Hmm, but is it really Domikey rebranded? That would be interesting. That would make sense because they have the ability to put out sets fast and they are decent quality already.
(Notice the username on that post… surely not, right?)
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I didn’t see that coming. Clearly he was keeping down more bile than he was letting on initially.
Someone has trained “Jyri_Drop” very well. Judging from his ability to render this masterwork of a response. The proverbial straw that broke Matt3o’s back.
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Welp, not sure how that bodes for Matt3o designing MT2 colorways…
You know it has to kill him b/c he was already constantly having to reply to people who ask him questions about Laser colorways with “I’m not MiTo”
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Drop: Hey Mito, want to work on designing a new profile?
Mito: Yeah! Just copy cherry.
Drop: Bet.
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Drop has always treated matt3o like crap, remember when they just went ahead and put Susuwatari into production without him signing off on it?
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They started so good
Spending 2 years and presumably a lot of money on R&D
Keeping it low key
Weeks away send teaser announcement
imo they realized they had an opportunity to do better and offered to sent matt30 samples and invite him to design one of the first steps… But then they keep talking and responding to comments and here we are. Even if they turn out to be amazing they will be a little tarnished from this for a while.
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Oh my this is quite the drama.
Are Drop clueless or actually genius? You know the saying, there is no such thing as bad publicity.
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IDK. I’m obsessed with keebs and love MT3 and all, but how they’re handling this as an ongoing thing is pretty bad. Rather than recognizing the value of engaging directly and honestly, they are spinning and doing it in a continually tone-deaf way. I even bought-into the keycap club thing and have been a very regular customer of theirs since I noticed they were improving customer service… but I’m running out of reasons to hang around if they keep up this kind of unnecessary shenanigannery.
They’re not clueless - but I do think they’re tone-deaf and do not understand the value of organic influencing. They will be able to sell plenty of keycaps and headphones if the audiophile and custom keeb communities turn their backs on them - but all the passion that goes with those communities will no longer be something they can benefit from.
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This isn’t as dumb as the panda X drama (which imo is the most pointless drama this community had created), but it’s close. I’m not a Drop shill. I’m a stop-the-drama shill.
Keeping “MT” isn’t a slight to anyone. Matt30 still gets credit by association. His initials are still MT and the OG of the products now; keeping them is a compliment. Mito gets a nod by coincidence. Drop keeps their product name for marketing.
It could be a win all around if people chose to see it that way. Matt30 should have established the terms better if MT can only ever refer to his designs or by his approval.
I can only see that Drop could’ve given him a heads up, and they just need to apologize for not doing so.
Matt is getting publicly upset when we aren’t privy to any conversations he is having (or choosing not to have) with Drop, whom he surely has private contacts with. Wouldn’t it be sensible to resolve it privately and then go public according to the conversation unless your primary motivation isn’t resolution? I find the kneejerk reaction to be immature if not manipulative.
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Keebtalk is my keyboard bastion for actual discussion with different perspectives. However these kinds of threads devolve toward bandwagon than discussion, and that makes me sad
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Without having kept up on the threads or hardly read any of the details, I will say the one thing that would have diffused all of this for me would have been if drop included something like this in their product introduction:
Following the success of Drop x Matt3o’s MT3 keycaps, we bring you part 2 of our Meticulous Typing line keycap profiles. MT2 is a lower profile, cylindrical sculpt. This time we asked a different MT to contribute to the product line, working closely with MiTo to design these keycaps from the ground up.
It gives credit, it clarifies intent, it explains the difference. No ambiguity, and no real room for outrage.
It’s just simple stuff they’re failing to do, imo.
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That’s some great copy. Totally agree
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I’d say the same - this is a generally wholesome environment and I’ve always appreciated that.
I’d respectfully disagree (emphasis on respectfully); I don’t see this thread as drama so much as face-palming at the thing and recalling other similar instances. The “thing” at this point (at least for me) being less the name and more the response they’re giving about it so far. I do see the name as ill-advised but it’s not like the situation couldn’t be turned around by handling it in an on-the level, wholesome kinda way - which they unfortunately kinda aren’t right now. They still could tho and I’d love to see it.
This I’m in total agreement with; it’s not a big deal and should be an easy fix.
