The 3D printing industry has been recently affected by two events: the fact that open source (OS) business models are getting momentum, and the widespread diffusion of the Maker Movement. We argue that 3D printers can be conceptualised as innovations which embody both technological and symbolic aspects. If innovations of the first type are solely adopted for their technical utility, innovations which have also symbolic connotation may confer a new social meaning to an item. By analysing an international sample of 3D printer users, we highlight that adoption of 3D proprietary printers are driven by technologically-rooted considerations, while adherence to the Maker Movement is a key factor behind the adoption of 3D OS printers.

中文翻译：

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技术还能（也）变成符号吗？3D打印机外壳

3D打印行业最近受到两个事件的影响：开放源代码（OS）商业模型势头强劲，以及制造者运动的广泛传播。我们认为3D打印机可以被概念化为体现技术和符号方面的创新。如果仅将第一类创新用于其技术实用性，那么也具有象征意义的创新可能会赋予商品新的社会意义。通过分析3D打印机用户的国际样本，我们强调了3D专有打印机的采用是出于技术根源的考虑，而遵守创客运动是采用3D OS打印机的关键因素。