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Ewloe, United Kingdom
Writing, tweeting, debating and occasionally getting a little over-excited about 3D Printing. But always aiming to keep it real!

Wednesday 7 November 2012

3D Printing Avarice


Been a while since I was here, but just need to vent so please bear with!

Read this earlier and it made me grumpy.

The suggestive bias made me cross not to mention that there are plenty of questions, there is no new information and definitely no answers.

I think it is safe for us all to assume today that 3D Printing is here, that the sector is going to grow significantly, that there are business opportunities available with money to be made and that there are many, many applications of the technology that have not been thought of yet. Some of these applications will be for the benefit of many and some will be to the detriment of a few, personally I still think there is a killer app to come that will prove to be the tipping point. It is all going to play out one way or another, but it’s getting harder to swallow the financial predictions, which once upon a time I saw as a positive indicator. I suppose they still are, but these days they just serve to wind me up because it just whiffs of greed!

Does your heart soar or sink when you read that the market will be worth x billions in 5 years or xx billions in 10 years etc? The articles are cynically directed at VCs and similar, trying to get their attention, bring it all about faster than it otherwise might.

No one actually knows.  

And really, apart from the greedy, who cares?

I much prefer stories that centralise 3D printing people and/or applications and/or innovation, but that’s just me.

I know money makes the world go round. I know I can't change/stop it. I know this type of post makes very little difference. But, saying it out loud does just make me feel a little bit better! 

On a happier note – I have started my Christmas shopping and most of my f&f are getting 3D printed gifts this year :-)