""I know you love to post this sort of stuff all over the forum," Good, at least one of us is clear of my motives. Of the few posts I've made the entire week I've been checking out this forum, which stuff are you referring to specifically?
""but the community is much bigger than 3DR. "" As if I don't know this.
""And if 3DR stops contributing then that's a loss to the community, but it's not the destruction of the community."" I disagree, a community without perversion is not a community I would wish to associate with.
""Do we want control over the landing page? Not really the kind of thing I think most people here concern themselves with."" So I've heard as much from at least one--there is only so much real estate on the tabs, & that is best left to professional editors who like that sort of trivia. I see as the community spokesperson you have a clear understanding of the concerns of all. Perhaps you would like to apply for the "community manager" position I see is now being offered up for sale to facilitate in the consolidation of our views.
Why fork this code? Makes more sense to start fresh with the PX4 & port those parts which that code lacks.
I know you love to post this sort of stuff all over the forum, but the community is much bigger than 3DR. The source code is out there. If 3DR takes it in a direction the community doesn't like (or you don't like), it can be forked. And if 3DR stops contributing then that's a loss to the community, but it's not the destruction of the community.
Do we want control over the landing page? Not really the kind of thing I think most people here concern themselves with. The blog posts come from a wide variety of people, most of them not 3DR staff, and I think that's great.
I remember of another control " Lfmc Rabbit Flight Control" It's said, copy MWC code in 32bit platform. But most Chinese don't care this, just keep bought "Rabbit", too sad.
Or 3. Juice your community for everything they are worth & proceed to throw them under the bus & treat em like a herd of muppets in a trance. From what I am seeing, it appears that has already happened. Are you missing the part about org charts & no involvement with decision processes for anything of significance, including technical architecture, & landing page/"storefront"?
Look its business at the end of the day, I expected it and I have been a part of the DIYDRONES community since it started. Chris and Jordi are stand up guys, and if this becomes like Makerbot I think a lot of us are prepared. My hope is it doesn't go down that particular path, but as VC goes - there is always a HUGE expectation when the rounds are in the 5million range, so I expect the VCs want a good return on the infusion.
I think the path could go as follows:
1. Maintain the OpenPlatform APM as is ---> give back to the community that got you where you are. Innovate and continue growing the platform in the future so the community feels there is a return longterm on their investment in it.
2. Kickoff new RTF and RTW products for profit, based on APM but more advanced with a lot more ability, industry standard, supported and pushed out to different vertical and segments depending on need and area of interest i.e. DoD, Ag, RealEstate, AerialPhotog, RC Hobbiest....etc..etc.... Differentiate these to be for the person who doesn't want the DIY headaches, ready to go, little config required and easy to use. The NAZA next generation, assuming they can match what DJI has done or exceed in regards to reputation and confidence which today APM just doesn't have yet, not because it couldn't but because its just not there yet.
This will allow them to continue the open community which I know Chris and Jordi are thankful for while at the same time moving forward with true commercial grade and hobbiest capable platform that will ultimately bring home the bacon$$$$$ for them business wise.
Drone, Interesting, Sort of like Shark Tank. Still the same old story, I've got to admit, benign seems unlikely.
They do claim to be public spirited entrepreneurs but I do sense teeth with blood on them.
Iv'e worked for a lot of small companies funded by this sort of thing before, what always seems to happen is that eventually they own the Company, they control the Company and the people who started it all are either gone or salaried employees.
There are the people with brains and then there are the people who buy the people with the brains.
@gary "a commercial enterprise primarily aimed at bot servicing and assisting this effort and that is largely what 3DRobotics is" Evidently, you've never had your bot serviced by a 5 million dollar bank bond. Brace yourself.
You make great points, and In a perfect world maybe full transparency would exist. I have learned long ago that full transparency is a dream, not a reality. Not that I am happy with that, but Human nature is Human nature.
OpenSource dreams of full transparency, but as we all know many of the best intended OpenSource project ClosedSource as soon as the BIG Money started rolling in. I mean look at the 3D printer Makerbot, great example of something with the best intentions, but as soon as the $$$$$ were thrown around man did that change quick!
I work in OS development, and I can tell you even Ubuntu the supposed opensource forever Linux distro is in a transition day after day of looking more like a profit center and not a non-profit. So to me, even those with the BEST intention eventually go to the Dark Side Anakin ;)
I donate what I do here as well, but there really is great benefit of having a commercial enterprise primarily aimed at bot servicing and assisting this effort and that is largely what 3DRobotics is. And they have done a really good job for all of us. In a perfect world we could possibly get by without paid commercial interests.
But the world isn't perfect and what we have is working remarkably well.
That said, it is open source and I buy Chinese stuff too, lots of it.
But don't knock 3DR for being a business and occasionally if it doesn't make much difference choose to buy from them because they actually do help glue this community together and without them it truly would be a devastating loss.
They aren't saying don't buy Chinese, they don't even really comment on it, so your choice as a member of the DIY community I am just telling you how I feel about it.
Comments
""I know you love to post this sort of stuff all over the forum,"
Good, at least one of us is clear of my motives. Of the few posts I've made the entire week I've been checking out this forum, which stuff are you referring to specifically?
