Cool Fedora schwag idea

[Greg DeKoenigsberg]

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