Luke,
We had a guy on the board that couldn't say a nice thing about anyone's boats. He really tore up the board. Lots of us left because thsi wan't a fun hobby. Most of what he was doing was grand standing and self agrandizing. Making other folks work look smaller so he could feel taller. It was the mark of a small man. I know you were not around to witness the blaze of flames, but most of us learned a lot about the value of the this board what works and what doesn't.

Luke, this isn't the forum for what your trying to do. Yeah I know the value of being ruthless in training and after action evaluations. Do it al lthe time. I am headed to a juried show this weekend in fact.

In the end, most folks here are building their first boat. Half of what happens on this board is encouraging folks to finish a project that is long and sometimes filled with heart ache. Many boats never get finished. This board is a remedy for that. Building a boat is a lot like giving birth I am told second hand. If you have ever coached a expectant mother you'd know smacking the gal around doesn't change the outcome or add to the expereince. If you feel the need in this forum my suggestion would be to go out to the front lobby to smoke your cigar.

In the end no boat is perfect. Most builders can tell you were the hides are in their boats. Yeah some can see them. However, most of us walk past the boats looking at ideas we like. We look for creativeness sand invention. I often see things on boats I don't like but I admire the experiement. Yeah we al lknow who the best on the beach are and the bar raisers. But we don't hold them out as standards to measure each others. Efforts.

Reason is boats are built to different standards.

Most of what is produced by the members of this board is produced by amatuers not proffesional artists. What arrives on the beach is a personal statement. If ya don't like the statement walk on to the next boat.

Luke, there is a reason we don't give prizes or have juried competions at the meet at da beach, and Rendevous etc. Simply stated we have over the years become a community of frinds. We don't compete we help. we aid we admire and we affirm.

Lest you think this sounds disengenuous: Even when we see the real hacked up boat arrive and dumped off the back of the station wagon by the first timer with an obvious lack of craftsmanship we still cheer. Because we know what it is to luanch the first one and we still love to be drawn to the feeling again. Most of us see the stroke of genius for ideas that weather they landed on the sand perfect or not is cool. Rather then look at the whole presentation we look at the pieces. We look for and elevate the creative genius that can be found I argue in any boat. The mircle is that the next baot is a little better and the next has new ideas and guess what in the process of affirmation folks want to be be here.

Luke, what your trying to do, from the best of intentions I beleive, has not worked on this forum it was recipe for disaster. Waht your doing is weakening the community. And your doing it with with nothing to stand on. We haven't seen your work. If you want to stand tall in this community let us affirm your work. You can stand on that rather then on a pile of critism, for what I would argue is a truly creative well thought out, project.

Luke move up or move on

!RUSS