This idea is not bad, yes.
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Users who most likely use boost tokens are probably the same ones who provide ratings and comments. If tokens are only given to such “active” users, then the percentage of tokens being used may not be too bad once they get familiar with it.
But such users are only a small percentage of all users, so the boost system as is may not be enough to “reallocate” enough rewards to models that are good quality but less popular due to niche or complexity.
Here’s a suggestion:
MW sets aside a certain amount of money for tokens, regardless if enough users are active enough to have all the tokens distributed.
Then any left-over tokens (tokens that have not been distributed) and all expired tokens are rewarded to models base on a quality ranking or score that MW developed internally. For example, assiging different weights to the number of likes and the rating models received to come up with a total score or ranking.
MW can iterate thorugh different formula, each time have a certain number of their own people, maybe including those who served as contest judges, to rate the models that are marked to receive the tokens to ensure the formular produce the desired result. Iterate and fine tune until arriving at a formula that consistently produces a list of models that are reward-worthy.
There can be eligibility criteria added in to ensure “fair” share of this pool of tokens, such as models that have already received a certain number of tokens or exceeding a certain numer of downloads may not be eligible for this pool, or have less share of this pool.
Criteria can also be added to discourage bad behavior. For example, accounts that have engaged in rule violating activities may not be eligible for 30 days for each violation, starting from the date of violation.
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I agreed with you (thumbs up). However, at the moment it looks like many of the makers who have been around for a few months and create models from time to time are currently recording downloads and prints that are tending towards zero. Many models are already at zero and reasonably popular or beautiful models are barely visible and have less than 10 downloads and prints per week. What should these designers do, don’t they follow the logical consequence and stop uploading models? What use is “Bambu lab is working to improve it” here?
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I brought this up to MW and they tried to tell me it was “tax”, I then asked who was the taxing authority and I got “check with your local taxing authority”. I sent another letter back letting them know the FTC is interested in their “Tax” and I havent heard back other than we’re looking into it.
@Bambu_Lab are you guys going to leave this system running ? as we see users complain I think this boost method is no good for users personally. Also its says that we get new tokens every week… wich i have used 8 days from now if not more and still havent received any new tokens to hand out ? I spoke to a couple of makerworld users and friends and they told me they dont give out the tokens as most users havent even taken a look at these rewards. Like most users said also, a lot of users just go and download the models wich barely gives us points. thank you
It is in their fine print. I don’t even mind the value but it is fraudulent advertising when they say 1 boost = $1 gift card.
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Where in the fine print, I was unable to find anything that indicated the taxing authority. If the price “includes tax” it should still call out the authority and percentage. The tax BTW is like 22%. Certainly not a US tax.
I couldn’t locate it again. I believe it was in their first blog post or the forum post, but it’s gone now. They didn’t specify a tax rate, but .89 USD + .11 USD in tax equates to roughly a 13% tax rate. Still higher than any US state, correct?
10.2% to be more precise. It says pre-tax in the rules link on the boosts page. But I don’t think they should even word it as $1 gift card at all, since we can’t buy $1 gift cards with points.
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More in the range but would also depend on the state. In the US we have state sales tax, its not at the federal level so one blanket rate wont work. We even have some states like Montana that don’t have sales tax. Other states like Wisconsin have sales tax for products but not food. So Bambu having one “Tax” is just overcharging others and manipulating the end user. Since 11 points don’t equal $1 as advertised. Thats where my beef is. You’ve tied this to a monetary amount and telling me I’m getting $1 when i’m not is misleading and in the US would have the FTC crack down and fine you.
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On the fly math was never my strong suit. 
Right, pre-tax, but whos doing the taxing? I agree, the issue here is take out the $1 being tied to it. You get 11 points, leave it at that and you’re good. But don’t tell me I’m getting a $1 and it more like .90 cents. Thats just shady. I don’t think Bambu is doing this intentionally (maybe they are, I dont know) but if they were more transparent about it we’d know for sure.
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FAQ? Yah I got one… how the heck do I get more boosts that I can give to good designs? Supposed to get one a week? That seems lame. So in 7 days of printing, only one should get a boost? What about the other awesome prints I enjoyed? Add them to a list on a post it note I guess and wait for eternity to accumulate another boost token I can give out…okkkkkkk… this makes me the most angry of all. I want tokens to show my appreciation… because obviously my download of the model basically no longer counts and my rating is virtually useless as well.
Oh and that boost token expires in 14 days so use it promptly? That seems dumb too. What if someone doesn’t print a lot. Or makes their own models for stuff they sell etc. they might not even get on MW within 14 days to give that boost to someone. So there’s that wasted chance. But they also just accumulated one while not dispensing their last one??
Oh and let’s not forget that a majority of the handy app and MW users don’t even know what the boost is for!! I explained it to 9 people this week alone.
I get it. People were using the system in a negative way and doing some dumb stuff. But this boost system needs some defining for sure. It needs publicized way more and in depth by someone who is multilingual and fluent in those languages. Right now, you have a mess of ppl who spend their own time, resources and money, to create good prints, who are being under compensated for their work and it’s making them angry.
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Welcome to the forum. We designers would love to have more users like you who are passionated about giving boosts to their favorite models or designers.
But you may have misunderstood the relationship between MW (or any other similar platforms) and designers. There isn’t such a thing as “undercompensated” in this relationship. Designers are not required to create and upload a certain number of models per week for MW like a contractor or go to work for MW from 9 to 5 like an employee. The points and boosts are not a compensation but rather an incentive to entice more models uploads into MW. The incentive can be changed in any way MW wants or even entirely go away, as understood and agreed to by every designer who uploads models here.