Realistically - I wouldn’t even ask them to change the name at this point (though I would have suggested not using it a long time ago, were I in a position to do so). What is disappointing me in this instance is that the route they’re going so far is to not even acknowledge it. That does rub me the wrong way, and it looks like it really rubbed matt3o the wrong way - though like you said we have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes, only what we can see out there.
None of this is to say that I think Drop is staffed by bad people or that they are a nefarious organization for being profit-motivated or any of that (and I’ve already said I love the stuff they make) - but it is to say I’m disappointed with this particular outreach effort - with part of that disappointment being it’s familiarity.
I think that’s an alright thing to talk about - especially noting that Drop gets it right more often than they get it wrong, and that they’ve at very least done a great job at revising their policies to be a lot more consumer-friendly. At least sometimes, they do listen to feedback, and they’re a better company now for it than they were a few years prior.
I want to talk about this kind of stuff because I see it as one of the last things they need to fix to be that unicorn sizable company that has a great relationship with its communities. 
I put a lot of words into the criticism and even get salty sometimes - but all of that is with the hope of seeing things improve in terms of that relationship.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but the last thing I want is to foster toxicity on KeebTalk, and I want you to know that regardless of my intentions I take your comment to heart and really don’t want to contribute to anything that makes people feel that way. For what it’s worth I’ll be keeping it in mind.
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Just don’t read the thread. It’s like TP4 post on geekhack. Best steer clear if you don’t want to see the drama 
Maybe we could get it in an off-topic thread 
They should have named it MI2
MT2 makes u think it’s similar to MT3 but MI2 would make u think it’s only the same producer and it would be a better reference to MiTo as MT3 is to Matt3o.
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A postscript of sorts.
I also note that on the original discussion thread on Drop’s site that MiTo has now chimed in and seems all too happy to tow Drop’s company line in taking credit for MT2.
This whole thing is just gross and disappointing.
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I think the biggest miss with all of this, is that Matt put a ton of work into creating a NEW and pretty unique profile, where this is just a low effort cash grab. They would still be taking part of his legacy and handing it over to another designer by association, but maybe that could be softened by making something new and cool out of it.
Also we have to remember that GMK is so well loved, not only for the quality, but because they bring designers visions to life. What’s the benefit of quick turnaround if the sets are uninspired. It seems the only person willing to work with them these days is MiTo. Nothing against his designs, but things will stagnate without a diverse community of designers and enthusiasts who support them.
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In the same chat they asked me NOT to post about my malcontent about the MT2 naming. At that point there was no ill feeling and I told them that all I wanted was for people to know that I’m not involved in the making of a cherry clone.
I guess that explains why they weren’t answering my questions aimed in this direction. So, yes, it did come up - and they decided to try to avoid it instead of make it square. (IMO making it square would have cost literally nothing but a few thoughtful words.)
This is the kind of route I wish they’d reconsider taking, and the very thing that rubbed me the wrong way. It’s like I said on their forum - if you just explain things honestly there’s a good chance people will understand and just appreciate the honesty, especially if the initial thing isn’t a big deal. To be clear, I don’t think the situation as-is qualifies as a “big” deal, either - just kinda disappointing, ya know?
By the same token - being dodgy about something, even if its barely significant, is always going to make things worse.
There’s that phrase, which I think came out of Al Capone’s downfall: “it’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up”. Heh - not that there’s any crime here, but something that really could have been a total non-issue was made so much worse by attempting to hide it instead of just owning up and moving on. I genuinely think Drop could have turned this into a net-positive for literally everyone had they engaged on-the-level.
The one and only lasting feeling for me out of all this is being bummed the all-brown MT3 Retro set isn’t going to happen now - at least not with matt3o’s blessing. [ darthvader-nooo.wav ]
On the positive side, cancelling the many orders I had going with Dorp has made room in my budget for something fun.
In the spirit of mentioning the good with the not:
When I requested cancellation on my remaining pre-orders, they granted the requests no questions asked - even on one that the sales page said was all-sales-final, which I thought was a good-guy move. (I didn’t realize it until after they’d already granted the request, and made sure to send along a thank-you.) That’s one of those consumer-friendly policy improvements I mentioned earlier.
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I’ve deleted my Drop account* and look forward to following Matt3o’s newsletter and eventual discord.
*Not solely because of the drama, but mostly because of the tone-deaf and simpy way Drop conducts business and marketing.
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“I invite Matt3o and anyone else to give it chance and take a crack on design…”
Holy Fuck
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