Aleph Objects Rocks!

For a few days now, I’ve been meaning to post an update here on the general state of this experiment. This afternoon, I received a nudge in that direction in the form of a very generous donation from Aleph Objects, makers of open source LulzBot 3D Printers! Thanks so much!

For the last week or so I had been considering reducing the time spent on this stuff, as the numbers just weren’t adding up. Now though, it’s clear that I can keep at it for a while longer!

With that in mind, a few thoughts about the experiment so far, in no particular order:

• The sense of accomplishment that goes with a commit to an open source project is amazing! Open Source gives a real sense of connection with the customer, and there can be an aspect of instant gratification too since it’s so easy to share changes.
• Although I really like my somewhat-outdated MacBook Pro, laptops aren’t the best ergonomically for all day work. So, I intend to arrange a better workspace, starting with a regular desktop monitor (which I suppose implies a desk!).
• Keeping abreast of the FreeCAD forum, and updating this blog, takes quite a lot of time! For some reason though, it still feels a bit weird to admit to spending time on work-related online reading, posting, etc. In a regular job I wouldn’t think twice about accounting for equivalent time spent in meetings or on conference calls, but for some reason the OSS equivalent doesn’t feel the same.
• Especially considering how little effort I’ve put in to publicity of this project, I think this is a viable way to spend a few weeks/months in a productive and fulfilling way. That said, I do need to find a Real Job, and it’s hard to get motivated to work on that while I’ve got so much other fun stuff to do! Fortunately, things on that front are still moving forward, stay tuned.
• I’ve mentioned the Dunedin maker space, DSPACE, on here only briefly. It’s a great resource, and I’m hoping to get a bit more involved with that as the Drawing workbench gets a little more wrapped up. There are a few 3D printers available at DSPACE, so I’m hoping to get a bit more hands-on experience with drawing up parts in FreeCAD to be printed on them.
• Getting back to the Aleph Objects donation – as a former Boulderite, I’m super proud of the Colorado tech scene! Thanks guys!