melfieMarketing Doesn't Work on Nerds
Has anyone been to any kind of convention for nerdy things. Nerds are so captured by the marketing and products being sold that they let it take over their personality and they can’t stop buying junk.
cygnusYeah, this is self-aggrandizement from a group of people who consistently believe they’re smarter and more self-aware than everybody else, when in reality they just lack self-awareness. Nerds will smugly post in this thread as a wall of funk pops and Star Wars slop looms behind them.
I disagree, I don’t fall into the category you stated. My walls are lined with 80s memorabilia and 3d printed things I have created. I reject anything advertised to me and will only purchase tech that I have sought out that meets my needs.
If this irony, good job because I think most people will fall for it.
SemperverusI don’t think it is. I know a few people like this, and im heading in that direction myself. The only kinds of “ads” that work on me are when a number of equally nerdy people I know find a new thing, and they’ve demonstrated that it has helped them with something or they are genuinely enjoying using it. Like 3D printing. Its semi-pointless most of the time but it is a genuinely fun hobby, which when combined with 3D modeling and post-processing skills becomes an actual craft. I didn’t get into it until a good number of people around me did.
80s memorabilia and 3D printers are not exempt form marketing. They are products just like anything else.
3D printers are not exempt form marketing
Case in point: Bambu and Autodesk sponsoring every Youtube maker. (Fuck both Bambu and Autodesk, BTW.)
Wait. I thought bambu made good printers? Why fuck them?
3dprintingindustry.com/…/bambu-lab-controversy-de…
TL;DR: they’re infecting it with (even more) proprietary garbage, which is a slap in the face to a community built on the ethos of the RepRap project. Everything in hobbyist 3D printing – the software, the firmware, and the hardware – is built on open-source designs, and Bambu’s attitude is to take all that and then not give back.
Bambu Lab Controversy Deepens: Firmware Update Sparks Backlash - 3D Printing Industry
3D printer manufacturer Bambu Lab’s newest firmware update for its A- and P-Series 3D printers has ignited backlash within the 3D printing community, with critics accusing the company of reinforcing its already closed ecosystem. Rolled out last week, the update introduces the controversial “Authorization Control” feature—rebranded as a security measure—alongside a new “Developer Mode,” a […]
Ahh shit. Ok so Prusa or Qidi is the way to go? I did some research last night. I’m just entirely new to the whole scene. So I’m a total noob.
I hesitate to actually make a recommendation other than “not Bambu” because I haven’t done a ton of research myself.
- Prusa is possibly the best option in terms of ease of use and ethics, but I’m too cheap to stomach their prices (YMMV).
- Sovol proudly advertises the fact that their stuff is based on Voron open source designs, so that’s good.
- DIYing a Voron is what I might suggest if you weren’t so new (and what might be my next printer).
- Creality, Elegoo and Anycubic are sort of the leaders among generic Chinese brands that implement open source designs but don’t really champion it or give back, but also don’t try to screw the community. IMO they’re good options if you’re more price conscious, like I am.
- I have literally never heard of Qidi until reading your comme
I personally own a Creality Ender 3 V3 SE (that I got on open-box discount from Microcenter for <$150, BTW) which used to be considered the best entry-level printer but now seems to be getting less recommended as newer competitors come out? I’m not sure what I’m missing out on, TBH, other than obvious higher-end performance features that would move a printer out of that market segment. Any ease-of-use features it lacks can be fixed by hooking a Raspberry Pi running Octoprint to it, but I don’t mind enough to bother. (I also own an old Monoprice Select Mini, but that’s not relevant in 2025 and I only mention it to say that the Ender wasn’t my first printer.)
I think the Ender V3 SE is a fine choice if you’re just getting started, unless you want to spend a bunch more money (either to get capabilities like large print volume, a heated chamber for exotic filaments, or multi-color, or to pay a premium to support a brand that gives back to the community).
They’re not exempt from marketing. I am. I only use proof-of-use from those around me.