In addition to writing for Tindie’s blog, I also maintain a store here. While I couldn’t buy a jet with my earnings, or even a new car–though maybe a scooter–It’s a nice source of bonus income, enough to help facilitate projects that I’m compelled to create.
Beyond the money, however, it is really an amazing feeling to be able to supply useful devices, primarily to others who, I assume, make other interesting things with my devices. It’s like I get to send out care packages to people who I typically don’t know, but whom I’d most likely get along with fabulously.
So, as seen below, it made my day when I got a great review on my (now retired) original JC Pro Macro auxiliary keypad. It actually made me a little sad that I was retiring the system, even if an improved version has been available for some time.
Good Review–Excellent, Bad Review–Be Informative
If you’re thinking about selling something here on Tindie, I’d encourage you to do so. It can be an incredibly rewarding experience, especially when you get positive feedback. As a customer (which I am as well), remember that the entities you’re buying from are real people, who most likely aren’t earning their living at it. Be generous with your praise, and you’ll be able to spread good feelings far and wide–across the globe in many cases.
As a bit of a side note, if you’re an analytical person (like myself), and/or have been trained to think a certain way, you may consider a 3 out of 5 rating as nominal, 4 as better than expected, and 5 as amazing and nearly unobtainable. In the world we live in, however, it seems that 5 typically means “met expectations” according to most people’s way of thinking. If you like something and think it’s good enough to make others happy, don’t be afraid to give it a 5-star review!
Finally, if you do have negative feedback, consider dealing with it privately as appropriate, and whatever channel you use, be sure to be specific enough that the seller can improve. I’ve certainly learned a lot since starting my seller journey, especially about shipping.
So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!
On a related note, I’ve written for Tindie for (what I’m told is) six years now, and have a huge amount of admiration for the platform and the people that work here. Straddling the line between insider and outsider as a contractor, my view is perhaps a bit rose-colored; however, Tindie really feels like more of a community than any other “online shop” with which I’ve done business.
That being said, for a variety of reasons–largely having to do with time restrictions–I’m stepping away from writing for the Tindie blog. I’d like to give a big thanks to the excellent editors, co-writers, and staff that I’ve been able to work alongside. I wish them a huge amount of success in the future. As for me, I’ll maintain my JC Devices store here for the foreseeable future, and you can ping me on Twitter and/or follow me on YouTube if you are so inclined.
So I’ll say “So long and thanks for all the fish,” sans the disaster predicted by the dolphins in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy universe. Thanks for a great experience, and may Tindie continue to be an awesome place to buy and sell indie hardware!
Editors note: Jeremy will be sorely missed! It’s been a pleasure working with him, and we definitely recommend checking out his store. We wish him well in his future endeavours, and will save a seat at the writers’ table in case he ever has time in the future!
