Thumbs up to Bob Tibbetts @ Northgate Repair!

[Oqsy]

Hey, just wanted to post this as a note to anyone with Northgate repair needs (or looking to buy a used board).  I inadvertently snapped a retaining clip for the stabilizer bar for my enter key on the new Northgate I got from ricercar.  I looked around several places and couldn't find the part anywhere.  In my searching I stumbled upon a thread here that mentioned Bob Tibbetts and http://www.northgate-keyboard-repair.com/ as a resource for Northgate owners.  I emailed him and he replied the same day.  Less than a week later my Northgate is back at 100% and I'm relieved that I didn't render a new purchase (the board) totally useless in my zeal to remove and tweak the enter key because it was a little "wiggly".  Anyway, fantastic transaction, A+ communication and prices, and definitely someone I would do business with again without question.  I value good service and communication from those I do business with in a time when most business is done with nameless faceless checkout bots and shopping carts from internet clearing-house sites.  Oh, FYI:  He also keeps a list of boards he has for sale that are repaired, refurbished, cleaned, etc. and I'm sure they would be the best Northgate/ALPS boards around for anyone in the market.

And no, I do NOT work for northgate-keyboard-repair.com, this is an honest review of a real transaction.  

[MODS] By the way, I'm not aware of any particular subforum where this would be more or less appropriate, so I put it here.  I've made a couple of purchases here on the forum and would love to have a place to leave feedback for those individuals as well to give confidence to potential buyers/traders/etc.  Maybe a "Transaction / Seller Review" subforum in the classifieds area?

[itlnstln]

They are some helpful folks, to be sure.  I just wish they would kill the MIDI on the main page, but it sort of adds to the nostalgia.

[Oqsy]

Scared of what?  I actually like the midi and Wounded Warrior Project links.  I give the guy props for being a patriot and not being scared to show it.  You guys have all been Obamatized.  There's nothing shameful about being American and taking pride in that, and the notion that someone who is proud of his country is a moron is completely ludicrous.  Closed-mindedness is not exclusive to any particular nationality, political persuasion, or socioeconomic class I suppose.  I expected better from you guys, however.

I'm very disappointed.

[Oqsy]

Europeans have been anti-American longer than the Democrat Party, so I guess he gets a pass on the Obamatization

[Oqsy]

I've always wanted a standard poodle.  However, it would NOT be shaved anywhere, nor would it have pom-poms.  Tastefully trim coat to about the length of a Labrador retriever's and call it a day.

[kishy]

I've seen that website numerous times and though he may be tremendously skilled and professional...that website is a massive detriment to him and his service.

The whole American patriotism thing...there's nothing wrong with being proud of your country but sometimes "HERE ARE MY VALUES, YOU WILL EAT THEM AND YOU WILL LIKE THEM OR YOU WILL GO AWAY" isn't the best way to show it. "Proudly located in the USA and fully supporting our troops" with a little non-animated American flag at the bottom of the page would be...excellent. Consider...however unlikely it may be...that an Afghan with a Northgate is willing to send it to the US for repairs but before anything else on the page sees that...

It's offputting enough to a Canadian that I'd avoid him if possible, so what about everyone else?

You market yourself on the internet...the internet is global, without boundaries...you should keep the content as neutral as possible.

...but regardless of content, the layout sucks. Going out on a limb here but maybe some people here with web-techyness (no, I'm not volunteering, my own site pisses me off too much as it is) could offer 'improvement services' and in return Geekhack members get a (non-time-limited) 15% discount or something like that? After all an improved site would presumably gain more visitors and, again presumably, more visitors would result in more customers...and if the site weren't so ugly and anti-anything-not-American more members may promote him here so the benefits go around and around.

[itlnstln]

There are very patriotic people here in Texas.  I am very scared of them.  I wouldn't say anybody is anti-patriotic (unless they truly hate the country), but sometimes I doubt those that have to shout it at me.  In other words, if you have to keep telling me you're patriotic, it's probably because you're really not, but you need to justify your actions/beliefs, so you keep telling yourself and others that it's patriotism.  In actuality, it something much more individualist, and in many cases, sinister under the guise of patriotism, at least in my neck of the woods and what I see of the teabaggers around here.  See: religion in schools, courts, public arenas, etc. for a basic example.

