I notice there is less resistance against using non-Lego solutions in this board than in the past.   In a recent topic about pulleys for a crane, http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/150151-heavy-lift-crane-boom-pulley-design-will-pay-for-ip/, at least three different people suggest modding pulleys by changing the axle hole, while the same problem can be easily solved by putting the wheels on a bar instead of an axle. In a recent topic about turntables, http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/149965-alternative-turntables/, the first suggestions are to use AFOL custom part designs. This is suggested before anyone even thinks about how this can be done in Lego. In http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/148319-little-8865-my-tribute-to-40-years-of-technic, someone built a miniature verson of 8865 using only the springs from the shock absorber parts and the first 20 replies made no mention of that specific point. (What speaks in favor of the builder though, is that he provided an alternative solution using rubber bands.) I thought this was a forum about Lego, where people use Lego pieces to solve problems, without "cheating". I remembered the days where if you used a modified piece your MOC wasn't even considered a Lego model by many people. Nowadays, there's hardly mention on this and it sometimes feels that I'm the only person here that still cares, that can't appreciate a model if the builder copped out somewhere. My rule still is, If you can't do it in Lego, then you can't do it. And a model that doesn't do it is better to me than a model that does it by cheating. After all, if you're allowing A, then why not allow B, and then C, all the way to Z and if that happens, what are we even doing?   I understand 3D printing has something to do with it, but isn't the whole sport that you have a limited set of pieces that you'll have to do with, and that that means that some things can't be done? Isn't that the whole idea? I mean, if everything can be done, where's the achievement in doing it?   Having done my bit of a rant, I am curious to see how others are seeing this.   Have others also noticed a trend over the years? What are your opinions on it? What are your opinions on purism vs. using non-Lego solutions? Do you use non-Lego, and if so, why? What's OK to you and what's not, and why? Custom string? Custom stickers/prints? Custom tyres? Custom coloring? Custom springs? Can you define a limit that makes clear what's within and what's outside? If it's not clear, how do you handle the gray area? If you're an extensive user of non-Lego solutions, why are you into Lego instead of scale modeling in general?   What are your opinions about all this?