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We're getting quite philosophical here :). From the deep history of MIDIbox, there was a time when designs were much more open and it caused untold problems. Most of the old guys are no longer around, so it could be a chance to start something different. Nowadays, MCU projects are all over the place, with many different options of build complexity and price. A hardcore MIDI controller is less attractive to DIY when equivalents or "better" can be purchased for cheaper than parts cost. The advent of all-in-one PCBs has killed off a lot of creativity, e.g. MIDIbox of the week. Having organised a small but costly Bulk Order, I can understand why people choose not to open source everything. It's hard to explain, but you do feel like you have ownership over the IP due to all of the blood, sweat and tears put in. A different line of thought: by designing something, what's the obligation to keep a supply line running? Even big businesses sell "limited time only" products. I'm not advocating this approach, but as this is a volunteer community, you have to keep active and take the opportunity to buy PCBs/components when they're available, and support those who put the time in to design and organise orders. It's the responsibility of members to participate, otherwise the place turns into a ghost town. As a corollary, it's disheartening when something's promised and not delivered, more so when money has already been paid in. At the very least, anyone selling PCBs or projects should seriously consider a succession plan when they might no longer be around. Even if they don't send a cache of gerbers to TK., something like having the files somewhere accessible and backed up, ready to send on or be quickly uploaded to the wiki. Another concept I just noticed from a post on MW is "donation ware." The source files are open, which means anyone can simply upload to their favourite fab. They take responsibility of shipping, customs and quality, and can on-sell the remainder they don't need. It's essentially open source, but with a gentle reminder that it is somebody's work you're benefiting from. If you appreciate it and want more from the designer, you can send them a bit of cash to say so. While the price breaks get worse, and it's more energy and money for lots of small packets, this chops up the task into many small parts and relieves pressure from the designer. It also emphasises that this is a hobby community, not an evil profit-making business.