Bambu Lab has introduced some rather interesting requirements for print profile contributions to MakerWorld.
MakerWorld is the company’s integrated repository of 3D models, competing with Thingiverse, Printables and others. While contributors upload 3D models, they also often include print profiles optimized for specific models or situations.
In a sudden email, Bambu Lab wrote:
“We’re writing to inform you of an important update to our Print Profile guidelines. As you know, MakerWorld is committed to providing a high-quality platform for 3D printing enthusiasts. In response to valuable feedback from our community, we have enhanced our Print Profile guidelines to ensure that all profiles meet our stringent quality standards.”
And:
“To avoid having your Print Profiles reported and removed, please review your existing profiles and make any necessary adjustments by October 9th.”
Hold on, what exactly are these standards? Bambu Lab has published a new set of standards in their Wiki, which cover these aspects of print profiles:
- Imagery: Profiles MUST include at least on image of a print made with the profile
- Naming: Profile names MUST reflect the “main features” of the profile for easier searching
- Quality: Profiles should be carefully crafted and tested
- Variants: Must be placed on separate plates to avoid confusion
This all makes sense, but it suggests that MakerWorld has had problems with these aspects from previously uploaded profiles. In fact, they actually list “prohibited practices” for print profiles:
- Uploading a print profile with obvious quality issues
- Mismatch between the 3mf file, title, description, or parent model
- Uploading print profiles repeatedly
- Uploading multiple print profiles for compatible printer models
- Only changing the filaments or build plate type in a new profile
- Making copies of the model unnecessarily
- Single-color version for multi-color models
- Splitting a model into multiple print profiles for uploading
- Print Profile names must comply with naming conventions
Evidently Bambu Lab is encountering the same problems that plague any service that relies on user contributions: there is a lot of crap to deal with. There’s really no way to avoid this stuff, it’s going to appear and the only approach is to set some policies.
That seems to be what Bambu Lab is doing here. They’re not editing or fixing the profiles, that would be nearly impossible. Instead they set up some policies that allow them to eject low-quality contributions.
The phrase “reported and removed” suggests Bambu Lab will implement some kind of system in which MakerWorld visitors can report violators as they are encountered. That will probably work, at least until the reporting system itself is abused. There’s no easy way to run this type of service.
Bambu Lab faces these complications because they’re running a site with user contributed content, but they seem to be taking the correct steps here.
October 9th should be interesting.
Via MakerWorld
