Completely agree with all everyone has said...
Except one thing...
It isn't about negativity...or soul gone from community...
It is as gerbick said ...
It is very simple...
Its about not one or two or three endeavours failing to come through...
It multiple...as in many many many...
And yes they all say the right words....
And they have all gotten plenty of money from us...
And they still haven't come through...properly.
It isnt about negativity...and or a lack of soul...
I am happy and excited and hopeful for any upstart to come through...
But it is now ...after many many many many many years...balanced out with "arms crossed over chest" ...show it to me and I will buy it pragmatism ...
Yet STILL I support it...
I hope the best for it..
I wish the best for it..
I will even purchase multiples of the product ...so as to have back-ups and extras...
I will even purchase peripheral necessities for it..
everything from needed cables, attachments, cases batteries, etc etc etc...
and yet again purchase multiples of them as well...
And STILL yet again I will buy the limited edition severely overpriced t-shirts ...and other ridiculous paraphernalia ...

So no one give me that big pile of manure that there isn't money to be made from devices...
If Nokia were still gripping with both claws the money to be made...from the nokia internet tablet line...
To this day they wouldn't be eking out a pittance from the Nxx0 line...
not from folks like me...
or others here who think likewise about their devices...regardless the make or manufacturer...
and yet others who are buying one and all the needed bits as well...
Constantly folks are showing up here with devices ...
haven't ever used one...and new folks here...
and old maemoites ...come back with devices just bought ...in need of all the bits and necessities too....

And the whole..."only big companies .." shtick ...
Concerning inability for small endeavours to come through without gofundme emptying my wallet
Is a big load of crap.

the lone fund-er has little clout legally ...to chase down his investment...
Whereas the proper investor ..has no problem "lawyer-ing up" and going to court to retrieve his investment back.
So in the end ..
It is just easier to walk away with gofundme money than a proper investors...

Just because we wish open source and privacy and streamers from the handlebars ..and baseball cards in the spokes...
doesn't mean it cannot be a profitable endeavour....

IF the business model is sound...
THEN proper investors and / or the big corps will happily get involve / back / fund the endeavour....
THEN we ALL know something very good is going to ACTUALLY come through..
IF the big players / investors take an interest, it means that they know that there are gains to be made from a successful business model...
IF no big players / investors take an interest, then it is a model that will not fly.
It is pretty plain and simple...
It doesn't have to be a giant corporation...
all it needs to be is a smart business person or entity with enough capital who sees a good investment.
and a good investment means a good return..
and that means sales...
and that means numbers of endusers...
and that means a large enough pool of endusers to be considered a supportable community..
and naturally the investors focus is on the primary factor of seeing that the investment is backing a solidly and blatantly obvious excellent end product device / os as well.

So there is your litmus test.

(for example ..chen and his work has gotten BIG attention and support...his is a good model to weigh by...)


But show me another dozen or two dozen vague "coming soons.."
But show me another dozen or two dozen "we need your unconditional time and financial support or need an / yet another infusion of nonrefundable capital..."
or
"We need a pre-pre-pre-order fundraiser...then we will go to the pre-pre-order fundraiser.."

And I will simply not listen ....not anymore.

Its a steaming pile.

Show me a supported finished product I can purchase...
anything less is wasting my time...
wasting everyone's time.
with waiting..
with funds..
with writing post after post supporting and defending ...such towering B.S...
or in my case ...finally having enough of my fill doing so..
recanted....
and write posts saying .."sure be hopeful...but be pragmatic about it."