[ch_123]

Nationalism is patriotism taken to it's logical conclusion. Fascism is nationalism taken to it's logical conclusion.

Patriotism is an excuse to blow people up, and a pretty mediocre one at that.

[kishy]

Nationalism is patriotism taken to it's logical conclusion. Fascism is nationalism taken to it's logical conclusion.

Patriotism is an excuse to blow people up, and a pretty mediocre one at that.

Patriotism isn't an excuse for anything.

It's just used as one for everything.

[Mental Hobbit]

Never understood the point of patriotism.

[elservo]

Patriotism isn't an excuse for anything.

It's just used as one for everything.

"I claim this chair for Spain" is a great line to use when you shove somebody out of the seat you want.  If you don't want to shove them, simply sit on the person's lap until they move.  

Patriotism:  getting elservo the best seats since 1978.

[Oqsy]

Still disappointed.  

What torture are you referring to, trollwit?  America is the target of international terrorism, and the people being held with known involvement in terrorists plots *SHOULD* be interrogated by whatever means necessary to save lives.  That is the most important role of the federal government.  Protecting it's citizens from threats at home and abroad.  

Some of you need to look into the politics of appeasement before and during WWII.  Trollwit in particular owes a lot to people willing to fight evil at face value.  The Nazi regime was evil.  Was everyone in a Nazi uniform evil?  Of course not.  However, people complicit in carrying out the wishes of Hitler, Goebbels, Goering, et. al had to be dealt with on the battlefield, as unfortunate as that may be. If the Americans and British hadn't had the balls to call Hitler out, I'd be willing to bet there'd still be Nazi troops all over die Niederlande to this day.  

Anyway, for all I know Bob is a flag burning hippie that put the flag and midi on his page sarcastically, there's nothing there for anyone to find offensive.  Anyone who does take offense to something so harmless is much more intolerant than the people they're complaining about.  I think a lot of you have been programmed to assume that the flag, patriotic songs, or Americans in general are shameful and/or worthy of derision.  

Global popularity contests are of no value, as they cause individual countries to make decisions that weaken their nations and put their citizens at risk.  

All of you who love to hate America so much for the way it treats its enemies need to take a nice long look at China and North Korea and the way they treat their citizens.  Your incredulity would be much better suited to debating issues like the plight of the people of Tibet or the starved and powerless population of North Korea.  I'm much more bothered by those two issues than I am by a group of Texans wanting to pray at a football game.  (By the way, a situation like that is most easily remedied.  Whenever a prayer starts in a place where you are offended, instead of cowering and *****ing about it after the fact, speak up at the time, disrupt the prayer, and claim your first amendment right to free speech is just as important as those praying)  

Grow a pair and get your priorities straight you crybabies and sissies!

Oh, and to any of you offended by my post...

[kishy]

That hat looks roughly like a KFC bucket.

Point still stands: it's a crappy website, and that's all anyone was trying to say (but as happens on GH other opinions got thrown in for effect).

[Oqsy]

I will not defend the aesthetics of the site.  It is very "retro" as was mentioned earlier in the thread, which probably makes people think it's not even an active business anymore.  I'm done arguing, I just wanted to plug a good site for keyboard related needs and was a bit put off by the poo-pooing on issues unrelated to the business or its services!  (And yes, I think it is a KFC bucket)

[kishy]

I will not defend the aesthetics of the site.  It is very "retro" as was mentioned earlier in the thread, which probably makes people think it's not even an active business anymore.  I'm done arguing, I just wanted to plug a good site for keyboard related needs and was a bit put off by the poo-pooing on issues unrelated to the business or its services!  (And yes, I think it is a KFC bucket)

Damage control: give my post a quick glance over again and I think you'll find I wasn't poo-pooing everywhere on everything. Maybe you realized it, maybe not...I tried to stay constructive either way.

[Oqsy]

Nah, I understood your post (even though I might disagree on some points) and have no beef with you, sir.