A Ghost from the Past :3

[TheSoulhunter]

Since I was gone for like 10 years, I figured I should post here...

So, what did happen in the keyboard-world since 2015/2016 besides:

- My website being gone, thus most of the images I hosted there (and linked here) are gone
- Cherry MX patent ran out -> Over 9000 different variants of MX-style switches from China
- These little switch quick-swap thingies on PCBs (what to do with my solder iron now!?)
- Transition to gasket-mount keyboards (no more resonance PING! like in the old days...)
- Having more mech-keyboard brands than Filco, Topre, Cherry, IBM, KBC and Razer
- We still can't decide if LEDs should be mounted north or south facing
- Mech-keyboards became mainstream (are we still Geeks?)
- CNC-milled metal keyboard-cases became affordable
- MassDrop became keyboard-centric and bought GH
- You can get custom dye-sub printed keycaps (YUZU)
- Ripster selling his keyboard-collection
- People collecting artisan-keycaps

Did I miss anything good?
Are some of the old users still around?
 

[finallyDecidedToMakeAnAcc]

hello
hiow are you

[TheSoulhunter]

Hey there!

I'm doing good, except for a ongoing health condition, but that's manageable.

Thanks for asking! How about you? How did you end up here?

[finallyDecidedToMakeAnAcc]

Very well thank you very much!!

I was a long long time lurker (I just look at interest checks) then I finally decided to make an account lolz

For the moment most I can do about keyboard stuff is looking at their pictures 

I like electronics

[TheSoulhunter]

I see...
But what's stopping you from getting hands-on?
Looking at stuff is less exiting than touching it!
Learned that a long time ago, as a teenager...

[FOURRINGS]

Hi GHOST, (Can I call you Ghost?)
I read your post and got interested in finding out more about you, seems like you have been around for a while, I am a newbie and been in the Keebs scene for about 1.5yrs now. I'm a designer and keen to learn all things KB.

I'm sensing you have a lot of knowledge so keen to hear more about your KB experiences.

Thanks in advance.
FR.

[TheSoulhunter]

Can I call you Ghost?

Sure!

seems like you have been around for a while

Yeah... I am from a time where the only option to get a mechanical keyboard was using a old IBM Model M, a beige Cherry office keyboard, or import a Filco from Japan.
We harvested switches from old keyboards by de-soldering, as you neither could buy switches like you can nowadays, nor were there quick-swap mounts for switches.
Well, that was 20 years ago. A lot has changed. Mechanical keyboards became much more accessible and mainstream...

I'm a designer and keen to learn all things KB.

Cool! What do you design?

I'm sensing you have a lot of knowledge so keen to hear more about your KB experiences.

I might not be up-to-date on some of the latest developments. I was gone for a decade, focusing on real-life...
But I guess even as a fence-viewer since 2015, I kept track of the most important changes (listed in the first post).
So, if you got any questions, feel free to ask. I am happy to help youngsters out. Keyboard or Off-Topic matter alike!


Small bonus...
I found old photos of a custom "ergo-gaming-keypad" I made back then:




The putty was used to test different layouts/placements...
Unfortunately I can't find the photos of the finished keypad

[finallyDecidedToMakeAnAcc]

But what's stopping you from getting hands-on?

$$$
nonetheless I do have a space65 as my sole keyboard! God willed, exalted is He

Looking at stuff is less exiting than touching it!

I hope I'll have enough $$$ to make my own
I designed some but my designs never reached the machine

fun thing I made is a pcb made of paper, I used a leather puncher to make the holes, carefully measured, then hand wired behind the paper

here are some pictures,  the wiring is quite funny
the weird stuff on the board is solder flux

[TheSoulhunter]

a pcb made of paper, I used a leather puncher to make the holes

That's the spirit! Big thumbs up... 

$$$

I had the same problem when I was young...
But being forced to be resourceful and inventive will give you valuable skills for the future!