So here's the meat of the argument:
On the one hand, you want to recognize people. Why? * To thank them for their achievements. * To hold them up to the world as exemplary. * To encourage others to follow their example.
But on the other hand, such recognition is inherently exclusionary -- because some achieve, and some don't.
The letterman's jacket is, I see clearly now, too highly charged for too many people. I liked the idea because of the "geeks inherit the earth" message, all the way down to the letterman jackets, but I see clearly that it's too easily misinterpreted, and as much as I'd like to disagree, I can't.
Still, I think that the notion of pins/letters/merit badges/etc. is a good one, and I would argue that it *should* be exclusionary. Either you earned it, or you didn't.
So maybe just the pins, awarded for excellence. Wear them on your Fedora ballcap brim, or your T-shirt, or hanging from your pierced left nipple. How does that idea feel to people? A bit less ugly-clique-ish?
***
As an aside: to me, this is the real value of this group -- discussing ideas like this. Figuring out "all of the messaging behind Fedora" is a strategic problem that will take time to figure out. But working out tactical questions like "better schwag" and "names for FC5" and "fund-raising activities" is an ideal use of this group's time, IMHO.
So thanks for all of your helpful input. Thanks even to Seth for the public ass-whipping. :)
--g
_____________________ ____________________________________________ Greg DeKoenigsberg ] [ the future masters of technology will have Community Relations ] [ to be lighthearted and intelligent. the Red Hat ] [ machine easily masters the grim and the ] [ dumb. --mcluhan