If you believe one boost token per every 7 days is not enough, make a suggestion on what number would be considered good from your perspective. Make your opinion heard in a more constructive way will be more effective.
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"There isn’t such a thing as “undercompensated” in this relationship. Designers are not required to create and upload a certain number of models per week for MW like a contractor or go to work for MW from 9 to 5 like an employee. " I get that @DWdesigns I understand that fully. However look at the amount of good content that was pulled due to copycats and designers that left MW etc. MW urged all folks to use and try their system for the purpose of helping other bambu owners achieve good prints as well. And many people did just that. All of those in it from the beginning kinda feel like they gave us the “hey, thanks for building up our platform and traffic, here’s half the points, download count limitations and Ai tech support” card… Im not tryna be a jerk, just calling a duck a duck…
As for boosts, I personally feel it needs to be based on an activity basis. If you upload a good bit, you should def get more boosts than 1 per week. If you print a lot of models, that should go MORE towards earning you even more boosts. I mean…if your printing, your basically the guinea pig who’s using their own materials that cost you money…I feel “that” in itself is worthy of some kind of count towards a boost… Giving out boosts to distribute isnt negative in any fashion that I can see other than folks using the buddy system to boost each other. Regardless, you wont solve all the issues of the system.
As for the expiration of boost tokens, I feel that needs removed all together. I personally feel the expiry was a poorly executed manuever. If you and I stock pile a couple tokens that we dont feel like giving out, then so be it… eventually we will though! I think back to all the models I printed from folks that I absolutely enjoyed and feel kinda bummed (legit…) that I cant go and boost them right now because I dont have any tokens to hand out… when their model, profile and settings were genuinely good!!
Now, a thought I think for sure needs to be looked at is the ability to purchase tokens via your earned points… Say you earn 11 points… you should be able to trade that for a token rather than have to wait to use it on something different. Say I had 1000 points… if I wanted to go buy 90 tokens, why cant I? know what I mean? They say tokens are equivelant to 11 points… well… make it eye for an eye and let us BUY tokens then!? It seems only right in my opinion!
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You really understand what boost tokens are for, and have some good thoughts, in my opinion. I wish more users are like this.
The ability to buy tokens with points may work, after the points are reviewed to prevent “point laundering”. This can make up for the delay in waiting for more tokens to be distributed. So one doesn’t have to make a list of models to go back to boost later.
Feeling like a guinea pig when printing something from a platform can’t be good. I think MW is trying to get to a point that every uploaded model is printable. But if this feeling is still out there, then more works need to be done to strengthen the quality requirement of models/print profiles even more.
As to the concern of good models migrating from MW, I wouldnt worry too much about that, at least not for now. Different designers may find MW attractive in different ways, but one important factor, if not the only factor, for many seems to be the generous rewards it provides, as compared with other platforms. This won’t change anytime soon. MW has investor money which can be used to “buy” growth, This is one competitive advantage that others don’t have. Why would MW not use it?
You may have had that concern seeing some designers “warn” that they would take their models elsewhere. But these kind of “warnings” prove the opposite: designers are not leaving. If there were a platform that gives out better rewards, people would have put their models over there, without bothering to give out “warnings” here. These “warnings” are a way to try to pressure MW. Can’t blame people for trying But look at these warnings as a sign that people are not leaving.
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You are wrong here. The designers that are leaving don’t have to take their models and go and they are NOT giving warnings. They simply stop posting new models and start posting on other sites. I have been vocal about this because I like Makerworld and wish it to succeed.
I was bored yesterday, so I went and did a little review. Of the @90 designers I follow, 68 of them have not posted any new models in April. Most were averaging at least 1 a week prior to that (some much more). That is a 75.6% drop in uploading of quality designers since the point changes were started. Maybe 2-3 of them post here and complained but most just stopped using Makerworld.
And no, they did not remove their models from Makerworld? Why would they since there have been out and free up to this point for people to use.
@Makerworld needs to do some things to stop this bleeding of their site. Making all downloads count is the first one. Yes the rewards will need to be lower in order to be more sustainable but not 80-90% lower. Shoot for +50% and combat the bots some other way.
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I agree. I don’t typically download a model of it has one line of description and a generic picture. I have been traveling for weeks and I haven’t had time to use the boost given to me. Don’t really care for this system.
My points for my models have also flatlined.
I am pretty sure my sister who owns Bambu printers doesn’t know what the boost are for. I will ask her. They are typically too busy to look into it. They just want to print something they want. Probably most users are the same.
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I so hope @MakerWorld reads and takes in consideration your post here! Feel the same!
The Boost system is a very clever idea from Bambu Lab. This way they can completely eliminate the rewards system that worked so well before.
Now, they can give the impression that designers get rewarded, without actually providing any reward.
Excellent idea! Also, many thanks to all the Karens on this forum who provided the justification for Bambu Lab to eliminate the reward system in reality.
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You are addressing exactly what is happening to me.
I have seen that users have emptied their MW account after announcing it. I also thought about removing all my models now that there are hardly any downloads. But I have decided against it for the time being. Maybe other users still want to print my models, then so be it. But I have put all projects, including technical ones, on hold. I have already invested in hardware for some projects. But I can still realise the projects.
Since the rules of the game on MW and the visibility of my models have changed so much and many designers have moved to monetisation in some form, why should I still offer new free designs? I’m considering a different strategy so that Bambulab can cancel the points on MW altogether. Then I publish my models on Makerworld no differently than on other platforms. And I don’t have very many models there. Because Makerworld has become less attractive for me, I’ve already thought about simply looking for printer hardware from other manufacturers. There I only pay a third of what I need. If the rules of the game are changed in this way and the points here drop as they have done, many designers will practically be forced to save money, so they will have to rethink.
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