Progression

[Matt3o]

Level 0 keyboard enthusiast
I want a mechanical keyboard, but no way I spend $150 when I can get a logitech for $15!

Level 1
I read the whole GH twice and now I'm ready to buy a tenkyless. I will have to stay on ramen for 6 months but I will finally have my Filco with Red... or maybe brown... are black too stiff? BTW, I'll spend $150 and this will be my last mechanical keyboard

Level 2
Finally got my Filco. It feels soooo goooood. I miss the numpad so bad though... I hope I'll get used to TKL quickly. At the end I took mx brown because I heard they are a midway between red and blue. Now I see all these nice keycaps....

Level 3
Bought my first keycap set guys! I'm so excited, I didn't take any extras, just the base set because I only have a Filco TKL and I don't plan on taking other keyboards any time soon.

Level 4
Wow. I saw all these great little keyboards around, how are they called? 60%? Now I want one! Where can I buy one? I don't want to get it from China! But I'm so broke right now... I think I have to wait at least 10 months before I can get one.

Level 5
[15 days later] I GOT MY POKER 2! Look at my pictures (with shoes)! It's just perfect I won't need another keyboard in whole my life!

Level 6
Hey! My spacebar is shiny! Now I need PBT caps! I'm gonna order them from China, they are reliable right?

Level 7
I finally tried MX Blue/Black/Red and I don't think I like MX Brown anymore. I will be selling my Filco and buy a new one with MX Something-else.

Level 8
How about topre? The HHKB looks nice but no way I spend $250 in a keyboard

Level 9
[1 month later] OHMYGOD the HHKB feels soooo gooood! Where do I get those funky keycaps for topre switches?!

Level 10
I found a SSK on ebay at $300 I got it right away! It's the ultimate keyboard! I'm torn between the HHKB and the SSK now. I like them both.

Level 11
I hate myself, I just bought my 11th keycap set and I don't even use MX switches anymore...

Level 12
Finally got my aluminum CNC'd case, had my custom PCB printed and the plate laser cut. I don't want to know how much I spent, but I finally can type on lubed ghetto green.

Level 13
I got a divorce because of keyboards

Level 14
I don't know how much I spent in keyboards this year, but I know that I spent just $1000 in a space cadet.

Level 15
User barely follows any thread on GH because he knows how it ends up.

[mougrim]

Level 16? What'cha mean, Model F boards better than Model M?

[Hzza]

This is accurate.

I'm currently somewhere between level 12 and 13, I'm not liking what happens next....

[mougrim]

Level 5 or 6

[fknraiden]

level 1-5 is the story of my life

[mil0ck]

Sigh, level 9...

[Sagii]

At level 4.. it that took me about 2-3 weeks to get there.... eheh..

[isaske]

Level 11, just skipped the HHKB and 60% keyboard steps 

[isaske]

You need to add levels where users spend 200$+ on one novelty keycap or sth crazy like this haha

[Matt3o]

You need to add levels where users spend 200$+ on one novelty keycap or sth crazy like this haha

good point, but it's basically Level 11

[Defect]

Cool journey!  Mine was a little different.  Hope you won't mind me sharing!

Step 1: Keyboard Upgrade.  Choc Mini with blues!
Step 2: Switch curiosity.  Ducky Shine II with Clears!
Step 3: Lurk GH and hold onto my wallet dearly for 1-2 years.  I DON'T NEED IT.  I DON'T NEED IT.
Step 4: Acceptance.  Drop 1k in a month on Topre/BS/Springs/100 of every switch/beater boards/various caps/pcbs.  Extensive testing with various cap materials, spring weights, MX stems, disassemble the unicomp and the topre, and build a board from scratch (plan to post the low res photos in a thread soon, and take some high rest final product photos when I run home this weekend).
Step 5: Give back!  Right now I try my best to help out other new enthusiasts as much as I can.  We have a very weird hobby, so embrace your KB brothers!  Ok too nerdy.  Just hoard boards quietly and stick to being anonymous

My biggest fear is that Clacks and Bots and other crafter caps are starting to look cool to me....

Gimme

[noisyturtle]

Level 99

User has completed the circle-jerk with aplomb. User can now see everything in 1's and 0's, and an endless stream of space-time Internet opens before them as they spread their wings of glorious cum-jizz and ascend to levels beyond where even the circle of the jerk is beyond the circle of understanding.

+5 to therapy threads
+3 .gif power
+6 clacksturbation
+4 Essence of bro

User can now summon Sword of Jimmies upon command which does +2d to new users, adds +7d to circle-jerking power, -2 chance to deflect banhammer, -9 aftermarket resistance

[rowdy]

Level 11 more or less.

Probably at least 11 keycap sets, no Poker, using my HHKB with 2 Model M on the shelf (no SSK ... yet).

[Rafen]

I'm starting to get close to level 13 

My SO doesn't understand why I spend so much money on keyboards. Oh well, I guess **** happens. Just glad I will still have my boards if anything ever does go south. 

[SpAmRaY]

Level 99

User has completed the circle-jerk with aplomb. User can now see everything in 1's and 0's, and an endless stream of space-time Internet opens before them as they spread their wings of glorious cum-jizz and ascend to levels beyond where even the circle of the jerk is beyond the circle of understanding.

+5 to therapy threads
+3 .gif power
+6 clacksturbation
+4 Essence of bro

User can now summon Sword of Jimmies upon command which does +2d to new users, adds +7d to circle-jerking power, -2 chance to deflect banhammer, -9 aftermarket resistance

[davkol]

EHMAGERD ERGODOX

[SpAmRaY]

EHMAGERD ERGODOX

That's level TP4

[davkol]

If you can't touch type over 100 wpm, you don't deserve a mechanical keyboard.

