Gatekept at a meetup by some dude with a $600 build

Went to my first local keyboard meetup last month in Austin and this one guy literally would not stop critiquing my board before I even set it down. I saved up for six months to build a budget NK65 entry with Gateron Yellows and some cheap PBT caps I lubed myself. He picked it up, clicked a single key, and said "you should have just saved for a real custom, these budget builds are a waste." I told him I was proud of it and he goes "I mean, it works I guess, but you can't even compare it to my TGR." I was so irritated I almost packed up and left right there. Has anyone else run into this kind of elitist attitude at events? Makes me not want to go to another one.

2 comments

2 Comments

sam_anderson5d ago

and honestly that kind of attitude just feeds this weird cycle where newcomers feel like they need to drop thousands before they're "allowed" to enjoy the hobby. i've met guys like that at meets in dallas too, he probably spent $600 on a board that sounds exactly like every other TGR with the same switches and keycaps as everyone else. the thing is, most people don't care what you spent, they just want to see something with a story behind it. you lubed your own switches and built it from scratch on a budget, that's way more interesting than someone who just bought a complete top tier board off a group buy. if he can't see the value in that, he's missing the whole point of these meetups, which is sharing what you love, not flexing your wallet. your NK65 is legit, don't let one sour grape ruin the whole bowl.

sam_rivera4d ago

Yeah the flex culture is killing the whole point of these meetups, it's supposed to be about the build, not the price tag.