DISCLAIMER: These are my own opinions and nothing more. Some may be more controversial and/or moralizing than others. If any points come across as preachy, it's not my intention, so blow me. I definitely don't claim to have any higher moral ground, I am down here in the gutter myself. This is just me putting into words some things that I believe, viewpoints that maybe aren't mentioned so often. You can print them and wipe your ass with them for all I care, but I hope someone will find some value here.
14 Theses
1. Watch your budget and be very careful of FOMO. Wallet Hack is real. Lots of us are in our 20s and the financial habits we form now will be with us for life.
2. You will never find your perfect keyboard, it is an illusion much like the perfect high.
3. Reddit and GeekHack serve two very different roles. There is space for both communities. There is no need to take one side or the other.
4. Every GB comes with risk and uncertainty, even the ones run by the most trusted members. Be careful who you give your money to.
5. When you owe someone money or keyboard parts, whether in the capacity of a private sale or a GB, fulfill your end swiftly. It's even in the bible.
6. Ellipse's GB is historic, maybe the most historic ever.
7. Avoid keyboard drama. Do this by completely abstaining from drama threads. Don't add your 2c, just don't. Click 'Back.' In fact, some people seem more intetrested in drama than keyboards. Get involved with this at your own peril.
8. Don't bully, even if everyone else is doing it. In particular, nothing is more despicable than grown men bullying kids. Most of our younger members are extremely impressive individuals. A few are still learning how to interact with the world. Don't bully them. DON'T.
9. Some members who most claim to act in the name of the community, are the least community-oriented. Make up your own mind who is the real deal, and who is just an ego who likes to have Internet followers. And then be civil to everyone anyway, and try not to anyone get the best of you, because no matter how good it feels to say something nasty the moment, you will regret it later. Even if you are totally justified, public Internet clashing of egos is an ugly game where no one wins, especially over something as ultimately inconsequential as keyboards.
10. Growth and monetization of this hobby is unavoidable. I choose to embrace this. I understand how it feels to miss the "good old days" of DIY and small community, but those days are disappearing, and nothing will bring them back. Remember them fondly but beware of bemoaning them so much you miss out on all the new opportunities.
11. If you really love keyboards and you have skills and ingenuity, you can find a way to make a living off them. But beware of burning out. Sometimes hobbies are best left as hobbies.
12. Profit in general is not evil. It makes the world turn and people getting paid is what gives us nice stuff. Profiteering, aka flipping, on the other hand, is not good in a community like ours. But, the forces of supply and demand are economic laws and cannot be counteracted in the long term. Preaching against them is futile. (At the same time, selling at cost is a personal choice and is great karma.) The most important thing to understand is that the way we often tear one another apart and destroy reputations over artisan caps is far worse than the problem itself. If your Clack can fetch $300, you should be able to sell it for $300 without being tarred and feathered. But remember the karma that comes with selling at cost.
13. Massdrop isn't evil and doesn't deserve a lot of criticism they get. Are they perfect? Not even close. Have they made mistakes in the past? Yes. But their profit minimization model is incredibly fair to vendors, at least for now. They are offering a huge opportunity to make nice stuff that's otherwise out of reach. Their biggest mistake so far is not gathering enough community input. As community input increases, the outcomes will dramatically improve. Think they can do better? Email them and get involved.
14. Above all never forget this is a hobby that should be fun.
