Absolut Downloads: It Is Already Happening at Ponoko
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.20.07
While we talk about the promise of downloadable designs, it in fact is already happening, Ponoko (previously on TreeHugger here) does it all: designers can upload their flatpack designs, purchasers can buy them and shops are hired to laser-cut them out. They call it "the world's first personal manufacturing platform. It's the online space for a community of creators and consumers to use a global network of digital manufacturing hardware to co-create, make and trade individualized product ideas on demand."
You can download the wine rack shown above as an example of how it works. ::Ponoko and ::In An Absolut World Everything is Downloadable
You talk about downloadable designs like it is a good thing? What is wrong with you people? All it does is make consumption cheaper and easier further degrading the environment! Just because the finished material is not shipped the raw materials still have to be shipped. THINK PEOPLE!
Hi there. While I understand your comments, don't necessarily agree. As at present mass consumption is based on mass production - a lot of which isn't necessarily 'consumed' per se, but is often shipped, stored, and then wasted. So this gives the ability to purchase one-offs - and doesn't just lessen the shipping (true, raw materials do sometimes have to be shipped - but they have to be shipped to the factories where they're mass produced as well, so it's about lessening at least a part of the process) but also the factory storage costs etc. Totally understand your point, but believe it is about opening up the possibilities of lessening so many other things as well. Cheers, Nic, Ponoko.