[mougrim]

If you can't touch type over 100 wpm, you don't deserve a mechanical keyboard.

It's not about speed, it's all about feeling

[rowdy]

Level 99

User has completed the circle-jerk with aplomb. User can now see everything in 1's and 0's, and an endless stream of space-time Internet opens before them as they spread their wings of glorious cum-jizz and ascend to levels beyond where even the circle of the jerk is beyond the circle of understanding.

+5 to therapy threads
+3 .gif power
+6 clacksturbation
+4 Essence of bro

User can now summon Sword of Jimmies upon command which does +2d to new users, adds +7d to circle-jerking power, -2 chance to deflect banhammer, -9 aftermarket resistance

(Attachment Link)

Now I have to watch that movie again!

[mashby]

Currently at Level 12 and trying to skip 13, over to 14. 

[Premonition]

Level 7.5, using a cheaper Topre than the glorious HHKB.

[metalliqaz]

This is pretty good.  I followed a slightly different trajectory, but I'm sure this is a common story

[reefchief]

I went 0-8-11 in a very short amount of time. Im in trouble!

[Puddsy]

Good thing I don't have a wife!

[Zeal]

I went from Lvl 4 and skipped to 12... Still waiting on my 60% pcb. 

[CK Briefs]

I went from Lvl 4 and skipped to 12... Still waiting on my 60% pcb. 

Another lv12 incoming!

[lightsout714]

Hilarious OP. Seen it 100 times. Going through it myself of course too. Good times.

[osi]

This thread hits home

[Elrick]

Level 13
I got a divorce because of keyboards

Damn - then it means she didn't like you much to begin with.  Getting divorced isn't always for one thing only, it's always a HOST of things that she won't take anymore from you or could picture herself being with you in the future.

At least you're free and can find someone else now, because not all women are cold-hearted b1tches out to make our world miserable.  Sometimes they actually make our world far more decent than it would be otherwise  .

[tbc]

i am on the verge of leveling to lvl10 lol

[Melvang]

Currently Step 1.5 with my third gen Das.  Working on Step 12 with a milled stainless case with custom layout and PCB's

[Matt3o]

Level 13
I got a divorce because of keyboards

Damn - then it means she didn't like you much to begin with.  Getting divorced isn't always for one thing only, it's always a HOST of things that she won't take anymore from you or could picture herself being with you in the future.

At least you're free and can find someone else now, because not all women are cold-hearted b1tches out to make our world miserable.  Sometimes they actually make our world far more decent than it would be otherwise  .

are you serious?

[mougrim]

I think he is

[Matt3o]

my wife actually likes mechanical keyboards. she is on a minila mx blue right now. pretty hardcore.

[Elrick]

my wife actually likes mechanical keyboards. she is on a minila mx blue right now. pretty hardcore.

So what was "Step 13 - I got a divorce because of keyboards" statement? 

Have I missed something critical here or misconstrued your statement to begin with  ?

[Novus]

my wife actually likes mechanical keyboards. she is on a minila mx blue right now. pretty hardcore.

So what was "Step 13 - I got a divorce because of keyboards" statement? 

Have I missed something critical here or misconstrued your statement to begin with  ?

It's like hotels. Most of them skip the 13th.

[smknjoe]

my wife actually likes mechanical keyboards. she is on a minila mx blue right now. pretty hardcore.

So what was "Step 13 - I got a divorce because of keyboards" statement? 

Have I missed something critical here or misconstrued your statement to begin with  ?

The whole list was done "tongue in cheek."

[Novus]

Jokes on you my waifu is my keyboard and I type on a cloud everyday hah!

きもい 

[Matt3o]

my wife actually likes mechanical keyboards. she is on a minila mx blue right now. pretty hardcore.

So what was "Step 13 - I got a divorce because of keyboards" statement? 

Have I missed something critical here or misconstrued your statement to begin with  ?

1) it's not me. It's the average keyboard enthusiast progression
2) it's called dark humor

[Elrick]

1) it's not me. It's the average keyboard enthusiast progression
2) it's called dark humor

Oh, the so-called "average keyboard enthusiast".  So it applies to every devotee here on Geekhack, totally understandable  .

[Matt3o]

it applies to anyone who doesn't take it too seriously

[mougrim]

Well, as I don't have a wife yet, I have a chance to pick ope girl who will understand my passion for keyboards. And anime. And sci-fi. And fantasy. And RPG

[czarek]

I'm around level 20 I guess, having full basement of all sorts of keyboards, pretty much every switch combo money can buy and in another basement small workshop equipped with CNC machines in which I build ErgoDoxes for community
Oh and I'm happily married on top of that

[Pinder]

Level 4
Wow. I saw all these great little keyboards around, how are they called? 60%? Now I want one! Where can I buy one? I don't want to get it from China! But I'm so broke right now... I think I have to wait at least 10 months before I can get one.

Level 5
[15 days later] I GOT MY POKER 2! Look at my pictures (with shoes)! It's just perfect I won't need another keyboard in whole my life!

this is exactly my story... poker 2 should get deliverd tomorrow then as soon as i get some more money ill buy some PBT caps and get a Level 6!

[mougrim]

No, I had perfectly good reason for buying a Poker II - my work board is rubberdome ****

[jacobolus]

Matt3o: what’s the level where you spend months of time moving Bezier curve points in Inkscape so the dyesub legends you designed will turn out just right?

[mougrim]

80 level

[daerid]

What level is it when you've gone one complete round already of the whole gamut of Cherry, BS, and Topre boards, then whole hog ErgoDox, and now are on round two?

I don't wanna know how much $$$ I've spent on keyboards since 2010 (way, way, way too much).

[sacratoy]

Oh god, it's taken me two and a half weeks to get to level 6.

Time to slow things down....