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I tried to hand-solder a Hirose .35-pitch connector onto a custom OSHPark board once. Let’s just say it was a humbling experience. Thanks to a generous friend, I learned the value of solder masks and owning a home reflow oven.
Respect to whoever can do this sort of thing, but life is too damn short and my eyesight and hands don’t need the abuse.
The main reason a lot of people still stick around Twitter is because the journalists are there. If Mastodon goes down this path and adds more features to help news organizations and individual reporters, the more likely people will move over.