I am looking for partners to form an open source manufacturing startup. The goal is to build a fiscally sustainable and socially responsible manufacturing company that will provide a nurturing workplace and give back to other open source/non-profit projects. What we manufacture is not as important as how we manufacture because we will rely on open source software and the open source model of fiscal and intellectual transparency. This way the end users will know exactly what they are buying.
I want an alternative to products, though beautifully made, are shrouded in secrecy and made by people who are deliberately kept from learning and expressing their views. I can see the benefits of globalization and free trade, but with the rise of authoritarian capitalism I don't know if the current model of manufacturing can lead to a freer world.. True, cheaper consumer products do empower the masses but if cheaper products made in authoritarian countries means higher unemployment in democratic countries that strengthen the hands of the few who profits and better arms the few who rules, I don't know if that is a net positive for those of us who cares about freedom.
Right now the startup is just a concept with some machines and a small space at www.tux-lab.com. I think there are enough equipment to help get us started. On my own, progress has been slow and it's going to be a long journey. I'm still in the learning phase of just about everything from FreeCAD, to python, to Ruby/Rails, to machining and welding. Eventually every keyword for this group, open source manufacturing, engineering, automation, abundance, post-scarcity, open source distribution / transport, CAD, CAM, CAE, mechanical, open source hardware design, will apply.
The first stage will mostly be learning the various open source software and basic fabrication techniques. We'll start with simple products and with every iteration we will build our products bigger and better. Along the way we'll formulate our marketing plans and build our own automation and robotic tools. As we progress we will start filling in the details.
Anyway, if anyone is interested in forming an open source manufacturing startup, please let me know. There are some physical limitations due to fact that the space is located in Los Angeles, but I look forward to a multinational open source conglomerate :)
On Tuesday, March 27, 2012 11:50:16 PM UTC-3, Tux Lab wrote:
> I am looking for partners to form an open source manufacturing > startup. The goal is to build a fiscally sustainable and socially > responsible manufacturing company that will provide a nurturing > workplace and give back to other open source/non-profit projects. > What we manufacture is not as important as how we manufacture because > we will rely on open source software and the open source model of > fiscal and intellectual transparency. This way the end users will > know exactly what they are buying.
> I want an alternative to products, though beautifully made, are > shrouded in secrecy and made by people who are deliberately kept from > learning and expressing their views. I can see the benefits of > globalization and free trade, but with the rise of authoritarian > capitalism I don't know if the current model of manufacturing can lead > to a freer world.. True, cheaper consumer products do empower the > masses but if cheaper products made in authoritarian countries means > higher unemployment in democratic countries that strengthen the hands > of the few who profits and better arms the few who rules, I don't know > if that is a net positive for those of us who cares about freedom.
> Right now the startup is just a concept with some machines and a small > space at www.tux-lab.com. I think there are enough equipment to help > get us started. On my own, progress has been slow and it's going to > be a long journey. I'm still in the learning phase of just about > everything from FreeCAD, to python, to Ruby/Rails, to machining and > welding. Eventually every keyword for this group, open source > manufacturing, engineering, automation, abundance, post-scarcity, open > source distribution / transport, CAD, CAM, CAE, mechanical, open > source hardware design, will apply.
> The first stage will mostly be learning the various open source > software and basic fabrication techniques. We'll start with simple > products and with every iteration we will build our products bigger > and better. Along the way we'll formulate our marketing plans and > build our own automation and robotic tools. As we progress we will > start filling in the details.
> Anyway, if anyone is interested in forming an open source > manufacturing startup, please let me know. There are some physical > limitations due to fact that the space is located in Los Angeles, but > I look forward to a multinational open source conglomerate :)
While I am interested in helping out...I would need to learn how to
design with CAD/FreeCAD and program in python and Ruby/Rails....Oh
also I take issue to your usage of the phrase "authoritarian
capitalism" there is nothing authoritarian about true capitalism,
which has been very much perverted by the governments of the world.
But enough about that. Do you know any good places where I could learn
the skills I mentioned, FreeCAD, as well as programming in python and
Ruby/Rails, for free?
> While I am interested in helping out...I would need to learn how to > design with CAD/FreeCAD and program in python and Ruby/Rails....Oh > also I take issue to your usage of the phrase "authoritarian > capitalism" there is nothing authoritarian about true capitalism, > which has been very much perverted by the governments of the world. > But enough about that. Do you know any good places where I could learn > the skills I mentioned, FreeCAD, as well as programming in python and > Ruby/Rails, for free?
> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Open Manufacturing" group. > To post to this group, send email to openmanufacturing@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > openmanufacturing+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/openmanufacturing?hl=en.
For FreeCAD, you will want to run a stable version and a developmental version. This way you can use the latest features, ie arc to arc tangent, while still have a fallback in case the developmental version breaks. . which can and will happen.
Ruby/Rails has a pretty good book, Agile Web Development with Rails. That's the book I used to learn rails a few year ago. It has enough to get you started building your own website which is great learning process, you can probably find a copy in your local library. Or, there are various online resources, just pick one and start building your website.
Python, udacity has a class, open sourseware has a class as well. Both are free.
It may take a while to get everything setup on your system, hopefully some version of linux. Once you get everything setup, it's just practice and more practice. I'm fairly lazy so I have a hard time sitting through lectures. I usually learn by tackling some project that sort forces me to seek for answers and that sort of help me with the learning process.
Authoritarian capitalism is just one type of capitalism and there are no "true" capitalism because "true" capitalism is like id on steroid. I'm an "open source" capitalist because I believe free market and transparency should be mutually inclusive.
> While I am interested in helping out...I would need to learn how to > design with CAD/FreeCAD and program in python and Ruby/Rails....Oh > also I take issue to your usage of the phrase "authoritarian > capitalism" there is nothing authoritarian about true capitalism, > which has been very much perverted by the governments of the world. > But enough about that. Do you know any good places where I could learn > the skills I mentioned, FreeCAD, as well as programming in python and > Ruby/Rails, for free?
> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Open Manufacturing" group. > To post to this group, send email to openmanufacturing@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > openmanufacturing+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/openmanufacturing?hl=en.
