> Why is the mechanical keyboard community so elitist?

I think this is a fundamental element of modern 'advertising on social media'. This and 'scarcity' of product 'drops'.

My teenage son was sucked into this nonsense about two+ years ago. The PCBs for the keyboards (purchased from multiple vendors) are terribly-supported Chinese garbage. Official tech support is junk, and if you ask a keyboard community, it's taken as an insult to the community.

And before anyone says, "bad assembly" -- my son is certified from a three-day long Haako micro-soldering course, so he knows how to solder.