Absolutely not. No present computer can be built from scratch. The bootloader and microcode are proprietary. People slapping parts into a case are not building anything. No one can read the datasheets and build a machine like Woz, for some unethical asshat like Jobs to steal. The hardware is undocumented at this level and is now propriety because of a culture of moral decay. When x86 got established, it was only because it was open source with full documentation, and not only that, it was required to be second and third sourced to ensure no one could manipulate customers even with just the sourcing. That culture of never trusting companies and accountability is dead.

Trust, required for proprietary products, is feudalism. Ultimately that loss of ownership rights is a coup against democracy itself when normalized in culture. This is a dystopian world I recognize for its broad implications for a terrible dystopian future and wholly reject. I can only affect change in myself, and tell others. It is a complicated balance.

I will not hesitate to speak up with my personal opinion. However, my personal opinion is not a moderator here. I really should edit the community details to make my position clear. I have a policy of very conservative moderation. I have communicated to other mods and mentioned openly that my policy towards moderation is to never take actions when I am involved in a conversation. I will defer to other mods if ever necessary.

My personal opinions hold no sway over moderation here. Guerilla marketing is prohibited, but determining so in practice follows a set of undisclosed rules that will remain undisclosed to avoid gaming them.

I am only human. I can be easy to dislike by many, so I am told anecdotally. I’m very abstract in my thinking and reasoning. One of the positives to such an abstracted personality is that I am, I believe, more capable than average of disconnecting my internal sense of morality and beliefs from my actions in judgment of others. I value the idealized judge I wish I had, altruistically, in the actions I take for or against others far more than enforcing any internal emotional perspective I retain. In other words, I care about the community members more than my principals that are intended to better said community. I will never attempt to hurt the community to shape it to my will or dilutions of an ideologue incapable of adjusting to reality, even dystopia.

As a person, I’ll never shut up or stop pointing out that proprietary is the refuge of criminal thieves and cowards. That it is selling yourself and ultimately citizenship and democracy in the biggest picture. However, as a moderator I welcome all to share their experiences in 3d printing, completely unhindered and openly. I will not stop them from sharing in any way, but I will not silence those that object for moral reasons either, so long as both sides remain respectful and positive overall. Hopefully that clearly defines my stance and puts any doubts to rest.

There is no reason to worry about the ambiguity of that moderator tag here. I engaged, therefore in this place, by my own rules, I am not a mod in this instance or any other similar instance. I will always tell users directly if I question or engage as a moderator, and this is only applicable in instances where I am not already involved. As a mod, I am only here as the janitor to herd bots and sort out issues like bigotry. The community is just as much yours as it is mine as a mod and as a user. As a fellow human, I do not matter here any more than you.