Kyle DavisDec 19, 2024

I have a theory about people who develop software.

Let's say you got a lego kit when you were a kid.
Did you follow the instructions to build the kit or just use the bits for your own purpose?

EDIT: so, a lot of you have said things like 'followed the instructions once - how do I answers?' I guess answer what motivated you to want the lego set in the first place: the model (i.e. following instructions) or the bits.

Not a developer: followed instructions
15.4%
Not a developer: used the bits for own purpose.
4.6%
Developer: followed instructions
47.7%
Developer: used the bits for own purpose.
32.3%
Poll ended at .
Show threadPaul Turnbull has moved.🇨🇦Dec 19, 2024

@linux_mclinuxface I seem to remember doing some kits when I was a kid but mostly I just had a giant bucket of lego I used to build what I wanted. So, yes a followed the instructions at least once but after that I likely built what I wanted.

So my answer would be "Developer: followed instructions at least once, then built what I wanted”

Show threadMegDec 19, 2024
@Chigaze @linux_mclinuxface yeah same for me.
Show threadAmelia Bellamy-Royds Dec 19, 2024

@megmac @Chigaze @linux_mclinuxface I don't think I ever had Lego kits (there were some bought for my older sister, but it was all a big bin by my time), but I personally find it sad that Lego seems to have turned into 3D jigsaw puzzle kits instead of free-form creativity tools.

Like, I understand why the company wants it that way: They want you to buy more for each project instead of re-using pieces. But it's not the same.

Show threadKyle Davis

@AmeliasBrain @megmac @Chigaze it’s also easier for them to do licensed stuff: if they make a Star Wars kit they can sell to Lego and Star Wars geeks.

Can’t do that with just bits.

Dec 19, 2024 at 10:27pmWeb
Show threadPaul Turnbull has moved.🇨🇦Dec 19, 2024
@linux_mclinuxface @AmeliasBrain @megmac To be fair while their front line marketing is the kits you can still by straight blocks of all types. I know a number of people with large block collections.
Show threadKyle DavisDec 19, 2024

@Chigaze @AmeliasBrain @megmac very true. The kits are just so much more marketable and marketed.

To put it another way: A bucket of bricks is something you buy for yourself, a kit is something someone buys for you.

Show threadMegDec 19, 2024

@linux_mclinuxface @Chigaze @AmeliasBrain I definitely mostly got kits when I was a kid but to be honest Lego wasn't my biggest "building block toy." I was actually way more into Construx (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construx), and a lot more of my freestyle building was with those (though they were also kits). It kinda seems like, even aside from the bigger emphasis on branded stuff, there's also a big loss of variety of this kind of alternative building toy.

Either way when I was a kid I don't think most of the kits were branded ones. They were mostly just generic space ships and castles and towns. I kinda wonder if that also still felt more freeform-able since "Lego Millennium Falcon" feels a lot more shelf worthy than "Lego Space Ship no.204".

Construx - Wikipedia

Show threadKyle DavisDec 20, 2024

@megmac @Chigaze @AmeliasBrain oh man, I had some construx but were definitely a lego family. I recall building rather gigantic swords with construx. We’d fight with them and they fall to bits in a satisfying crunch upon impact.

We also had quite a few Capsela as well but I understand that was rather obscure.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsela

Capsela - Wikipedia

Show threadMegDec 20, 2024
@linux_mclinuxface @Chigaze @AmeliasBrain definitely one of the best things about construx was how you could build really big, but fairly stable, things. I mostly made space ships lol.
Show threadDaveography 🇨🇦Dec 20, 2024

@megmac @linux_mclinuxface @Chigaze @AmeliasBrain

Oh, wow, Construx! I had a bunch of those, too, I'd totally forgotten about them. Yeah, they were amazing for building large, stable structures.

My Lego collection was mostly space-themed, too, and I did build to the instructions first and then later mix and match to build my own stuff.

I don't remember being particularly creative, though, and often rebuilt the kits a few times.

Show threadDaveography 🇨🇦Dec 20, 2024

@Chigaze @linux_mclinuxface @AmeliasBrain @megmac

There are still a lot of current Lego series that are unbranded and easy to remix into new creations, like the City series, Architecture series, and of course Technic.