Welcome to KeyChatter, the world’s first daily news blog dedicated to mechanical keyboards!
This blog’s mission is to promote mainstream adoption of mechanical keyboards by providing current, high-quality information.
My core belief in creating this blog is that a keyboard is not a detail, and that is a theme you will see repeated over and over again. I believe that the market growth we’ve seen over the last year and a half is just the beginning, and as a keyboard enthusiast, I am excited for what the future holds. I want to see a day when electronics retailers stock an entire range of mechanical keyboards, not just one or two amidst a sea of chiclets and rubber domes. 🙂
Why this blog?
As you may know, before KeyChatter there was no centralized blog or news portal for mechanical keyboard information. Instead, news and reviews were mostly disseminated through discussion-based communities. While I strongly support and frequently participate in these communities, I believe there is room for a daily news blog, and that such a format offers unique advantages to readers, such as:
- A curated selection of information, in contrast to the free-for-all nature of discussion-based communities.
- Consistent logical and visual presentation of reviews, how-to guides, and other information.
- Centralized organization of information. There is a tremendous amount of mechanical keyboard information online, but it is spread over numerous websites and formats, many of which are not well maintained.
- A consistent, fair, and to the greatest extent possible, truthful portrayal of products, people, and brands within the industry. While public opinion is a crucial part of any community, too often it leads to people ‘repeating what they’ve heard’ without any real data (e.g., the backlash against Kailh switches). I don’t claim to be a perfectly unbiased source, but I do promise to prioritize facts and independent investigation over hype.
These bullet points are taken from the About page, which I suggest you read if you want to know more about my plans for this blog.
KeyChatter does not aim to replace existing communities — only to complement them and advance the industry and hobby as a whole.
A brief tour
If you’re new to mechanical keyboards and trying to get a handle on all the information coming your way, take a look at Mech 101. Mech 101 is a short series of lessons to get you up to speed. I created it after carefully studying existing “newbie” guides, and I think it’s now one of the best introductions on the net.
If you’re researching products to purchase, take a look at the Buyer’s Guide. It comprises two parts: a database of popular keyboards segmented by form factor, and a where-to-buy matrix. I have put considerable time into developing these resources, and I think you will find them useful.
If you need the definition of a specific term, try the Glossary. I created it after carefully reviewing all existing mechanical keyboard glossaries on the net, and I believe it’s one of the best. If you notice a term missing, email me using the tip form. On that note, if you have an idea for a story or want to pitch a guest column for the blog, shoot me an email using the tip form!
Things that are coming soon… how-to guides covering mods, repairs, cleaning, key remapping on Windows and OSX, and soldering. Plus, tons of videos, news, and reviews! I’ll be posting at least one new article or section a day, so keep an eye on the site. Sign up for the RSS feed if you like.
Also, add your name to the mailing list (see the right-hand sidebar) to receive emails when super-awesome things happen around the site. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you, and I promise to only send you awesome stuff that you’ll want to read.
Thanks for visiting KeyChatter, and I can’t wait to see you around the site!
-Aaron
7/31/2014
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