I applaud the fine individuals who are placing an emphasis on civility and etiquette.
Personally, I am finding the discussions here and in the "steampunk isn't punk" thread, quite interesting, though I hope we can all keep that aforementioned emphasis in mind.
There will be times when we as refined adults will be forced to "agree to disagree."
Still at the core, I think much of the contention is of semantics, though there are some insecurities.
I have them myself. I am not a maker. But I applaud the DIY folks, and hope to derive some inspiration and education from them.
Were I to ever have full steampunk drag, I'm sure it would cobbled together from store bought items, things purchased directly from fine artisans, and things I will have scavenged, made, or modified myself...
Actually, thinking about it I could come pretty close now, as some of these kinds of items have been integrated into my lifestyle for sometime.
It is only recently that I have begun to think of them as steampunk, even though eons ago I used to sport a brocade waistcoat I'd made myself when I went out to the punk club...
Another thought about steampunk as subculture... Has anyone read Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age?
Not exactly steampunk, though there is an interesting frisson of steampunk and cyberpunk elements. I bring it up, however for the element of Phyles. Stephenson takes the cyberpunk concept of corporations becoming more important than nations, and runs with it, turns it on culture. Phyles are like cultures, or subcultures, without borders. There is even a Neo-Victorian one.
This is somewhat how I see steampunk "culture," at least at this point. I'd wager most of us on this board have seen precious few other steampunks in the flesh. In my area, there are no steampunk establishments, or gatherings. (Although, if I crawled out of my den and made it to Portland or Seattle more often, I might find something.)
But I do feel a sense of camaraderie with the fine gentles on this board. My exposure to a lot of these topics has been catch as catch can, so I'm learning a lot from the company here. Even when I find myself on a particular pole of some debate's dichotomy, generally details are the points of contention, and I have the utmost respect not only for the opponent's aesthetic, but for their passion for it.
Thank you for your indulgence, this rant is completed.
