
ThinkGeek: The nerd company at a crossroads - jamessun
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/thinkgeek-the-nerd-company-at-a-crossroads/2013/12/11/c7d579ba-4b12-11e3-9890-a1e0997fb0c0_story.html
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pnathan
Thinkgeek has always been really cool. Unfortunately, some time ago they
really wound down their Linux-centric products. I really miss that, as I am
not really into pop culture, even geeky pop culture. A stuffed Tux mascot is
no longer available from ThinkGeek (or, as far as I can tell circa the last
time I looked, the general internet).

I hope ThinkGeek does well, but it's refocused its efforts away from my buying
interests.

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noahm
Agreed. I've watched in dismay as their focus has shifted over the years from
"#include <beer.h>" mugs and t-shirts with Larry Wall quotes on them to almost
exclusively TV and movie merchandise. From my vantage point, it's not that
geek culture has gone mainstream and brought Thinkgeek with it, it's that
Thinkgeek has shifted to a more mainstream focus and away from geek culture.
Not surprisingly, it's been years since I've ordered anything from them.

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vacri
Thinkgeek was always kind've pricey. Places like DealExtreme have replaced
them for me, at a tenth the price. Sure, I won't have access to NameBrand(tm)
branded things... but I look at the hundreds of dollars of stuff I bought at
Thinkgeek... and it's all throwaway garbage anyway. The mug that faded on its
first trip through the dishwasher; the heat-sensitive coloured putty that
lasted all of a couple of days before failing; the usb single-can cooling
fridge that doesn't work because there's no insulation and the contact point
with the can is miniscule; the list of stuff that looks better on the website
than in your hands just goes on and on.

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levesque
Nitpicking on the title : ThinkGeek isn't a nerd company, it's a geek company,
hence the name. Relevant XKCD : [http://xkcd.com/747/](http://xkcd.com/747/)

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moron4hire
The story from a couple of acquaintances that work there is that it's very
much like a tech startup: doesn't pay very well, expects constant overtime
without pay, and not very welcoming to female employees.

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Einstalbert
If they're in California, their over-time without pay is illegal and I've seen
more than one company get reamed by the Department of Labor over it.

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gaius
Programmer is an exempt job.

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rhizome
Not always.

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mhurron
The only time I've seen where it wouldn't be exempt is if you paid them
hourly.

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gohrt
"Salary" jobs are exempt, but certain jobs are non-exempt by law, because the
work is considered so hourly-like and non-independent that the "salary" is
considered a sham.

(Example: You can't be a "exempt, salaried" clerk at a store if you are
required to be at the store from 8am to 6pm and are required to do a specific
set of tasks in a prescribed way.)

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mhurron
That doesn't say anything about the situation where programmers would ever be
non-exempt unless you paid them hourly instead of a salary.

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DigitalSea
I remember a time when ThinkGeek sold a lot of cool truly nerdy products like
Linux mugs and Tux mascots. I'm not a big fan of Star Wars, so the licenced
Star Wars products don't appeal to me. I respect ThinkGeek as a company, but I
think they need to go back to their roots a little bit if they want to move
forward.

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eropple
"Move forward"? Don't you think their sales figures demonstrate better forward
motion than they'd manage by "going back" (your words) to selling stuff for
people who materially care about operating systems?

(There's no better way to stay solvent than to chase tiny niches occupied by
hypercritical people who'll drop your stuff for reasons nobody else cares
about, right?)

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andrewflnr
The problem is that you can move "forward" right through your optimal balance
and not realize until it's too late that you've become just like everyone
else, and are therefore commoditized, replaceable. You might still be making a
bunch of money, but you're well on your way to burning out, replaced by
someone who still has a mission.

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fourstar
ThinkGeek slowly becoming the Spencer's gifts of the internet. Shame since I
used to love the shit they'd come out with. Remember the 8bit tie? The 1up
mushroom?

