I think there's just a link between sticking stickers on things and being somewhat expressive, artistic, willing to stand out. While leaving the laptop blank is more likely someone more dry, reserved, etc. There's also a link between stickers and graffiti culture which I wouldn't describe as progressive but more just unconventional/rebellious.

I've never seen a conservative sticker on a laptop before. Then again, stickers, tags, etc. are more of an anti establishment thing. Those things don't mesh well with conservative views.

A rule of thumb among your friends: those who don’t talk politics are the conservative ones. Similarly, I’d wager most of the examples here without overtly progressive stickers are conservative.

Sometime around 2015 American political conservatism abandoned a substantive policy identity for demagoguery and nihilism, and while electorally successful to an extent, it's socially unpopular among the general population that's of working/laptop-using age.

Every American conservative knows the feeling of being at work and your liberal coworkers, not knowing you're conservative, start going on a rant about how terrible Republicans are and how stupid they are and how they all deserve jail etc.

In America today, liberals feel very comfortable speaking about their views in public. Conservatives don't.

From the top post on the creator's Mastodon account (see the 'socials' link on the site):

"I’ve had a long-standing love of stickers on laptops. I know a lot of you do too! So I built a site to highlight them. At Hope next week I’ll take as many pics (with permission) of the best stickered laptops I can find and post them.

It’s always sad when a laptop gets upgraded, the old one tossed, and that sticker canvas is lost. I’m trying to preserve it.

Please submit pics of your laptops so I can “seed the tip jar,” as it were."

I'm sure there's people out there with laptops blaring their right-wing opinions but I doubt many of them were at a hacker con like HOPE.

I guess it makes you more fireable...

I believe bumper stickers are only really a thing in the US.

Political conservatives run a huge American flag off the back of their pickup. Same motivations. Different venue.

Its signalling. Instead of stickers on their laptop, conservatives have crosses (the thing jesus got nailed on) on their neck and cars.

I'd suggest political conservatives are more likely to enjoy an undecorated laptop. There are a few Libertarian ones though.