Let me tell you about my friend Al. Every word is true, except his name and one connection I'll make later.
Al had a diving accident when he was 19. Since then he has been a quadriplegic. He has enough control of his arms that he can drive a specially-equipped vehicle, and in fact has driven all over the vast state of California. He does not have any fine motor coordination in his hands--he can't write without stylus and keyboard, and he will never be able to hold a woodworking tool, much less work with it. He has a strong mechanical inclination and understanding--he's conceived and designed many of his own assistive devices.
Al has both an MA and an MBA (advanced degrees). He has started and run several companies. He's now over 65, and has scaled back a bit. His current enterprise provides useful full-time employment for 7 people, only one of whom is needed as his caretaker. He has raised several children who've turned out pretty well.
Al leads a full and well-rounded life, which includes hobbies.
Now the fiction: Let's say that Al discovers Festool, and he is entranced by the engineering and design. He begins to buy them and he participates on FOG.
What could he do besides read? Well, he could and probably would contribute in the way that Forrest Anderson has so ably, by organizing information. And he'd be critiquing jig designs. And his posts would be worth reading. And he would be a valued participant.
My point is this: This is the Festool
Owners Group, not the Festool
Woodworking Group. Even though woodworking is the major reason for the tools, it may not be the reason why someone is here. Al's an extreme case, but some of us do have other motivations; those different points of view are useful to all, including the woodworkers.
It won't encourage thinking outside the box if only the makers of very nice boxes are rewarded. OK, let's add some other contests--
- Best Creative On-site Use.
- Best Non-Woodworking Use.
- Best Jig.
- Best Use The Factory Never Thought Of.
- Best Use of Festools For Production of 500 or More of Something.
- My personal favorite-- Best Idea For Something That's Beyond The Creator's Ability To Build. ;D
I want to see
all of these projects and ideas, including the beautiful woodworking ones. Limiting rewards to best of woodworking alone excludes many, many of us. For those who don't get my sense of humor--the proposed contests above wouldn't be any better.
I agree strongly with those who point out that the no-winners-no-losers trend is damaging to society. Graceful winning and losing needs to be taught to every child, but
I don't think it needs to be taught here. A random drawing will not affect our moral fiber.
Requiring that Festools be involved in a submitted project creates a problem: we'll never be able to enjoy the delight of pushing a newbie off the edge of the slippery green slope by giving him his first tool!
I feel strongly that non-North American members should be able to participate fully, including winning drawings like this one. The short-term answer may be an equivalent value of non-electrical Festool stuff sent to a non-NA winner. The suggestion that sandpaper is a near-universal currency is hilarious, but true. Still, I can't imagine anyone being as excited by a Domino's-worth of sandpaper as they would be by a Domino. I hope that Festool can arrange to have the proper version of the tool available for any winner.
In my opinion, the only reasonable way to distribute goodies from Festool is by random drawing from the pool of people who both register and donate to FOG.
The current scheme has a high potential for divisiveness. I do not think it is a good idea, or that any such contest can be somehow adjusted to become a good idea. I will not submit a project, I will not participate in discussion of the merits of one submission or another, and I will not vote in the contest.
Ned
And I think this is a great idea in general.. You may just have to do it and see how it pans out.
;D 8) Fred
