I did say you could @ me and you always can, promise
I’ll say that the reasons I have drawn these lines aren’t personal (and I really hope I’ve been able to make the distinction between my own personal feelings, which admittedly tend to be more on the negative side, and the more officious reasons why I/we don’t think it’s a good idea for the community after all.
We do consider Greg’s word as final… except in cases when he is wrong, which not only is just good on principle (I’ve always said that to treat Greg as completely infallible does a disservice not only to him as a source, but to our readers as well) but is something he himself has acknowledged and agreed with. In this case, I’m really trying hard to balance responsibilities both to LEGO, as a registered community, and to our readers and the broader community as a whole. These aren’t decisions and statements that come easily or lightly, and again, I’m doing my best to try and separate or at least make clear what are my own personal opinions and the unbiased stances I feel we have to take.
It might come across as slightly arrogant, but I’ll say that I’m not super concerned with the data and viewership. Wikia will always be able to one-up us on SEO, but there’s a reason they aren’t a real community and we’ve remained a cohesive unit that LEGO saw fit to recognize. But, of course, I understand that reputation also bares its share of scrutiny; this is a new situation for all of us, and we’re trying to navigate it as best we can according to our guiding principles. I don’t see anything I’ve said as being contradictory to the intense skepticism we put on many things, a skepticism that has saved our bacon more often than not, but likewise, we’re not infallible and need to be able to adapt. I promise promise promise I’m not being a meanie-pants for no reason.
Apropros of absolutely nothing, I like this take on why CCBS should be allowed. I was having a hard time phrasing why I thought it was okay, but this is close to what I was envisioning. LEGO is LEGO, and even if CCBS seems weird retroactively, the principles behind using parts and pieces remains the same.
Just speaking personally, it bothers me a bit that this is the attitude, and why the quasi-official stamp of approval matters so much. More than anything I’ve said, I feel like reducing things to “just a contest” is a knock against all the hard work somebody might put in for the sake of creativity itself rather than scoring some internet points. It’s one reason in general why I’ve disliked a number of official contests that have been done, and especially ones with only one winner; it feels much less communal and more every man for himself.