[zdw]

I think the geek zeitgeist changes from decade to decade depending on what cool new thing is out there. 50 years ago it was building Heathkit and being a HAM radio enthusiast. 25 years ago, it was the PC/microcomputer. 15 years ago, the web.

Now, we have a weird amalgamation of all the above, at price/performance levels that would blow away anyone operating in those previous eras, and enabled things like cheap 3D printing and software defined radio.

It's a heck of a nice time to make interesting hardware.

[platz]

to throw out a few watery ideas based on your comments - it seems to fit with the 'retro' aesthetic; or at least the re-hashing of old ideas at a high frequency. This reminds me very much of the idea of post-modernism. Perhaps the downside is we loose some authenticity but make up for it in the wealth of the combinations.