This misses two key motivators (and ignores the fact that Portland is an extreme example). One is an ambivalence about the products and marketing of large corp

This misses two key motivators (and ignores the fact that Portland is an extreme example). One is an ambivalence about the products and marketing of large corporations and a corresponding search for authenticity through DIY. Why buy Heinz when you can make preservative-free ketchup from heirloom tomato varieties unavailable in any grocery store? And selling the product mainly sustains the enterprise, offering the potential for work with a degree of autonomy. Put up a web storefront and your niche local business has global reach. As to “self-branding” and innocuous politeness: to Deresiewicz, these identify a salesman. More probably, they result from a generational awareness that one’s words and actions are immortalized online. One cultivates a persona or risks letting others do so for you.