiring capital up front. It gives me great
pleasure to throw $10 or $20 into the pot of some of these projects; not only
because I feel it's generally the right thing to do but also because of the
giddy possibility that one of them could turn out to be, well, the internet of
the physical world, the democratising tool that changed everything.

I don't have the time or, frankly, the space to build my own CNC machine right
now but damn I'd like to have one one day. Projects like this (there are many
more of course) make it possible so I have nothing but thanks. And thanks to
kickstarter too, for fulfilling this huge need.

I also like looking at the profiles of the other backers of a project and
seeing what else they supported. There are a decent number of people there who
are really pouring money into open source hardware projects; it's exciting and
has a real Homebrew Computer Club feel to it. Wonder who's going to be Apple.

* I have no connection with this project, have not even donated yet, just love to see this emerging trend/capability/paradigm shift ..

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FrojoS
Yes. In my mind kickstarter.com is also the solution to the intelectual
property problem. How can, knowledge workers, for instance musicians, earn
money in the 21. century? Simple, charge upfront before publishing.

Imagine a popular band like U2 would ask for the money, they expect from their
next album, upfront. I think, their fans, including me, would do what ever it
takes to raise that money together. Et voila, you can still become rich as
musician without mega concerts or a police state.

I've been talking about this solution with my friends for years. We never made
it happen. Now kickstarter.com is here. But I'm still waiting for a large
adaptation in the music or game industry. Is it just a question of time and
promotion or am I'm overlooking something important?

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rosser
I don't know if it's necessarily something you're _overlooking_ , but the
Diaspora situation likely had something of a cooling effect (as opposed to a
chilling effect) on funding software projects through sites like Kickstarter.
They sucked up gobs of money and have so far woefully under-delivered.

I've kicked a few bucks (or more) at a project or two through Kickstarter and
similar sites (the recent $500 3D printer drive on IndieGoGo [0], for example,
and somewhat apropos the linked project), but always with the expectation of
receiving something tangible, even if it's just a t-shirt or the like.

Most likely, the thing keeping people from doing it more is the lack of
successful examples. If a project or two can get funded, and deliver, the
model would probably take off beyond anyone's expectations. Until then,
though, the only example I can think of is Diaspora, and that's left a pretty
bad taste in a lot of peoples' mouths.

[0] <http://www.indiegogo.com/eMAKER-Huxley-3D-printer-kits>

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FrojoS
Thanks. I think this is exactly the problem. We need the big, well respected
names to use kickstater. The people, that we know can deliver quality.

Say Linus Torvald would come up with another great idea like GIT. I would try
hard to collect whatever money it takes to make him start working on it.

