thingiverse isn't scaling well (was Enough with the I crap!) - thingiverse

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Message from discussion thingiverse isn't scaling well (was Enough with the I crap!)
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Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:32:13 -0400
Message-ID: <CAGbCwy5w1Kg1ALw4RvotXU7JM75Eh6Sk7N1ighWTPCo4j+F...@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [thingiverse] thingiverse isn't scaling well (was Enough with the
 I crap!)
From: Dave Menninger <dave.mennin...@gmail.com>
To: thingiverse@googlegroups.com
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I think the Thingiverse community has to ask itself, how would we
react if Thingiverse were as popular as Flickr?  Do we try to look at
every incoming photo on Flickr?  Do we even try to view every "good"
photo on Flickr?  Do we even try to view every "good" photo that is
related to our specific interests?  Do we even look at every photo
uploaded by our close friends?  No, not really.  How do we cope with
Flickr?  How do we still find it to be useful?

What, if any, are the fundamental differences that make design files
different from photos, videos, mp3s, and everything else that has
benefited from digitization and mass distribution online?

Are we trying to keep Thingiverse a community of people that know each
other?  Below Dunbar's number?  Are we trying to put digital making
into the mainstream?

I admit, I still try to view everything that comes along, but I'd
rather see the Newest Things feed turn into an unreadable firehose of
creativity than have design file sharing stay a niche community.

I think Flickr has done a good job of keeping its tagging system
fairly "dumb".  They let the folksonomy do the work.  If there's a
real gem out there that you can't find because of bad tags, oh well,
there's plenty of good stuff that is well tagged.

Here are some alternatives that make Flickr awesome that Thingiverse
doesn't have:  groups, interestingness algorithm, widespread 3rd party
adoption of its robust API.

~Dave

On Sun, Mar 25, 2012 at 10:18 PM, Steven Dick <kg4...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thingiverse has worked well for quite a while now, and the recent changes
> have helped a lot, but I think many people agree that the rate of new thi=
ngs
> is hard too keep up with, and the quality of many of them is questionable=
.
> I don't think it would be a good thing to try to discourage new things;
> instead, I would like to see better filters to help us find quality thing=
s,
> new or otherwise.
>
> Here's a few ideas (not all mine) that might be useful:
>
> 1) Set up a filter for things with fewer than N tags (fewer than 3? 1? ca=
n
> we set this number? or just missing the standard attributes below)=A0 so =
that
> we can use social networking to easily find and tag things that need it.
>
> 2) Set a way to set standard attributes on every part.=A0 For example, we=
 have
> a categories for "3d" parts, "supportless" parts, etc, but not every 3d p=
art
> has that tag, and not every supportless or supported part has those tags
> either.=A0 Standard attributes could be tags or could be a separate item,=
 but
> it should be easy to set these standard attributes, rather than hunting f=
or
> them in the tag list.=A0=A0 These attributes should probably be multiple =
choice,
> rather than just on/off.=A0 For example, here's a few possible attributes=
 /
> scales:
>
> needs support / has support / doesn't need support
> 2d object / flat 3d object / 3d object / software / instruction guide /
> other
> autocad / openscad / blender / other cad programs..
> easy to make on DC extruder cupcake / needs stepper extruder / too big fo=
r
> cupcake /=A0 needs replicator / bigger than replicator
> manifold / not manifold in small ways / unprintable
> one color / two color / multicolor
> joke / toy / useful / tool / replicator part
>
> The idea would be that every thing could be potentially tagged with one t=
ag
> from each of these sets, and there could be an interface to make that eas=
y.
> (Some of them could even be automated.)=A0 Anyone (logged in) should be a=
ble
> to set missing attributes.
>
> 3) set up filters on these standard attributes for object feeds, via
> preferences in accounts, search tools, query parameters in RSS feeds, etc=
.,
> to include things in the stream that either do or do not have the request=
ed
> attributes.=A0 Then people who don't want junk parts can just ask to not =
see
> things that aren't tagged, or not see things that are tagged as jokes, or
> whatever.=A0=A0 With the option to specifically search for them anyway (d=
espite
> account preferences) when we're in the mood to look at jokes or tag poorl=
y
> tagged objects, or whatever.
>
> 4) The existing tag system is pretty good, but the tags are getting to be=
 a
> mess.=A0 There are duplicate differently spelled tags, some things have b=
oth
> spellings, some things have only one or the other spelling, etc..=A0 Also=
,
> there are things tagged with a tag when they shouldn't be, diluting any
> possible meaning of the tag, and only the thing owner can fix that.=A0 Th=
ere
> should be a way of using the social networking of thingiverse to better
> manage tags.=A0 Maybe set up teams of people who can take ownership of a =
tag
> or group of tags and improve the quality.
>
> 5) We had a rating system, but I guess it has gone away.=A0 I think the r=
ating
> system was insufficiently well used to be meaningful anyway.=A0 But we ne=
ed
> some kind of rating system -- something like youtube, so good parts float=
 to
> the top.=A0 Would sorting things by number of downloads be meaningful?
>
> --
> Go visit thingiverse at http://thingiverse.com and stay tuned to the blog=
 at
> http://blog.thingiverse.com.
>
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