ReBrick: From LEGO Fan To LEGO Fan

 

  • ReBrick: From LEGO Fan To LEGO Fan

    Posted by Huw, 21 Mar 2012 13:05. Filed under Miscellaneous.

    ReBrick is a social media platform, hosted by LEGO where adult users can share and discuss user-created LEGO content online. We've mentioned it before, when it was launched before Christmas, but because it deals primarily with an aspect of the hobby that we don't cover here (MOC-ing) we haven't said much about it since.

    Today LEGO has released a video in which Peter Espersen, the online community lead and the man in charge of ReBrick, explains the platform and what it sets out to achieve, that I think you'll find interesting, particularly if you've never visited the site before:

    Although the site's focus is very much MOCs, there's no reason why content from Brickset can't be submitted there, and I encourage you to do so. In fact there are several entries there already.

    I think it's great that LEGO is providing the service, providing a 'hub' to link fan sites and expose their content to a wider audience. As Peter says in the video, there are not many companies that do this.

    Have you visited the site? Do you think it provides a valuable service? Or, do you prefer to visit a site that editorially controls the MOCs that are featured, like Brothers-Brick, so as to ensure only the best are shown?


    7 comments, latest one posted 14 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)
    1372 views


 
 

Comments

Posted by copperwonder96 in United States, 21 Mar 2012 13:37

I am suspicious of sites that want you to "sign in" with personal social or marketing data. On ReBrick, you have to sign in with Lego id or Facebook. Either way, Lego gets a profile on you via what you buy using Lego ID or the holy grail of marketing details, facebook. I would prefer to have an account not linked to either (like flickr) and just post MOCs and save my privacy without being "connected". I could keep my social Lego life separate from my Linked-In life, etc. Hopefully they will add a private login that is not Lego ID or Facebook.

Posted by Nesquik in United Kingdom, 21 Mar 2012 15:37

Not a bad website at all. I applaud the idea from TLG, but clearly this is still a 'Beta' and needs work.

Posted by theBrickBlogger in United States, 21 Mar 2012 15:47

I have been using ReBrick even before it was available to the public as I was invited as one of the early testers. I love the website and the concept behind it! I haven't much used the social and commenting aspect of it, but use it mainly as a place to organize my favorite MOCs from around the web. Flickr has a pretty good way to save your favorite MOCs, but for example BrickShelf is terrible! And not to speak of stuff I find at other websites! Where to put them? How to organize them? I found ReBrick is a great solution to store and organize all of that, and also see what other people are finding. More eyes looking the better! Also, please note that ReBrick is not trying to replace other LEGO fan sites or forums. It is simply a hub to store and share what LEGO fans find around the web. I highly recommend ReBrick and hope that it will really take off as a central hub where LEGO fans can share what they find. If not, I still love their storing and organization feature for my own purposes. :)

Posted by Cam'n'Stu in United Kingdom, 21 Mar 2012 16:15

@copperwonder96 - I know where you are coming from but it easy for LEGO and most users if they use those login options and it makes sense for them to use the Lego ID as a single set of details for accessing all their websites. If it really bothers you just create another Lego ID just for this from a free email site.

Posted by Gandalf1 in United States, 21 Mar 2012 18:29

OK, I made an account. It took me a while to figure out that bookmarking is how you add something.

Posted by Andhe in United Kingdom, 22 Mar 2012 07:09

I don't get it. They're a company so, so they're must be some financial reason for this. There are plenty of other sites that cater for specific lego interests (whether it be space, pirates, castle, star wars etc) so why make another site that tries to cover everything?

When I first got back into Lego, one the the exciting things was finding more and more parts of the online community, and eventually you find the sites that suit you best and cater for your specific interests. Unless that site is providing something unique, then what's the point of it? Feels a little bit like TLG trying to gain some control over their fans...
IT'S A TRAP! :p

p.s the link in the article isn't working for me.

Posted by Brickmatic in United States, 22 Mar 2012 14:59

I don't buy into the conspiracy-theory mindset that TLG has ulterior motives in launching this site. I believe that Peter Espersen is sincere in his message and reasoning behind the site. That said, if the website matures into a thriving online community, then just like any other store of data it will be a potential source for datamining. Which, of course, doesn't mean that TLG would use it that way. Regardless, what terrible outcomes for the fan of LEGO do the skeptics see?

Commenting has ended on this article.