""but the community is much bigger than 3DR. ""
As if I don't know this.
""And if 3DR stops contributing then that's a loss to the community, but it's not the destruction of the community.""
I disagree, a community without perversion is not a community I would wish to associate with.
""Do we want control over the landing page? Not really the kind of thing I think most people here concern themselves with.""
So I've heard as much from at least one--there is only so much real estate on the tabs, & that is best left to professional editors who like that sort of trivia. I see as the community spokesperson you have a clear understanding of the concerns of all. Perhaps you would like to apply for the "community manager" position I see is now being offered up for sale to facilitate in the consolidation of our views.
Why fork this code? Makes more sense to start fresh with the PX4 & port those parts which that code lacks.
I know you love to post this sort of stuff all over the forum, but the community is much bigger than 3DR. The source code is out there. If 3DR takes it in a direction the community doesn't like (or you don't like), it can be forked. And if 3DR stops contributing then that's a loss to the community, but it's not the destruction of the community.
Do we want control over the landing page? Not really the kind of thing I think most people here concern themselves with. The blog posts come from a wide variety of people, most of them not 3DR staff, and I think that's great.
have been using this board since it was available.... its superb... i will buy many.
china...again...
That's real too bad...
I remember of another control " Lfmc Rabbit Flight Control" It's said, copy MWC code in 32bit platform. But most Chinese don't care this, just keep bought "Rabbit", too sad.
Or 3. Juice your community for everything they are worth & proceed to throw them under the bus & treat em like a herd of muppets in a trance. From what I am seeing, it appears that has already happened. Are you missing the part about org charts & no involvement with decision processes for anything of significance, including technical architecture, & landing page/"storefront"?
I throw the bone, drone catches it :)
Look its business at the end of the day, I expected it and I have been a part of the DIYDRONES community since it started. Chris and Jordi are stand up guys, and if this becomes like Makerbot I think a lot of us are prepared. My hope is it doesn't go down that particular path, but as VC goes - there is always a HUGE expectation when the rounds are in the 5million range, so I expect the VCs want a good return on the infusion.
I think the path could go as follows:
1. Maintain the OpenPlatform APM as is ---> give back to the community that got you where you are. Innovate and continue growing the platform in the future so the community feels there is a return longterm on their investment in it.
2. Kickoff new RTF and RTW products for profit, based on APM but more advanced with a lot more ability, industry standard, supported and pushed out to different vertical and segments depending on need and area of interest i.e. DoD, Ag, RealEstate, AerialPhotog, RC Hobbiest....etc..etc.... Differentiate these to be for the person who doesn't want the DIY headaches, ready to go, little config required and easy to use. The NAZA next generation, assuming they can match what DJI has done or exceed in regards to reputation and confidence which today APM just doesn't have yet, not because it couldn't but because its just not there yet.
This will allow them to continue the open community which I know Chris and Jordi are thankful for while at the same time moving forward with true commercial grade and hobbiest capable platform that will ultimately bring home the bacon$$$$$ for them business wise.
A man can dream ;)
Drone, Interesting, Sort of like Shark Tank. Still the same old story, I've got to admit, benign seems unlikely.
They do claim to be public spirited entrepreneurs but I do sense teeth with blood on them.
Iv'e worked for a lot of small companies funded by this sort of thing before, what always seems to happen is that eventually they own the Company, they control the Company and the people who started it all are either gone or salaried employees.
There are the people with brains and then there are the people who buy the people with the brains.
Sincerely hope that doesn't happen here.
@gary
"a commercial enterprise primarily aimed at bot servicing and assisting this effort and that is largely what 3DRobotics is"
Evidently, you've never had your bot serviced by a 5 million dollar bank bond. Brace yourself.
@F1P,
You make great points, and In a perfect world maybe full transparency would exist. I have learned long ago that full transparency is a dream, not a reality. Not that I am happy with that, but Human nature is Human nature.
OpenSource dreams of full transparency, but as we all know many of the best intended OpenSource project ClosedSource as soon as the BIG Money started rolling in. I mean look at the 3D printer Makerbot, great example of something with the best intentions, but as soon as the $$$$$ were thrown around man did that change quick!
I work in OS development, and I can tell you even Ubuntu the supposed opensource forever Linux distro is in a transition day after day of looking more like a profit center and not a non-profit. So to me, even those with the BEST intention eventually go to the Dark Side Anakin ;)
I donate what I do here as well, but there really is great benefit of having a commercial enterprise primarily aimed at bot servicing and assisting this effort and that is largely what 3DRobotics is. And they have done a really good job for all of us. In a perfect world we could possibly get by without paid commercial interests.
But the world isn't perfect and what we have is working remarkably well.
That said, it is open source and I buy Chinese stuff too, lots of it.
But don't knock 3DR for being a business and occasionally if it doesn't make much difference choose to buy from them because they actually do help glue this community together and without them it truly would be a devastating loss.
They aren't saying don't buy Chinese, they don't even really comment on it, so your choice as a member of the DIY community I am just telling you how I feel about it.
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