Topic: Chumby's Market Blog Post
Seeing the comments are closed (why?) on the chumby blog page, I will post my comment here.
I am 99% sure you haven't forgotten your third major market base...or have you? I'm a not a connected youth (young at heart, yes). I am definitely not a "hacker" (although I enjoy IT and gadgets). (Perhaps you categorise me as a soft hacker...).
I am a designer/crafter. I make beautiful objects.
We are a sizeable market...that is why your friends at O'Reilly produce Craft: magazine...many of us are the ones who pay to keep the youth, boy hackers and grandma connected. I love chumby because I can personalise it to suit my sense of style, both internally, through flickr and other widgets, and externally. The functionality is secondary to me. I'd buy one even if it was only a potentially more attractive clock-radio. Grandma is welcome to join me in this market sector...personally my Mum and Grandma could make a chumby bling with the best of them...who do you think taught me? Mum is a very net literate lady and extraordinary crafter in her 50s...she could set up chumby to suit her in a blink.
I know the craft forum isn't buzzing with excitement yet...but you haven't released the product and we never really know what we want to do with something until we live with it, touch it and look at it a while. We are very visually oriented individuals. This kind of forum is not inspiring for us. When you organise galleries...that is where we'll be.
You have gone and hurt my feelings now. You will have to make it up to me somehow....sob...sniffle...