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NightrainSrt4
07-16-2008, 06:27 PM
Today while working on my mod I realized that I was thinking about something the entire time.

Now this issue/concept isn't a stab at those who do/are, but merely an observation that I had. This doesn't happen as far as I have seen on this site, but is quite noticeable on several others that I occasionally frequent.


The Modder/Mod [Flavor] of the Month

No, not the mod of the month deal where the best mod of the current month wins a prize and notoriety, although they potentially could I suppose.

But the mods/modders of the month that seem to get vast amounts of attention, and then seemingly fade out into oblivion. The mods that are made almost entirely by machine, whether CNC, laser cutters, or what-have-you. The mods which the modder makes a fantastic design, and the mod comes out incredible, and yet a month later no one can name the mod, nor the modder who created it.

It appears to me that each month, more and more of these types of mods/modders pop up, and then quickly fade into the abyss. Now, by no means am I stating that the mod isn't of high caliber, nor undeserving of the attention, but these mods just seem to lack heart and soul.

Page after page of worklogs are sifted through to find, what is becoming all too rare, mods where the craftsman really shines. Where hours of nitpicking and relentless crafting begin to slowly wipe away the fog, uncovering the final vision of the modder.

I am simply afraid that more and more new modders are falling into the mindset that a mod must be perfect in order to be great. That the perfect cuts of a laser-cutter are the pinnacle of modding, and the imperfections caused by hand crafting are deemed un-professional and of lesser quality.

I understand that either method of modding may be the only option the modder has. This is not where my focus lies. As I mentioned above, we don't appear to have this phenomenon here, but several other modding sites seem to, at an ever increasing rate. We will always have our amazing craftsmen, and the modders with enough heart and determination to make a mod their own. But will we soon become a minority, and have our mods deemed lesser quality?

Just something I was thinking about while modding today. Not sure if any of it makes sense. And no, it is not a rant, or put down to those that do get most of their mod crafted by machine. I have seen many amazing mods created in that manor. I am just curious as to whether anyone thinks it will become the norm of mainstream modding.

Any thoughts?

TheGreatSatan
07-17-2008, 12:39 AM
Definitely. People want notoriety for their work. TBCS would have a MOTM, but I would win every time. :D

But really, that's why I'm working on my modder appreciation site, that way you can keep track of who built what and what that modder looks like.

http://www.pcmodhouse.com/worldsgreatestpcmodders/

Omega
07-17-2008, 01:37 AM
I guess we just like seeing things get built, and there's no shortage of supply for that here. Fact of the matter is, once the mod's done and over with people probably stop caring because there's nothing interesting with it. Is it sexy? yeah.

It's kinda like a new mp3 player being released. There's a hype and everybody is interested in it for a while before we all just accept it and move on. People stop raving about it because everybody knows about it already, and once the next great big new mp3 player shows up, people don't bother with the old one.

The difference is modder's workmanship can be enjoyed by the modder day in and day out, regardless if it's the newest mod or not.

I take some stuff I've modded for granted now too. When I first made it, I was like "that's freaking cool" and raved about it, now I and most everybody that's seen it just accepts it for what it is and doesn't think twice.


Maybe it's just human nature.

Luke122
07-17-2008, 02:08 AM
I think this is a tough call...

On one hand, it's hard to say that something made smooth and perfect isnt impressive, but I agree that it's definitely not as impressive as someone doing something by hand.

On the other hand, if someone pours their heart into a build for months, and it comes out looking like crap, it's hard to say that they get an A for effort.

Does that make sense?

I think personality and involvement makes a bigger impact than straight up blowing people away with your mod.

Acey
07-18-2008, 10:06 PM
Personally enjoy "molesting" every inch of the case with my own hands, only if I'm confident in doing it and comfy working with teh selected material. Well, pros and cons for everything, thats just how the world goes :D

FuzzyPlushroom
07-18-2008, 11:28 PM
Being a fan of things that appear to have survived being set on fire and dropped off the back of a train, hand-built mods have always shone through for me. I can understand the Bauhaus, minimalist element as well - but damn it, give me a case that's been hammered together any day.

Mach
07-19-2008, 01:52 AM
It's an interesting idea and one that been bantered around in other forums (http://www.mashie.org/forums/showthread.php?t=255) for the last few years.

On the point of rising star modder's flaming out, I like to think they move on to the next challenge.

Part of the pleasure of modding is the collision of challenges that it provides. Electronics, wood, plastic, metal, air cooling, water cooling, paint, etc. The modder can explore a myriad of new tools and techniques and to some extent master them.

That's in part why I mod and I believe why some folks disappear once they've conquered their immediate challenge. Once you've mastered the project, it's on to the next challenge which may not be modding related.

Regarding modding perfection, the prolific modder's like Paul, Mashie, and others have built a body of work that started strong and got progressively better over time.

It raised the bar for the rest of us and made the new tools like laser cutting more accessible and approachable. It also meant that mods needed to be more complex and involved to catch anyone's attention.

Craftmanship and the mastery of a technique is still inspiring. Filimon's work comes to mind. With all due respect, many of his cuts aren't laser cut perfect but the composition and attention to detail makes it all the more impressive because its organic and soulful.

DarkBlade took CNC and millwork to the same level. Bodaker works in plexi and styrene the same way. They both use tools that could be considered cheating in lesser hands but they do it so masterfully, it pushes the whole art to the next level. I like to think that people imitate tools first, technique second, and along the way find their own voice.

To quote Newton, "If I have seen [a little] further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

Make no mistake modding has become mainstream. Watercooling kits abound, airflow is designed into average cases, and case options now include windows and lights. Take a look at the plug-in modding add-ons now available at Xoxide or FrozenCPU. To make a statement, it takes tremendous talent, money, and usually, both.

And that's good for every modder, it lowers the cost of tools (http://www.gearlog.com/2008/07/no_more_knives_laser_engraving.php) and parts. It means that our chosen medium will live on a little longer and will continue to re-invent itself.

The reasons we mod are as diverse as the people who mod but in the end, if what you create makes you lose hours on end, makes you feel like your connected to a live wire of creativity, or makes you think "where the hell did that come from?", then you win, mod on.

Eclecticos
07-19-2008, 12:04 PM
Part of the pleasure of modding is the collision of challenges that it provides. Electronics, wood, plastic, metal, air cooling, water cooling, paint, etc. The modder can explore a myriad of new tools and techniques and to some extent master them.


I would defiantly agree with that. +Rep

halcyonforever
07-26-2008, 12:26 PM
Modding really is an art form. Every time I try to describe it to someone I have to resort to art. And much like any art form, you have masters, and you have those who start strong but may not stick with it. I would definately like to see some regular feature on Mods, possibly even a first time mod high lighted.

I know as a new modder that is a awesome motivational tool to shoot for. (Not that my Mod has much to show for it yet, it currently a slowly growing pile of parts and concepts)