This whole place is run by enthusiasts (besides a couple of notable exceptions), and they're volunteering their time and energy. Yes, **** goes wrong but if you have a problem, there's always volunteering to help.
Being run by enthusiasts isn't a magic bullet for removing accountability...ESPECIALLY when people have paid real money for things. I'm so sick of people on this board continuing to further the expectation that there's no real responsibility involved when you start a Group Buy, or offer to fulfill some piece of it, and that when things go wrong (either through misfortune or your own negligence) that you don't owe anyone else anything for it. The organizers involved here may not have signed a legal document but the social contract when dealing with other people's property is pretty clear.
God no it's not any magic bullet. I'm out the materials for 2 GH60s myself not to mention I'm part of the SF40 GB. I'm pissed at WFD, TFR, and Schuyler Towne (he ran a kickstarter that still hasn't delivered) for what they pulled. I'm well aware of exactly what's at stake. There's a lot of responsibility that goes with starting a group buy. It's not something to be taken lightly. Running something this massive isn't simple or easy and one of the biggest reasons I've never tried is because I'm not sure I could finish it in a timely fashion.
But that doesn't make those that fail any less human. Would I trust WFD to ever run another GB? Hell no. Would I caution others against it? I'd flat out tell them getting involved with anything from him is complete idiocy. But, I also understand that very few of us here are "professional GB runners". Even the companies that do this professionally *cough cough MASSDROP cough cough* get NO end of complaints and issues The world isn't perfect, this is a great learning experience for every single one of us on what can happen when you try to create something. Sometimes **** goes south in horrible ways. Sometimes people aren't reliable. Sometimes stuff is way beyond your control and you get to sit there and watch the ship sink and get frustrated because you can't do anything.
Here we've got a chance to get our stuff. yeah, it's late, yeah, stuff got weird, yeah, they'll be outdated, but at least we're not in a situation like sherry where they just stopped fufilling on their orders (and that was a reputable store!) or DrugER who just scammed people out of their money. There are a couple of people who have actually handled group buys and done them well involved.
Bunny has run several group buys and is paying to fix TFR's mistakes out of pocket, not to mention actually got the boards out of china AND got the first boards out to people.
Samwisekoi has also run several group buys sucessfully.
People come here, post a rant of how they're pissed, threatening legal action or whatever, then dissapear. It neither helps find a solution nor makes those who have stepped up to fix it likely to continue doing it (why would you help the people threatening you?), or even make them want to continue helping. And I want my boards and switches and plates just as much as everyone else. So i'll keep offering constructive criticism, and offering to help instead, because I want to see this finished, not just showing up so I can make threats and leave. That doesn't help.
I hold the people who don't get it done responsible and won't do buisness with them again, but I'm not gonna go ape on those who don't have the capacity to follow through.
