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Bambu Lab is abusing the open source social contract

jeffgeerling.com

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Re: Bambu Lab is abusing the open source social contract

#361

Post by guax »

techknight wrote: post #205

There are many valid criticisms one can make about Bambu Lab, but the constant overreactions to everything they do is so tiring. Somebody at their company saw a fork with their own company name on it, impersonating their own client auth code, and sent a C&D. The receiver of the C&D should see a lawyer about what changes or user-facing messages might get Bambu to back off. This is a normal, solvable business disagreem…

> Somebody at their company saw a fork with their own company name on it, impersonating their own client auth code, and sent a C&D.

I would doubt this is the case, Orca Slicer exists since 2022 and is very popular. This is not a "somebody just noticed a thing" situation.

Re: Bambu Lab is abusing the open source social contract

#362

Post by hsuduebc2 »

derekp7 wrote: post #123
hsuduebc2 wrote: post #42

To me, this looks like state pressure rather than a normal business decision. I cannot see a convincing reason for it otherwise. If these printers are used in professional settings, users may be unknowingly sending prototypes, designs, and internal project data to China. That kind of access would be extremely valuable, especially if the company can identify the buyer, their location, and their field of work. Given th…

Don't forget that you are having the cloud hosted services generate and send executable code to a device inside your corporate firewall. I can see all kinds of potential issues corporate security would have just based on that fact alone.

Oh, I wasn't aware of that. I knew that it would by possible by sole fact that you have computer with network interface attached as a printer but I didn't know it have mechanism exactly for this purpose.

Re: Bambu Lab is abusing the open source social contract

#363

Post by hsuduebc2 »

bredren wrote: post #118
hsuduebc2 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This feels like pressure from the state. I do not see why they would do this otherwise. If people use these printers at work, they may be willingly sending prototypes and designs to China. That would create a huge advantage, because the company could know who bought the printer, where they are located, and what they are working on. Since Chinese companies are required to comply with the government, corporate espionag…

It also enables a similar model to Facebook's insight into third party mobile app growth. The state could look for early growth trends in a given category or model type. Then their org has the option to burnish or bury models that align with their goals.

Pretty much. It's so blatant obvious severe security risk for anyone who is not perceiving computers as black box magic device.

Re: Bambu Lab is abusing the open source social contract

#364

Post by xp84 »

15155 wrote: post #355
xp84 wrote: post #268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Though I'm not OP, I will say that it seems like there are two brands that mostly have the market cornered. Chamberlain/Liftmaster/MyQ is all the same company; they are a gross company that hates the idea of giving you control over your device. Zero LAN control story, Zero Homekit story, zero Home Assistant and no possibility of any of these. Genie - whose "app" thing is called Aladdin Connect is the other one. There…

> no possibility of any of these. Except, you know, a UART? https://ratcloud.llc/

Please read my comment again - I mentioned RatGDO and literally own one. My point was that there's no possibility Chamberlain would ever give you any of these things in the built-in Wi-Fi-connected hardware you've already paid them for.

It is unfortunate to reward those weasels for their bad behavior by buying their device, even if one substitutes their own "brain" and never uses MyQ. But yeah, that may be the only practical option.

Re: Bambu Lab is abusing the open source social contract

#365

Post by m4rtink »

dzhiurgis wrote: post #357
m4rtink wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given how I'm not sure there are 2D printers that really "just work" and don't throw opaque hard to track down errors at random - I actually like open 3D printers that do break, but you can be sure any issue is fixable & you will learn something new in the process. :)

I know it's popular to shit on 2D printers, but other than very often being very slow and running out of ink (or rubber rollers hardening after 20 years of use) - I actually didn't have any issues with them? But then I actually didn't really use them for 20 years either.

My main issues:

* one day remote printing no longer works, you need to set it up again or even get into prolonged debugging session

* remote printing works one ane device but not other

* one color toner cartridge on a color laser printer is empty or near empty, printer refuses to print without all manners of overrides on the local control panel, making it unusable for non-technical users

Well, the last point is basically sabotage by the manufacturer to make you buy more stuff, as it can print B/W perfectly fine or with slighly less quality until that one cartridge is replaced. But I guess that kinda proves my original point. :)

Re: Bambu Lab is abusing the open source social contract

#366

Post by wolvoleo »

Arch-TK wrote: post #326
wolvoleo wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think Prusa and Bambu compare well. Prusa printers aren't as cleanly designed as Bambu and they are more than twice the price. I consider them really poor value for money. And Bambu printers aren't clones. The AMS is something they came up with. Also, Prusa copy from Bambu too. Like their own material switcher (much less sophisticated than the AMS) and the new Core printer is really more a Bambu copy than the…

No idea about the filament swirchers, but calling core XY designs bambu clones is really funny. The core XY design that all manufacturers are now centering around has been around long before Bambu existed as a company.

The technical design maybe but they all look like bambu P1/X1 in terms of design.

Re: Bambu Lab is abusing the open source social contract

#367

Post by serf »

kn100 wrote: post #30

Full disclosure: I've never owned a Bambu because I've never loved the idea of a "closed" ecosystem 3D printer, however I have used them, and am very familiar with the 3d printing space beyond Bambu. For anyone considering alternatives: You should know that almost all other 3D printers expect you to know a little more about how they actually work than Bambus. Bambus are as close as you can get to a "just works" type…

>They're an excellent company, and the complete opposite of Bambu when it comes to Openness.

not really -- but there ARE total open printers out there. voron and ratrig come to mind.

prusa decided to change a lot of ethics once they became 'big'.[0]

[0]: https://blog.prusa3d.com/the-state-of-open-source-in-3d-prin...

Re: Bambu Lab is abusing the open source social contract

#369

Post by dsunds »

I'll play devil's advocate. What is Bambu Lab's motivation to provide lifetime free cloud services for a onetime revenue transaction? They could demand a subscription. But they probably know for casual users this would be unwelcome. They could seek to monetize via other means like ads or cross and up-sell. Third party clients are a risk to these.

I don't see the ground the OSS community are standing on to demand Bambu provide free services.

Re: Bambu Lab is abusing the open source social contract

#370

Post by kalleboo »

dsunds wrote: post #369

I'll play devil's advocate. What is Bambu Lab's motivation to provide lifetime free cloud services for a onetime revenue transaction? They could demand a subscription. But they probably know for casual users this would be unwelcome. They could seek to monetize via other means like ads or cross and up-sell. Third party clients are a risk to these. I don't see the ground the OSS community are standing on to demand Bamb…

If they don't want to provide free cloud services in perpetuity they could make their 3D printers work offline without restrictions.
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