, ▁users ▁choose ▁the ▁type ▁of ▁user ▁license ▁they ▁wish ▁to ▁attach ▁to ▁the ▁designs ▁they ▁share . ▁ 3 D ▁printer s , ▁las er ▁cut ters , ▁mill ing ▁machines ▁and ▁many ▁other ▁techn ologies ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁phys ically ▁create ▁the ▁files ▁shared ▁by ▁the ▁users ▁on ▁Th ing iverse . ▁ ▁Th ing iverse ▁is ▁widely ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁DI Y ▁technology ▁and ▁M aker ▁communities , ▁by ▁the ▁Rep R ap ▁Project , ▁and ▁by ▁ 3 D ▁Pr inter ▁and ▁M aker B ot ▁operators . ▁N umer ous ▁technical ▁projects ▁use ▁Th ing iverse ▁as ▁a ▁repository ▁for ▁shared ▁innov ation ▁and ▁dis sem ination ▁of ▁source ▁materials ▁to ▁the ▁public . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁object ▁files ▁are ▁for ▁purposes ▁of ▁repair , ▁decor ation , ▁or ▁organization . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Th ing iverse ▁was ▁started ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁by ▁Zach ▁Smith ▁as ▁a ▁companion ▁site ▁to ▁M aker B ot ▁Indust ries , ▁a ▁DI Y ▁ 3 D ▁printer ▁k it ▁making ▁company . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁M aker bot ▁and ▁Th ing iverse ▁were ▁acquired ▁by ▁Str at as ys . ▁ ▁Th ing iverse ▁received ▁an ▁Honor able ▁M ention ▁in ▁the ▁Digital ▁Commun ities ▁category ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁AR S ▁Electron ica ▁| ▁Prix ▁Ar s ▁Electron ica ▁international ▁competition ▁for ▁cy ber - arts . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁designs